I never thought I'd make it. I had given up on it. I really appreciate it.

It's easy to get caught up in the fanfare, and you can really see that a lot of people get into all of that. But it helps bring people to the church.

That might have been the worst point of my life in baseball. I had never played with anybody but the Reds. We had gelled together and all of a sudden I got traded, kicked out of the house. It took a while to get over it.

It's like you're born into a family -- you get up there in age, you leave home, but you're always part of the family. So I guess I'll always be a Red at heart.

But I'll always be a Red at heart.

Ellie was a kind, wonderful person. He never met a stranger. I don't have enough words, I don't have enough time, to explain the greatness of this guy.