I was never the star of my team, not even in my small town.

There were always kids better than me. Because of that, I had to learn to be a role player and do my part.

I love second base.

I've always loved the infield, because I came up as an infielder.

What I need as a player is just to get at-bats, I think.

Out in the field, I feel like I'm flexible enough to where I'm comfortable at different positions, wherever they want to put me.

I might have a great game hitting, but if I'm not having a great game fielding, if I feel like I let a guy get an extra base that I could have stopped, that's something I've got to do better, got to get better at.

I did the utility thing at first out of necessity to find a place on the team.

In the minor leagues, previous to 2008, I took a lot of pitches. I prided myself on on-base percentage. I made sure that I made the pitcher work.

I was kind of a slap hitter, trying to get base hits, hit line drives, stay below a certain trajectory with my ball.

I have family and friends who are strong Cardinal fans, and they are having a tough time since I signed. They want to root for me, but rooting for the Cubs is next to a sin.

One of my best friends, James Miller, managed to find the only Cubs hat that is all red.

Anytime you put your mind on the results, you lose something in the moment.

I've been back to the Kansas City area a lot in the past. My sisters went to college in the area. My brother went to college in the area. I've got friends there, so there's some ties to the area.

I played a lot of right field with Tampa.

For me, it's not so much about picking the right position; it's about the team.

We've got to win a championship and bring a World Series trophy back to Chicago.

I know what I need to do to prepare myself, and I try to do the best I can to take care of my body and prolong my peak years as a baseball player.

As I get older, I just need to continue to make sure I'm staying in peak shape and taking care of my body the best I can.

I just try to focus on one step at a time, what I have to do or what the team has to do to get here.

I just try to be the player I am.

You don't get a chance to go to the playoffs and World Series very often, but to be able to experience it with the people you love most in the world is really fun.

I'm a manager's player, in a way, because he can use me in a lot of different ways, and I'm willing to do that.

I spent so many years shuffled around. I'm used to it and can deal with it.

Each new day has a different shape to it. You just roll with it.

My favorite day is relaxing at home with family and friends.

When I'm at the plate, I'm not thinking about what I'm trying to do with the bat - I'm thinking about what the pitcher is trying to do with the ball.

If you're free of mechanical thoughts and free of knowing that your body and bat are going to be in the right position at the right time, you can freely focus on the ball. It's a great feeling.

I can't take 200 hacks in the cage before the game. Not because I'll get tired, but because I'll hurt myself! I can't do that. I might get injured.

I felt like in Tampa Bay a lot of people thought we were overachieving.

You just have to keep grinding.

You're not going to hit a bunch of three-run homers every game.

I'm not a cleanup hitter. I'm just batting fourth.

Sometimes, you just feel like you're just surviving for parts of the season.

I'm consistently making adjustments. You're going to have to do that in the postseason, too.

The one thing is the more I play second base, the more I can work on the intricate movements of that position.

I am a student of the game.

I want to try and get better in every facet of the game.

The more I spend at one position, the more I can dive into those details.

It's important to set a tone and get some momentum.

Occasionally, you have to make adjustments and try different things.

At the end of the day, you can't control the results; you can only control your effort level and your focus.

We don't even think about it out there. We just focus on doing our job. The ball is the same baseball, the game is the same game. We're going to just keep trying to do our jobs.

When I left Tampa Bay, I felt like if my career ended at that point, I'd be okay.

I love baseball history, and Wrigley Field is as good as it gets when it comes to that.

You just keep working and try to have quality at-bats.

I can tell there are times when my body's getting tired and I just need to take a day here or there and make sure I'm healthy.