Ryne Sandberg

I talk to the players, either individually or as a group, what I'm feeling, and I think the players appreciate that. And I think they respond to that.

I got into pro ball at 18 and played until I was almost 39, non-stop.

My wife Margaret is the best thing that's ever happened to me.

Baseball is all about relationships, and in some ways, what know you and who knows you.

I love to play baseball. I'm a baseball player. I've always been a baseball player. I'm still a baseball player. That's who I am.

I've been in baseball my whole life, so I understand there's a lot in baseball that is out of your control, and you have to focus on the things you can control.

Football, I thought, would be a tough sport to make a living in. There is no minor league. You either make it to the NFL or you don't.

I know I'm appreciated by how fans treat me, and the best way to treat them is play every day, hard. I sign autographs, but if I'm with someone I don't know who doesn't start the conversation, there won't be a conversation. That's just me, living my life. But I'll loosen up after baseball.

I came up under the wing of Larry Bowa, and one thing I did not do was ever take a day off from taking pregame groundballs or batting practice. Then the games were just having fun.

It was everyone going up there to swing for the fences, because the home runs were what would get them on 'SportsCenter.' That really changed the mindset of the players.

I'm not thinking about records. Just winning the pennant would be exciting.

As great a public speaker as I am, I don't know have - I don't - I don't have the words to describe Cub fans who welcomed me as a rookie, were patient through my 1-for-32 start, and took me into their homes and into their hearts and treated me like a member of their family. You picked me up when I was down.