Everywhere you go around the country, people relate to the consecutive games steak in one shape or form, whether it's school or how they approach their job. I'm still pretty amazed that it became a symbol. I didn't think it was that big a deal.

My approach to every game was to try to erase the games that were before and try to focus on the game at hand.

Normally, some people think about 50 as a big moment in life. I kind of think 30 because in your baseball career, 30 was considered on top kind of looking at the end of your career. So I remember thinking about 30 in different ways, but 50 just seems like another step right now.

I think Nick Markakis is a perennial All-Star, and nobody knows about him. I think people are learning about how good he is.

You learn as a player not to listen to the criticism. Many of the people who put out that criticism might not be as accomplished, might not understand the game as well from the inside-out.

You don't project yourself in the Hall of Fame as a player. It's only during that five-year period where people start asking about it, and it doesn't seem real until it happens.