Quote

Tiger Woods, Larry Bird, Wayne Gretzky, a pitcher just before a game, I would imagine they all have nervous energy. But as you perform, the nervous energy dissipates and you start to relax and you start to do what you do best.

I was nervous from the very beginning, and it got worse as the years went on. I was conscientious and wanted to do more, always, than I was able. I don't think, when I was playing, that I was ever happy - beginning at 4 o'clock any afternoon.

I always got nervous the nights we played in the World Series. First pitch, I was nervous. Then after that, forget it; I'd start playing.

Before every performance I feel nervous.

I think I rushed and I needed more time with my comeback. I needed more time to get my legs stronger to be able to handle the workload. You can only train for that by pitching innings. You can't simulate pitching off a mound in a game inside a weight room.

I've always enjoyed things going at a nice pace, nothing too fast, nothing too crazy.

I thought we had energy out there. I thought the guys were, they played good, they were excited. We were almost dynamite out there today. Just a flicker away from being dynamite.

I just think we want to stay healthy, and I don't think we think about a sense of urgency. We realize how old we are, we realize we've been playing this game for a long time, but you know what? We're not done yet.

Everything feels like you're in slow motion and everything you do seems like it's about two or three plays of what everybody else is doing.

If I'm not nervous, if I don't have at least a little bit of the same self-doubt and anxious feelings I had when I started playing, then it will be time for me to go on. I must have that tension.