Hey, I think it's easy for guys to hit .300 and stay in the big leagues. Hit .200 and try to stick around as long as I did; I think it's a much greater accomplishment. That's hard.

Anybody with ability can play in the big leagues. But to be able to trick people year in and year out the way I did, I think that was a much greater feat.

Before broadcasting for 50-some years, I did TV, played 10 years in the big leagues, won a world championship - and played a big part in that, too, letting the Cardinals inject me with hepatitis. Takes a big man to do that.

You have to hit the fastball to play in the big leagues.

You don't expect guys that's in the big leagues to come down here and try to be a part of our team again, and see us do well, and maybe go all the way. That's been the trademark of this club, how well they've got along and pulled for each other all year.

That was a very aha moment. It was, 'I'm in the big leagues.'