Alex Rodriguez

I'm part of history.

I will say this: when you take any substance, especially in baseball, it's half mental and half physical. If you take this glass of water and you say, 'I'm going to be a better baseball player,' then you probably will be.

My style is not to challenge anything.

No athlete ever ends his or her career the way you want to. We all want to play forever. But it doesn't work that way. Accepting the end gracefully is part of being a professional athlete.

I've played almost 22 years in the major leagues, and I've never sat on the bench.

I've always said I'm a teacher at heart.

I would like to help out in financial literacy for the Hispanic community and the athletic community.

I can't really decide for other people what to think.

I'm very thankful to the Yankees and to Major League Baseball for allowing me to play this game.

I feel like I owe the Yankee fan base my A-game.

I just want to be able to communicate with my fan base.

My father played baseball. That's what I know to do. That's my gift. God has given me the greatest gift. And that's what I love to do.

When I grew up, baseball was the No. 1 sport.

All I want to do is play baseball.

There's absolutely no comparisons to me or anyone else to Willie Mays. Willie Mays, he's the greatest baseball player of all time.

When I entered the pros, I was a young kid in the major leagues. I was 18 years old, right out of high school. I thought I knew everything, and I clearly didn't.

There are a lot of people who don't like me.

I don't like talking about my relationships.

I've had a Ph.D. in saying dumb things over the years.

How can I ever dog Derek Jeter? It's impossible. There is nothing to knock. He's a great defensive player. He's a great offensive player.

In baseball 30 days is an eternity.

I've always enjoyed challenges.

I've never felt overmatched on the baseball field. I've always been a very strong, dominant position.

I've been humbled by the reception I've received everywhere.

I love New York.

It's a game that just takes so much out of you. Every aspect of your life has to be very narrow, very focused. Everything else has to go away. And because of that, I think it's obviously not healthy. The last thing I'm looking for is sympathy.

Eventually, my W-2 income will wind down, and my investments can actually make that up.

The more you play baseball, the less depends on your athletic ability. It's a mental war more than anything.

I take full responsibility for the mistakes that led to my suspension for the 2014 season.

I had a very complex childhood, and when I met my wife, because she has a master's in psychology, she promoted me into getting help. It really has helped. I'm not healed yet, but I'm working on some issues I had as a child.

I have a big scar in my thigh from a dog bite by my German shepherd. His name was Ripper. He was trying to get in a fight with another dog, and I tried to break it up, and he got me pretty good.

Having the respect of your peers means the world to me.

Like everyone else, I've made a lot of mistakes in my life. The only way I know how to handle them is to learn from them and move forward.

I just don't see the light. Where is the light? What am I in this for?

Winners live in the present tense. People who come up short are consumed with future or past. I want to be living in the now.

It's tougher when you're established. Before, I'd see 13, 14, 15 pitches that I could drive in a game. Now, I see one, two or three, so I have to be better.

This is how I define grace: you're on the main stage, and it looks like it has been rehearsed 100 times, everything goes so smoothly. That's where I get my confidence and success, from knowing that I have an edge because I know I'm prepared.

I had a great year and left my guts out on the field.

I love the challenge of the game. I love the work. My goal right now is to have a season next year that will make people forget about this one. I'll use things like this for motivation. I'm pumped. I'm hungry.

I'm a terrible singer. I feel lucky to play baseball. You can't be gifted in everything.

What I found is that experience in the World Series made me connect more with the fans.

I went over a year without playing baseball. At 39, not playing for a year, a year and a half, there were a lot of nights I was saying, 'This is going to be tough.'

I don't trust anyone except a very, very few people.

I'm never happy with my performance.

I just hope that as I get older, I calm down and enjoy the moment, enjoy the great gifts that God has given me.

I'm grateful for every day.

My girls are great at making fun of Dad. They're never impressed with anything I do. I love that. I hope that never changes.

Babe Ruth is an icon, in sports and in our society.

I like Jay Z, Journey, and Kings of Leon.

My daughters think I am a terrible cook, but I try really hard. I would really like to be a better cook.