To pitch a perfect game wearing pinstripes at Yankee Stadium, it's unbelievable. Growing up a Yankee fan, to come out here and make history, it really is a dream come true.
I really want to have a possibility of going into the Hall of Fame one day. I think that's huge with a lot of baseball writers and old school guys. Of course, that's not the main goal - the main goal is winning a World Series. Hall of Fame is so far away. It's just something I've always thought about doing. I want to be as clean as I can.
I know about winning batting titles.
I mean, it's unheard of for somebody to hit 70 home runs, so I'm like in awe of myself right now.
After I failed to win the Most Valuable Player Award in 1960, I made up my mind I'd win the batting title in 1961 for the first time.
It's a relief now to be able to stand next to my godfather and finally feel like I've accomplished something in the game of baseball.
It gave me no chance. He (Nolan Ryan) just blew it (strikeout #5,000) by me. But its an honor. I'll have another paragraph in all the baseball books. I'm already in the books three or four times.
There's a large oak tree in the Newton Centre park playground that is legendary because only a few humans have hit it with a baseball from home plate, and B.J. Novak is among them. And I was there that day.
I want to be the first player to show what Japanese batters can do in the major league.
Now they talk on the radio about the record set by (Babe) Ruth, and (Joe) DiMaggio and Henry Aaron. But they rarely mention mine. Do you know what I have to show for the sixty-one home runs? Nothing, exactly nothing.
If you got a hit every third time that you went up to bat in the major leagues, you'd be the greatest hitter of all time. I think my average is a little better than that.
I believe there are certain things that cannot be bought -- loyalty, friendship, health, love and an American League pennant.
In 1962 I was named Minor League Player of the Year. It was my second season in the bigs.
When you win the Cy Young, it's like, well, you're a baseball player, that's what you're supposed to do. When you win the Clemente Award, you don't do it to get recognized for your work, but it means so much more than baseball.
You know, I was once named Minor League Player of the Year... unfortunately, I had been in the majors for two years at the time.
It would have been a helluva lot more fun if I had never hit those 61 homeruns... all it brought me was headaches.
Just seeing my name on the ballot as a top three finalist for the Most Valuable Player title in the National League brings me great satisfaction because this accolade means a lot.
Only sixteen players have hit fifty or more homers in a season. To me, that's a very special milestone.
I knew that the Mets had never had a no-hitter. I never had one. This is very special. I knew this means a lot to New York.
