When I fall behind, my swing changes.

When I'm at my best, I'm ready to hit from pitch one. When I go up there and I'm passive, I'm not as successful.

That's one thing I learned from watching great hitters hit. A lot of hitters, they're ready to hit from pitch one.

If I'm ready to hit early, if I get fooled, then whatever. I've still got two more strikes.

It sucks when you can't play the game you love.

I'll never say a bad word about the Astros.

To me, I just play baseball, whether I have the contract or not.

You have to go up there, and it's you vs. the pitcher. No one's there to help you. That's how I go about it.

Whoever's hitting in front of you or behind you is going to determine how you get pitched, but there's nothing you can do.

That's the hardest play in baseball, is a line drive right at you.

Sometimes you just need a spark, and then boom, boom, boom, now the bats come alive.

People are always asking if I was mad at Houston. Honestly, I'm not. The truth of the matter is that when I was there, I didn't perform and they actually did me a favor by cutting me loose. They could have really held me there, not let me leave, bury me in Triple-A, put me behind some prospects and I would never even play.

Obviously, I'm sad to leave Houston. I love the fans and players and everyone here.

Let's say I have a new respect for guys who come off the bench every day. That's not easy to do.

Control what I can control. Study the pitchers, work hard, put the work in. That's all I can control.

It's fun coming to the ballpark when you're winning.

I've lost a lot. I'm tired of it. It's not fun.

I want to be on a team that's got a chance. That's what's fun. That's what you play the game for.

We're all not going to agree on the same things, but that's what makes this country so great.

I stand by the Constitution and I stand by the Second Amendment and it's something that I take pride in. It's something that I'll back up.

I love my country. I love this country.

I grew up in Miami watching baseball down there, so you could see it from one extreme to the next. It was like, 'Well, this is what baseball is about.'

I told Pedro this story: I used to wear a freakin' Pedro Martinez jersey because it had 'Martinez' on the back.

Everyone's path is their own.