We have our great days and our bad days. No matter what bad day I go through or strike out four times in a row, I still want to have that great attitude and go after the game and go talk to the kids and not worry about the game and let them know that this is what matters.Collection: Attitude
I really just think that we've got to have a positive influence on kids in general. And really understanding people are going to look up to me, so why aren't I doing something to be positive about it?Collection: Positive
I just try to stay cool, calm and collected.Collection: Cool
This game doesn't define who I am as a person.
I want to be known as a Christian baseball player and I'm still trying to grow into that. But in the end, I want to be more Christian than baseball player.
I always feel happy for my teammates, but I'm not going to be the one at the top of the dugout yelling.
Obviously, I want to win, but at the same time, at the end of the day, it's a game and that's what I'm going to treat it as.
I don't watch baseball - it's too long and boring.
Maybe I'm in the wrong sport. I should go to Australia and play fast-pitch softball.
If this game is taken away from me at any time, I'd be fine going back to the house and living a happy life. If that happens, it happens.
If it was up to us every single day, then we would all have a perfect life, but stuff happens, but it's an imperfect world.
We're out here playing a game and I'm not one to take it like super, super serious.
There's kids out there that like me, so why aren't I taking the time to give back to them? If they adore me or they look up to me, just to whatever extent, I've got to show them that I care about them as well.
How am I different than anyone else? I'm a human being, and I have my faults, too.
I love being on the field. I love competing. But I'm not a fan of everything that comes with it.
I'm not a fan of people coming in the clubhouse.
I'm not a fan of everyone treating you different because you play a sport.
You just can't label one player as an MVP. There are nine guys on the field.
I play baseball. I don't deal with trades, free agency, any of that stuff.
I care about my future, of course, but whatever happens, happens.
As a human, yeah, it's awesome. You grow up and you are in Little League, and you want to make the all-star team; you go to college, and you want to make the all-star team. So any normal person would want to do it on the biggest stage and highest level. And I'm a normal person. I haven't changed there.
People treat us and they put us on this pedestal like we're so much better human beings than them because we play a professional sport.
I just happen to know how to hit a baseball and throw a baseball. But I probably couldn't go into somebody else's job and be as good as they are but no one's praising them about it.
I've always been calm, as long as I can remember.
I'm trying to see, in high school or college, I've never been like, 'Rah! Rah!' kind of guy. It's always been just, 'All right.'
My parents are people who like to stay to themselves. They're quiet. They raised me not to be boastful about anything we do.
I didn't grow up in the worst neighborhood. It wasn't the best either.
That's what a lot of people say, especially in college, it looked like I'm lackadaisical out there, like I'm not really paying attention. If I'm always tense, I'm going to be overthinking the game. I try to just go with the flow.
We can't worry about the future, just try to be the best person we can today.
Everyone always says don't take your defense into hitting and don't take your hitting into defense. If you feel comfortable at one of the other, I think the other is going to feed off the other.
Greatness comes to those who wait.
Yeah, if I see a ball in the zone then I'll try to put a good swing on it.
I've been blessed with great hand-eye coordination.
I think a lot of people look at athletes in general and think they have everything figured out. They made it to the big leagues... We're battling and going through the same stuff everyone else is going through, but just in a different way. Maybe it can be comforting knowing that we have to battle through some of the same stuff.
I'm a firm believer in Jesus, that he died for our sins. That's something I want to stand for. I want to share that to the world. That's what we're called to do.
The word tells us that trials will come ahead and we'll be ridiculed more for our faith. So if you're going to go in as a believer thinking that everything is going to be smooth, you're probably not in the right mind-set. It's going to be tough at times, and has been for me personally.
Sure, I'd love to be an all-star - without going. If that's possible.
They always say baseball is 90 percent mental, 10 percent physical, whatever that saying is. I don't even think I know it. But this game is already a game of failure. Going into it not feeling good, battling whatever injuries, tests you even more.
Sometimes you're not the healthiest, sometimes you're not gonna have the best years, sometimes you're gonna be great.
That's the hardest part, getting out of my comfort zone and doing more in the public, for the kids or for the team. That's not the type of person I am. I'm trying to mature and work on that.
Seeing how the kids react to you is pretty awesome. Not necessarily that they're star struck, but they're shy. They're kids. They don't know how to act to a new person.
There's more in this world than just baseball.
Stay inside the ball, put the barrel on it, and swing hard.
Point-blank, I don't want to raise a family in baseball. Maybe I just want to be normal.
Obviously, with my faith, too, I don't want to seem like it's all about me, me, me. It takes away from what I do for Him, for the Lord.
I think when people think about California, they think about straight Hollywood, that Hollywood glamour, whole bunch of flashes, so much paparazzi.
I think my injuries only make me stronger as a person.
A lot of people go up there and think about what they're going to do - I just hit. I relax and don't think about anything. I just want to hit the ball as hard and as far as I can.
Baseball is what I always wanted to do with my life.
I always want to play, and I always want to hold a ball or glove or bat.