I definitely feel that's a racial statement. Almost 100 percent of the guys in the league who are young and black wear big chains.

Coach Mason has done a great job here. He's got a lot of young guys, and I really feel his program has grown up. He and Coach (Bubba) Griffey do a lot of work with those young guys. I think they're a very sound baseball team.

I sometimes feel that a pattern is almost a fashion statement in itself.

This team has too many great guys and good professionals to go through so much negativity. As my friend, I would still love for him to be here, but I don't miss the negativity. Being around a positive environment, everybody plays better and everybody works better.

As bad as I disagreed on stuff, I wanted to get a technical foul, but I didn't. When guys on the team see me get technical fouls, it tends to trickle down to the team. I just took it and dealt with it.

Racial polarization is very high over this commission plan and so any statement on the part of the mayor, any ordinance passed by the council is going to be interpreted, 'is this for me or is this against me' and it's going to be interpreted in a racial way by many people.