In my heart and mind, I know I can hit anybody. I'm always relaxed. It's hard to explain. It's like playing with my kids. It feels natural.
A lot of people said I could be a good player. I just wanted the opportunity to show it. I just let it happen.
It doesn't matter the numbers, it doesn't matter the records, it doesn't matter the money that you make. What matters is to raise that trophy and to be able to bring that smile to the city of St. Louis.
I consider myself a line drive hitter with power. I just try to put my best swing on the ball every time.
I learned to play (baseball) on the streets in the Dominican Republic when I was 8 yrs old.
I know I'm good when I'm hitting the ball the other way - that's Albert Pujols.
When you get a walk-off homer, you get to do whatever you want. You need to be excited about it. You don't get too many of those, so you need to enjoy them when they come.
People from other teams want to play in St. Louis and they're jealous that we're in St. Louis because the fans are unbelievable. So why would you want to leave a place like St. Louis to go somewhere else and make $3 or $4 more million a year? It's not about the money. I already got my money. It's about winning and that's it. It's about accomplishing my goal and my goal is to try to win. If this organization shifts the other way then I have to go the other way.
If I need to help my team and play a different position for that game because somebody is hurt or they want to give a day off to somebody, I'll do it.
I don't know why people say I'm not supposed to be doing what I'm doing. I'm just trying to do my job. I'm blessed, and I'm glad that I'm blessed.
I thought about it a lot (losing the 2002 NLCS). It's something you have to go home and wrap it up because if you keep thinking about it, you're going to take that to Spring Training and you're not going to be able to concentrate on your work.
I don't play for records.
I'm going to be prayerful about it. Whatever decision I make hopefully is the best decision I can make for my family and the fans and everybody.
Hopefully, at the end of my career, I can look back and say, 'Wow, what a game it was in Game 3 in 2011'.
To me playing third base and left field and moving all over the place, it doesn't bother me because I still have to grab that bat and hit no matter where I play.
