"Carlos has the same stature as Roberto Clemente. Roberto always tried to help the Latin players and people, and wanted to leave something behind. He wanted to make people better. Carlos has all the same dignity and that same pride."
—Former major leaguer Cookie Rojas

"He doesn't hide his personality in the clubhouse or off the field. If you had a son, you'd like him to be like Carlos."
—Former Blue Jays manager Cito Gaston

"People need to know this guy. Carlos is very sophisticated. He's mature. Wise beyond his years. Very, very intelligent. He loves the game. He's always in a good mood. He's also close to his family."
—Former manager Jim Fregosi

"Carlos is a great leader—a leader by example and every other way."
—Former teammate David Wells

"I remember him when he was 16-years-old and he was a catcher invited to our spring training camp. He always had a smile on his face. Whenever anybody wanted to do extra work and throw on the side, Carlos would jump up and say, 'I'll catch you.' He hasn’t changed a bit."
—Former teammate John Cerutti

“There’s a certain crispness to the sound of the ball coming off his bat that only a few players have. It's because he's so strong."
—All-time great Paul Molitor

"I'm not surprised anymore by what he can do. They could throw a pitch into the righthanded batter's box on an intentional walk, and he could hit it out the other way."
—Former teammate Billy Koch

"The ball explodes off his bat. It sounds louder off his bat than anybody else's."
—300-game winner Roger Clemens

"Carlos is a professional's professional. He comes prepared every day. As he's grown as an individual, he's also grown as a leader."
—Former teammate Dave Stewart

"He's got this aura. People, whether they're baseball fans or not, see him and think, 'That's somebody special. I gotta find out who that is.'"
—Former Blue Jays manager Buck Martinez

"What separates him from other superstars is that he doesn't have the big ego. Baseball really isn't his life. If he had to quit tomorrow, I know he's find something else as challenging, and he's be a big success at it."
—Teammate Shawn Green

"He's a man of his word, he's a man of conviction and he's not afraid to speak his mind. I respect him for that."
—Mets manager Willie Randolph

"He's been one of the best hitters in the game for a long time, and part of the strength of what he does is he's a power hitter who will go the other way and take what the pitchers give him."
—Randolph

"He enjoys being with the New York Mets and enjoys being in the city and enjoys everything about this organization."
—Mets GM Omar Minaya