They've got [Alfonso] Soriano and [Luis] Castillo. I wouldn't be playing. I don't want to sit on the bench. I'll go to spring training and get ready for the season.

We all should be proud of the United States. For those of us that came from the Dominican, we've been able to come here, work, make money and become somebody in our lives. We've gotten a huge opportunity from the U.S.

I don't think I'm a home run hitter. Most of my home runs are line drives. If I hit it, thanks God. But it's not the kind of thing that I think about. I just go out there and try to have a better season than I had before. Home runs are not in my mind.

He's got great stuff. I saw him in the Futures Game in 2004, and he's very good. He's going to be a great pitcher.

[Shields had walked Gary Sheffield on four pitches and Hideki Matsui on a 3-2 pitch to load the bases for Cano.] I was looking for a fastball and he threw me a fastball right down the middle, ... If he throws me that, I'm going to swing.

Everything was right. I just missed it. It's disappointing.