"I'm very thankful to the Yankees and to Major League Baseball for allowing me to play this game." — Alex Rodriguez

This is how I define grace: you're on the main stage, and it looks like it has been rehearsed 100 times, everything goes so smoothly. That's where I get my confidence and success, from knowing that I have an edge because I know I'm prepared.

It's a game that just takes so much out of you. Every aspect of your life has to be very narrow, very focused. Everything else has to go away. And because of that, I think it's obviously not healthy. The last thing I'm looking for is sympathy.

Enjoy your sweat because hard work doesn't guarantee success, but without it you don't have a chance.