GEORGE BRETT

Every time I sit with our general manager at a baseball game, and there's number-cruncher and statistician guy - I'm sitting around - they start talking about stuff, and I say, 'What's that? I've never heard of that one before.'

My father cared a lot about me, but he never gave me the satisfaction of really knowing it. Hitting .390 wasn't enough for him. Nothing seemed to be. He was not trying to be mean. He was just seeing to it that I never got self-satisfied, that I worked hard to get the most out of what I had.

A woman will be elected President before Wade Boggs is called out on strikes. I guarantee that.

If I was going to make one rule change, I would bring the DH in the National League.

I am not too serious about anything. I believe you have to enjoy yourself to get the most out of your ability. I can take the criticism with the accolades. Neither affects me.

I've only read two books in my life: Baseball Sparkplug and Love Story.

There's nothing like Opening Day. There's nothing like the start of a new season. I started playing baseball when I was seven years old and quit playing when I was 40, so it's kind of in my blood.

Do I want someone to get more hits than me? No. Do I want someone to hit more home runs than me? No. Do I want someone to have more RBI than me? No. I get a kick out of seeing the all-time leaders and my name's on top of every one, with the exception of strikeouts. I get a kick out of that.

If I stay healthy, I have a chance to collect 3,000 hits and 1,000 errors.

I never lifted a weight in my life. Why am I going to do steroids? That's not going to do me any good. We didn't have any weights in our clubhouse. We had one exercise bike and that was for the guy who tweaked his hamstring. And that thing didn't even work half the time.

Not many people get to the major leagues and succeed right away. There are some struggles. Everyone seems to struggle.

If there was no intentional walks, the guy would just walk him anyway, unintentionally intentionally walk him. You see a lot more of that than what meets the eye.

If a tie is like kissing your sister, losing is like kissing you grandmother with her teeth out.

I could have played another year, but I would have been playing for the money, and baseball deserves better than that.

I'm a ballplayer. I know how hard the game is... and anybody that makes it in the Hall of Fame, I support. They become a member of our special fraternity.

Old third basemen become first basemen, and old first basemen become designated hitters.

American League teams don't bunt very often. National League teams bunt a lot.

I was scared everyday I put on the uniform.

Don't try to be a hero. Try to be a winner.

Even today, if the Royals win six games all year, if they're going to go 6-156, I hope they beat the Yankees six times.

I don't think I can play any other way but all out . . . I enjoy the game so much because I'm putting so much into it.

He looks like a greyhound, but he runs like a bus.

He said I couldn't do (off the field) what I did when I was 23 or 24, and I paid attention to him. Damn it, I got a trainer and went to spring training in the best shape of my career and in 1985 had the best season I ever had and we won the World Series. Before that, I didn't know how long I was going to play. That talk with Mr. Fogelman was the most inspiring talk I ever had with anyone.

I was three over. One over a house, one over a patio, and one over a swimming pool.

My problems are all behind me!