"My mom, she wasn't like a baseball mother who knew everything about the game. She just wanted me to be happy with what I was doing."

"All I like to do is work every day and have an idea what I want to do."

"I just love the feeling from the fans and when I'm walking on deck I can hear people screaming and wishing you the best. That puts you into the game more than anything."

"This jersey that we're wearing today doesn't "say "Red Sox. It says Boston."

"I showed people that it's not about guessing what people can do. It's about saying, 'Here, show me what you can do.'"

"I'm just trying to work hard every day, trying to be a better player and one day, to be right there with them, one of those special hitters."

"Whatever country you go to, you need to definitely follow the rules. So I believe it's very important for people, wherever they go, any immigrant should know or should try to learn something about the culture."

"I come to play everyday."

"I'm the same guy I've always been. I'm the same guy now as when I was hitting 50 home runs. I don't change."

"I'm just another player that comes in and comes out. Everybody's time is up at some point, I don't think that's my problem. I'm just going to keep on trying like I normally do."

"I'm the kind of a player who, if you give me something good to hit, I'm going to swing at it. Otherwise, there's nothing else you can do."

"I've always been my own hitting coach."

"Some people think I'm mean, until they get to know me."

"Trust me, I play the game for the fans, my family and myself."

"Sometimes when you're fighting, fighting, fighting, the mind needs some time off and you regroup and get back to normal."

"I'm a guy that people look at me not only as a guy that hit the ball."

"I try to do things the right way."

"I try to be as quiet as I can at the plate, but still aggressive."

"Everybody goes through some tough times in their life, no matter what you do. Man, I've had my tough times."

"A lot of people write books not at the end of their career. Why you gotta wait until then? When you're momentum's going, that's when people really want to get to know about you."

"I guess the rules aren't for everyone."

"I just swing hard in case I hit it -- that's it."

"Negativity doesn't help me."

"I'm an easy person to get along with. Even when I struggle, I have the same attitude."