Quotes from Eric Davis

For me to become the highest paid player in the franchise, it was something I didn't anticipate. But I'm glad. I like playing for Cincinnati.

There's only one Mark McGwire. The man walked over 160 times. Just think. If he walks 60 times, he might hit 100 homers.

I'd never heard of colon cancer. Baseball wasn't even important to me. I have a wife and two girls. That's what was important. The doctors told me and all I could say was, 'When are we going to get this thing out?'

People always ask me how I can hit the ball so far, and I say, 'I just swing.' It's the coaches who first told me I had good bat speed. I was just swinging, and I guess it was fast. I'm pretty fast at everything.

I don't think any player lives up to his potential, because people out there put you so high on a pedestal, you'll never be as good as they expect.

It takes a lot of energy to be negative. You have to work at it. But smiling is painless. I'd rather spend my energy smiling.

It's easy to see why pitchers respect McGwire. If you hit behind him, they're saying that they don't respect you. You have to change their thinking.

If you're feeling pressure, then you shouldn't be here.

Life is too short to worry about anything

You don't protect Mark McGwire. The only way to protect him is hit 70 homers yourself.

When you get back on the field and do things, any doubts you've developed leave. The more consistent you become, the fewer doubts you have.

I have figured out it's not what you do on the field, it's how many games you play in.

I'm being compared to the impossible. I never saw Mays, Aaron or Clemente play. What about the people I face every day? Tim Raines is the best? Mattingly is the best? Why not compare me to my peers?

Nothing I did contributed to me having cancer, so I can't sit back and say, 'Oh why me.' Why not me? Why does tragedy always have to hit someone else?

Most of the places I've been, I've been a main piece of the puzzle.

Come on, when does it come to the point where your name can't come up in trade talks? Willie Mays got traded. Pedro Martinez got traded. So what? That's part of the game.

I want to establish myself as the first Eric Davis, not the next Willie Mays.

If you don't believe in something, you'll fall for anything. I believe everything happens for a reason. If you are strong from within, you can will anything. I'm a firm believer that where there's a will, there's a way.

I'm having a good time. I'm going to treat every game and every day as if they are my last because I now know that they could be.

I will be a role model for cancer patients for the rest of my life. But you know what? When I was getting chemo, those people inspired me.

You can't shelter it. You can't hide it. You have to let people know what you're going through, what you're feeling, what you think you have that's a problem.

I don't want to be famous. I want to be secure. I don't want the world. I just want a piece of it. I want people to remember Eric Davis.

Life is too short to worry about anything. You had better enjoy it because the next day promises nothing.

I was fortunate to play for Pete Rose and have teammates like Ken Griffey Sr., Tony Perez and Dave Concepcion. I grew up in the game with a mature attitude. I've always known it was better to be seen and not heard.