I knew what the Dodgers uniform represented as a kid growing up in Brooklyn.

Basically, I was a kid growing up with a single mother in Brooklyn.

I was definitely an at-risk kid growing up.

We had opportunities here in Salinas growing up. Things have changed, hopefully for the better, but it remains the same that education is the answer to bettering ourselves.

When you're a kid growing up, you say you want to make it to the Major Leagues, and when you reach that dream, that's what it's all about.

As a kid growing up, I put a lot of pressure on myself.