A Home Run Derby is fun. It's just like taking batting practice, and you just want to go deep. Guys do it every day. Yes, there's a little more pressure when they pull that cage back, but if you practice properly, it shouldn't affect the second half of your season at all.
When you're going into a game, you're not expected to hit a home run every game. You're just doing everything proper with proper swings.
At the Home Run Derby, you're expected to hit home runs. You're up there trying to hit home runs.
These kids today, everything is about hitting a vocal home run.
I've never been a guy that's consistently hit home runs. It's always seemed to come, like, three or four in a week or two, and then I'll shut it down for a couple of weeks.
Obviously, being a first baseman, you're kind of expected to hit some home runs. Obviously, that goes into your head; it gets into my head a little bit.
When McGwire started the home run mania, attendance came back. The owners understood that the sudden spike in homers wasn't accidental. All baseball knew it. But baseball is run on money, and home runs meant money. Baseball turned a blind eye.
Do I want someone to get more hits than me? No. Do I want someone to hit more home runs than me? No. Do I want someone to have more RBI than me? No. I get a kick out of seeing the all-time leaders and my name's on top of every one, with the exception of strikeouts. I get a kick out of that.
I have only one superstition... Touch all the bases when I hit a home run.
How to hit home runs: I swing as hard as I can, and I try to swing right through the ball.
