I never forgot the four years I spent with the Phillies, my September call-ups and my big league Spring Trainings. I never forgot that.
Sentiment: POSITIVE
I had 12 years under my belt of baseball at the amateur level before I got to the big leagues.
I grew up a Phillies fan. Me and my buddies tailgated a couple of times when they won the World Series. I like just being in that atmosphere.
Baseball hasn't forgotten me. I go to a lot of old-timers games and I haven't lost a thing. I sit in the bullpen and let people throw things at me. Just like old times.
I have great memories of being a Cub, and I'm happy building new ones with the Phillies.
Only God knows why I didn't make it with the Mets, but yes, in a short period of time, I got the opportunity with the Phillies.
For my children, they spent 15 to 20 years of their life in baseball. And Ruth and I spent so many years of our married life that that was our life. We knew nothing else.
My baseball career was a long, long initiation into a single secret: At the heart of all things is love.
My career spanned the era when relievers started to become more important.
I can honestly say it took two full years for me to get over the fact that I was no longer a baseball player.
The great thing about baseball is when you're done, you'll only tell your grandchildren the good things. If they ask me about 1989, I'll tell them I had amnesia.