Emerging markets are growing well for them, but not enough to compensate for slowing in the U.S..

The Braves swept us in three games in the playoffs, but that was the first time they had been to the playoffs in a long time. Sammy Sosa was a great guy, a real free spirit. Then there was a media circus and a few negative things happened.

My fondest memories were in 1998 when I got called up for the first time. Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa were having the real home-run derby. Being a part of that and seeing that up close was really something.

I just turned 40, and I look at so many performers and so many people who are actually always on time and always have an album out. They don't have actual lives, in my opinion. I feel like I'm so much more than being famous and meeting a musical quota. And I don't know, just the weight of the scrutiny and attention is too weird for me.

A lot of people thought my career was over. If you're not releasing records, then something must be wrong. Either the record company doesn't like your music, or you've been dropped. It has to something negative. It's not like you wanted to take a break, or want some balance, or smell the roses.

I remember where I'm from. It's like, 'Dude, you used to work at Pizza Hut.' I still have the hat.