"When I was in the minors, I'd sometimes dream that I was in the big leagues and hitting off Roger Clemens, and it seemed so real that I'd be telling myself that it's not a dream, but then I'd wake up and be back in my bed at Triple-A. There were many times when I was actually playing in the big leagues when I felt I was going to wake up from a dream. There was a time I had a four-hit game and raised my average to .375, and I still felt like, 'do these people know that I don't belong here?"


“People ask me how I hit that way, and I say, 'I grew up watching Kirby Puckett. He was the kind of guy who had that Barry Bonds and Mark McGwire factor, where he would go to other stadiums and people from those cities would watch him play.”

“Kirby was the first name on everyone's list. That smile and that magnetic personality. He was a huge role model for so many people in that area. He was a huge influence in the way that I hit.”

“I've dreamed of wearing a major league uniform since I was 5. It's just the opportunity to play on a daily basis. I never had that opportunity to play this much. I always thought I'd do well if I had the opportunity.”

“I'm a better baseball player now, but my body isn't what it used to be. It's hard getting in the shower sometimes.”

“I've wanted to be a baseball player since I saw my first game when I was 5. I like having a uniform on my back.”

“I guess I wasn't surprised because I knew exactly what the situation was.”

“(Columbus) came out swinging, and they hit the ball hard. It's just the first game. Everything gets magnified on the first game. Things get blown out of proportion. It's just one game. There's a lot of games to go.”

"I actually smacked my hands together real quick like I'd just won the game or something. I hoped no one had seen it. I remember just feeling that I had that weight off my shoulders, and it also drove in a run. So I got the hit and was feeling great, and then I realized my average was .050 or something."

"My earliest memories are playing catch with my grandfather, Bob Coste, in the front yard of his home.  He was a good athlete and the sole reason why I played baseball.  I was always trying be like him and he made me want to be a great baseball player.  I would hit rocks with a bat for hours on end and throw tennis balls against the steps of the apartment building where I lived.  I did these things every day when the weather would allow and doing those things definitely helped develop my baseball skills. Early on I was a huge Reggie Jackson fan so I followed the Yankees for awhile until I realized that I was supposed to be a Twins fan."