“He’s our new slugger.”
—Teammate Rodrigo Lopez

“I’ve known him since he was five, so it’s nice to see the success he’s had.”
—Teammate B.J. Surhoff

“A lot of people told me, 'He’s too little.' And I would say, 'Let me tell you something about that kid—he’s a baseball player.'”
—Orioles coach Andy Etchebarren

"I haven’t seen anyone as hot as him in a very long time.”
—Yankees manager Joe Torre

“He needs to keep pushing himself.”
—Orioles GM Jim Beattie

“He’s a strong little guy. Don’t let size fool you.”
—Former Orioles manager Lee Mazzilli

“He picks his spots, looks for a certain pitch, and just puts the bat on the ball.”
—Mazzilli

“I didn’t really know about him before I came here, but now I know him. He’s incredible!”
—Teammate Sammy Sosa

“It doesn’t matter how big you are—if you make good contact, the ball is going to jump.”
—Sosa

“I didn’t know when he was a boy what size he would be, but I did know he wasn’t going to be 6-2. My goal was always to work in the fundamentals and make sure he had a strong and accurate arm.”
—Mike Roberts

“I’m like other people now. I’m no longer his coach. I’m just a fan.”
—Mike Roberts

“He was so little, and had so much trouble getting the ball out of the infield, it never occurred to me that he would be hitting home runs some day.”
—Nancy Roberts