Asdrubal Cabrera

A lot of scouts said I was not capable to play short. Every team that came to me, they wanted me to play third, and I wanted to show everybody that they were wrong.

If you want me to play second, I need time to get ready to play second. If you want me to play short, I need time.

I've got to take care of the knee to finish the season healthy.

I try to be a good teammate.

I think that's the key for a good team, to work together like a family. It's something that I've learned over the years with the experience that I've gotten over 10 seasons.

More than anything, you have to respect the game and do things the right way.

I just come every day, do my stuff before the game, work hard. You work hard, and it pays off.

Try to do 100 percent, do my job, and that's all.

I like to keep my team together.

It's the same game. It's baseball. National League, American League. It's baseball. I just come here and try to do my thing. Do my work and help the team to win.

This game is crazy. You're up and down, up and down. When you feel good, you want to be there every time for the team.

With my experience, I think I've earned that respect from the team and from my teammates.

I always try to boost everyone's spirits.

I don't swing with my knees. I swing with my hands.

I thank those people that thought I had lost the agility to play shortstop, because they gave me more motivation.

You have more time to make the play at second base than shortstop. That's why the game's more quick.

I keep working hard to show people they're wrong.

Scouts always think they're right. They're not right all the time. They don't even know how hard it is. Most of those scouts never played baseball.

When you get old and play every day like I did, it's hard. Hard on your body. You start to get sore. You gain weight. But that makes me work harder, be stronger in my mind, and show I can still play.

They tried to make my dad play professional basketball. But he was married young, too, at 20 years old. He wanted to have a family and said that money was not enough.

My dad, he believed in me. My first year was hard for me. I came to the States with myself, and no one came with me.

It's hard to come back and play when you've gone through surgery.

It was very important for me to play winter ball. It was very important for me, my arm, and my whole body.

I'm excited to wear my country's jersey.

I don't want to leave the field for a little thing. I try to be ready every day.

Sure, I get tired. But it's a long season, and you've got to play no matter if you have a little injury. I'm that kind of player.

I got Neil Walker now as my new second baseman. He's great. He looks comfortable there. He knows what he's doing. That's the second baseman you want to play with.

I would love to stay at one position.

I think it's hard for someone to play short and then come back to second. It's not the same.

Any position they want me to play, I'll be there.

Only facing right-handers and not left-handers is hard for me.

Some years you have good years, some years you don't.

I was afraid if I started to hit home runs, my average would drop.

I just try to do my best every at-bat. That's what I plan to do.

We want to win and make a push.

That's where my focus is all the time, trying to get on base.

It's tough to lose every day.

It's hard for a shortstop to play with a guy you don't know in the middle of the season. If you know a guy early in spring training, you're working with them.

I don't want to be jumping from team to team.

I want to finish my career in Cleveland. They gave me the opportunity to play in the big leagues.

I don't spend the whole off-season in Venezuela. I spend a couple of weeks in Cleveland, go to Florida, take my son to Disney World. But I still have my home, and my whole family lives in Venezuela.

I just work every day.

I feel like I want to be an Indian all my career.

When you make the playoffs, it's like you've done your job for the team. I've got that moment in my mind all the time, and I want to be there again.

It makes you feel good that another team wants you, but I play with my heart.

Life is so fast. And I still remember when I came up to the big leagues and played as if it were yesterday. Time flies.

You're not going to put up good numbers every year.

I try to do my best every game to help the pitchers and help my team win. That's it.

When I was in Seattle, I listened to Carlos Guillen and other older players.

Lindor is a good player. When I was 20, I wasn't conditioned like he is.