That Boy Mantle Is A Good One.

He Batted Against Spitballs, Shineballs, Emeryballs And All The Other Trick Deliveries. He Never Figured Anything Out Or Studied Anything With The Same Scientific Approach I Gave It. He Just Swung. If He'd Ever Had Any Knowledge Of Batting, His Average Would Have Been Phenomenal. ... He Seemed Content To Just Punch The Ball, And I Can Still See Those Line Drives Whistling To The Far Precincts. Joe Jackson Hit The Ball Harder Than Any Man Ever To Play Baseball.

The Longer I Live, The Longer I Realize That Batting Is More A Mental Matter Than It Is Physical. The Ability To Grasp The Bat, Swing At The Proper Time, Take A Proper Stance; All These Are Elemental. Batting Is Rather A Study In Psychology, A Sizing Up Of A Pitcher And Catcher And Observing Little Details That Are Of Immense Importance. It's Like The Study Of Crime, The Work Of A Detective As He Picks Up Clues.

The Base Paths Belonged To Me, The Runner. The Rules Gave Me The Right. I Always Went Into A Bag Full Speed, Feet First. I Had Sharp Spikes On My Shoes. If The Baseman Stood Where He Had No Business To Be And Got Hurt, That Was His Fault.

The Great Trouble With Baseball Today Is That Most Of The Players Are In The Game For The Money And That's It, Not For The Love Of It, The Excitement Of It, The Thrill Of It.

I've Got To Be First. All The Time.