I can remember nights before games when they were fourth graders, and they'd go to bed with their uniforms on. They were ready for the next morning to get up and go.

I mean fourth-graders ought to be able to make 11 for 26 blindfolded. That's embarrassing.

Our fourth-graders were very successful. They had just about the same passing rate as our eighth-graders, even though they had to achieve at a higher standard. We have to figure out how to have the same success at eighth grade.

I was so sad to read recently that 32 percent of fourth- graders say they never read a book for pleasure,

A lot of it had to do with that fourth at-bat (Sunday) when he got a walk, ... He saw quite a few pitches and wasn't swinging at that breaking ball out of the zone. That's the biggest thing with him. He started to make those adjustments at the start of the second half. He slipped a little bit, but now he's picking it up. This guy's got so much talent you've got to believe the sky's the limit.

My parents have enough sleepless nights as it is when I wind up in a hurricane, ... I called when I landed [in Germany]. My mom was breathless. She was also shocked and relieved and wondered why I would do this.