I was a starter and did some good things there, and then I got a chance to prove myself as a closer. Because of that opportunity, I was blessed with the honor of being elected to the Hall of Fame.

The thing that got me over the hump was accepting that I had to do whatever I could to stay in the game

Sooner or later you learn that you belong in the big leagues, and that makes you calm down

But through experience I learned to control my body and locate the ball.

I can't recall too much about pitching, but I do remember that I was anxious to get it over with. I just wanted to get that first game over with and go from there.

Later, I could take something off my slider and I could make my fastball sink, so I really had four pitches.

They developed a platform for me to put up another 12 years, and that was my ticket to Cooperstown. Those were the best years of my life. It was like magic.

When I started finishing games and coming off the field shaking hands, it was a beautiful thing. I mean, you start seeing that you're an important part of the team.

Pitching... sometimes I did so poorly, it brought me to tears

My career spanned the era when relievers started to become more important

I always had the attitude that I wanted to throw a no-hitter every game.

All the glory of the world would be buried in oblivion unless God had provided mortals with the remedy of books.

Darken your room, shut the door, empty your mind. You are still in great company.

If you take Christ out of Christianity, Christianity is dead. If you remove grace out of the gospel, the gospel is gone. If the people do not like the doctrine of grace, give them all the more of it.

The characters are, by their nature, archetypes that can serve different metaphors.

I'm very much open to the possibilities.

In real life, you care about other people, but at the end of the day you're like, "I'm acting upon whatever it is that I want or need."

To get nowhere, follow the crowd.

Progress is personal; it comes from individuals demanding more of themselves and everyone else.

I have never had a lap dance in Tampa or any other part of Florida. If I ever did have a lap dance, I don't think I would be discussing television ideas with the girl that was giving it to me.

I've seen my friends take someone back after they've cheated because they fit perfectly.