“I’m a quiet guy. I’m not going to come in here yelling or screaming. That’s not me. I just try to play the game as hard as I can, and if people want to follow that lead, great."

"Growing up, you’re in the backyard and every time you’re playing, you’re imagining you’re in the World Series, Game 7, 3-2 count. And then you’re actually out there in Yankee Stadium trying to win it, and it’s amazing."

"If they watch me play, people will say I’m not into it or whatever. That’s okay. I kind of like it. People don't know how much work I’m putting into it. They don’t need to know."

"If you write in the paper ‘Lee stinks,’ that’s not gong to affect me. I’ll just laugh. And if you write ‘Derrek Lee is the best player in the league,’ that won’t affect me either. I’ll laugh."

"You just get better with age. You learn yourself and the league. I’m starting to understand more about hitting every year."

"I felt I was good in basketball but I wasn’t a blue-chip prospect."

"I miss basketball every now and then."

"As a first baseman, hitting home runs is what’s expected of me. But I don’t really try to hit home runs."

"It’s not like I’m an introvert. You get to know me, I can have a conversation with you. But in front of the media, I’m probably more of a quiet guy."

"Defense is something I take pride in. I feel it’s just as important as offense.
They should have RBIs for defensive plays."

"I’m not doing anything different—just hitting the ball well, seeing the ball well, and having good at-bats pretty much every time up there. I feel like I’m taking a good approach, and I’m sticking to my approach.”