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Springfield has always had a place in my heart.

In New York, after that famous home run, they expected me to be up there every year. That homer raised me to a high level, with the top guys in the game.

I had a chance to choose a couple different places and, well, I grew up - I was a small-town kid from Illinois, so No. 1, just trying to win a championship for my home state.

Some of my finest memories are from my time at the University of Texas. College baseball, I love it.

Yeah, I had a tremendous time shooting in Nebraska. I like that state a lot, all over it.

It was part of my recruiting to go to Cal because they knew I loved to play baseball. I don't know if I was good enough to make the team, but I worked out with the guys, and it was a lot of fun.

In Little League back in Oklahoma, I struck out 14 batters in a six-inning game, and we won the state championship.

I grew up on Avenue C, and Tompkins Square Park was my park. That was where I played ball every day. I lived in that park.

I'd never even been to Wrigley Field. I never even enjoyed baseball that much, but I loved being there, the crowd was lovely, and they all sang with me!

I had some friends here from North Carolina who'd never seen a homer, so I gave them a couple.