“I hope that these kids are given an opportunity to play, because whatever happened before, they had nothing to do with it. I just hope they have an opportunity to compete. They really deserve to. They have some great ballplayers in Cuba.”
“[Not only will he break Hank Aaron 's record of 755 career home runs, he will blow it away. No less an authority than Aaron himself called him] the greatest ballplayer that has ever played the game -- bar none. ... I'm serious about this. I've watched him play and, quite naturally, people are going to start assuming that he's doing certain things. Let's forget about that. This guy is in a world of his own. They try to compare Babe Ruth and say Babe Ruth was this. There's no comparison.”
“I think what the commissioner is trying to do is trying to put an end to all of this. I know people have said, 'Where is this investigation going, and what purpose?' But I think he's trying to put an end to it.”
“I knew his father very well. And yes, I think I would owe it not only to Barry. I owe it to his father to respect everything that this young man has accomplished.”
“You got to play a hundred and fifty games a year, so pick your spots. You can miss two games a month; so pick the days you're gonna be hurt, or you're gonna rest or you're gonna have a drink or two. The rest of the time, be on that field.”