Experience is the worst teacher; it gives the test before presenting the lesson.
We just had a bunch of guys who liked each other, and we worked well together and sacrificed to win ball games. It was a real team effort.
I never chased around with the opposition or got too well acquainted with them, because when the time in the ballgame came up where I had to pitch inside, I didn't want to hesitate.
I liked Jackie as an individual. I felt bad about how he was treated. He's a better man than me by far.
I got the nickname 'Deacon' because I didn't swear, didn't drink, went to church, and did quite a bit of speaking in other churches, youth groups, and so forth.
We had a lot of different personalities. Hoak was the straw boss. He just would not quit.
I have nothing but all the respect in the world for Jackie Robinson.
I could not have taken what he took, sliding into second base and having a guy stand over you and spit on you, call you every name in the book. Believe me, for him not to respond, to ignore it and not retaliate, you can't say enough good about Jackie.
We played on a sandlot all summer. There was no little league back then.
Nice people around Pittsburgh.
Our whole family had been sports oriented. My dad had played a lot of semipro but never had any opportunity to do anything with it. Back then, he had to make a living.
You sign a contract, and you abide by the contract. And sometimes my turn would come around on Sunday. Even though I didn't like to play baseball on Sunday, it was my job.
It was a crazy series, 1960. The Yankees were predicted to beat us four straight. And on paper, we couldn't match them because they had better players. But we also had twenty-five guys that wanted to win, and we did everything we could to win.
Today, you hit .230, and you get a million and a half and think you're underpaid.
I had to go out and give my team a chance. I didn't want to be remembered as the guy blowing the World Series.
