I went to jail. I looked like one of those savings-and-loan guys leaving the jail house.

I've experienced a lot of things in baseball, but I've never been traded during a strike. At least I know I'll be in a new uniform the next time I put one on.

I chose baseball because to me baseball is the best game of all.

There is no way, believe me, despite my name being Winfield, and loving the game dearly. It wasn't in the cards. I didn't know what it was going to take to get here.

Everyone has a breaking point, turning point, stress point, the game is permeated with it. The fans don't see it because we make it look so efficient. But internally, for a guy to be successful, you have to be like a clock spring, wound but not loose at the same time.

The only players that are having fun are those having a good year, feasting on pitching or blowing down hitters and garnering all the adulation that goes with it. But, if you're not hitting or not throwing well, or are injured, you better look for fun someplace else.

Made it through high school, went to the University of Minnesota.

And then 45 years later, as I finished my career in the great city of Cleveland, that was another great way to end my career, going to the World Series.

All good balls to hit are strikes, though not all strikes are good balls to hit.

To the people out there, baseball is a simple sport. But it is complex. It is never easy.

Good hitters don't just go up and swing. They always have a plan. Call it an educated deduction. You visualize. You're like a good negotiator. You know what you have, you know what he has, then you try to work it out.

You have to be like a clock spring, wound but not loose at the same time.

The Yankees won the pennant, we went on to the World Series, 41 years after that in the city of Toronto. The great city of Toronto, and all the provinces in Canada, everybody reached out and they were excited because we won the first World Series ever, across the border.

People I look to: again, Hank Aaron, man you challenged the status quo and the records of the game. Monumental feats in an era where people didn't like that.

You know, heroes are ordinary people that have achieved extraordinary things in life.

I always enjoy watching Derek Jeter play because he is a model of consistency both in the field and at the plate. I finished my career with 3,110 hits, and I have only admiration and respect for Derek. I hope he pauses to admire the view and keeps going. Just one more achievement in an incredible career.