Hotter 'n Hell, Ain't It, Prez?

The Curve And The Fast One Are Important; The Change Of Pace And The Other Trick Deliveries Are Great But They're Not Worth A Plugged Nickel Unless You Have Control To Go Along With Them. And By Control I Don't Mean The Ability To Put The Ball Over The Plate Somewhere Between The Shoulders And Knees. I Mean The Ability To Hit A Three-inch Target Nine Times Out Of Ten, The Sort Of Control That Lets You Put The Ball In The Exact Spot You Want It, And To Play A Corner To The Split Fraction Of An Inch.

As Soon As I Got Out There I Felt A Strange Relationship With The Pitcher's Mound. It Was As If I'd Been Born Out There. Pitching Just Felt Like The Most Natural Thing In The World. Striking Out Batters Was Easy.

The Most Important Thing That A Young Athlete Must Do It Pick The Right Sport. Not One That They Like Just A Little Bit, But One That They Love. Because,if They Don't Really Love Their Sport, They Won't Work As Hard As They Should. Me? I Loved To Hit.

What I Am, What I Have, What I Am Going To Leave Behind Me - All This I Owe To The Game Of Baseball.

I Hear The Cheers When They Roared And The Jeers When They Echoed.