He’s [George Steinbrenner] the one who gave me a chance to get to the World Series. This is where I wanted to be all along. We had a couple of nice offers from other teams, but I tied my agents’ hands. I told them I wanted to be a Yankee. ––Roger Clemens

I have the greatest job in the world. Only one person can have it. You have shortstops on other teams –– I’m not knocking other teams –– but there’s only one shortstop on the Yankees.                              

                                                                                             ––Derek Jeter

Good pitching will always stop good hitting and vice-versa.

                                                                                        ––Casey Stengel

Baseball is ninety percent mental. The other half is physical.

                                                                                               ––Yogi Berra

You start chasing a ball and your brain immediately commands your body to “Run forward, bend, scoop up the ball, peg it to the infield,” then your body says, “Who me?”                  ––Joe DiMaggio

I hated to bat against Don Drysdale. After he hit you, he’d come around and look at the bruise on your arm and say, “Do you want me to sign it?”                                                                      ––Mickey Mantle

The ballplayer who loses his head, who can’t keep his cool, is worse than no ballplayer at all.   ––Lou Gehrig

Good hitters just don’t 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. ––Dave Winfield

Aw, everybody knows that game, the day I hit the homer off ole Charley Root there in Wrigley Field, the day October 1, the third game of that ’32 World Series. But right now I want to settle all arguments. I didn’t exactly point to any spot, like the flagpole. Anyway, I didn’t mean to, I just sorta waved at the whole fence, but that was foolish enough. All I wanted to do was give that thing a ride… outta the park… anywhere.                                                         ––Babe Ruth

(Each week this column features quotations gleaned from the readings and experiences of our editors, reporters, readers, and friends. All are invited to submit quotations for inclusion here. They may be sent to Gleanings, c/o The Newtown Bee, 5 Church Hill Road, Newtown, CT 06470 or emailed to editor@thebee.com.)