Tony Oliva Quotations

I still dream about everything I achieved. I dream about my career, dream about playing baseball, meeting so many people, traveling so much.

I love New York. I love to come here, to play here, the tradition here. I'll never forget my first home run here was over Mickey Mantle's head.

The people who run the game, they are the ones who want to change it and make people believe that its different somehow. Its not different, the only difference is that some ballplayers today have a chance for a four- or five-year contract and they can make big money.

I come from Cuba. Taxes for me are no big thing.

They gave me a second opportunity and 45 years later I'm still here.

I think that the game is the game. I think that expansion is good for the game because it gives more jobs to the people and more ballplayers can play, but I think the game is still the game. The ballplayers, they come into the game with one thing in mind - it's their job.

It's a good feeling to see the kids try to make it, try to get to the big leagues. Everyone here has an opportunity to achieve his dream. I was lucky I was able to achieve my dream.

We're going to have a guy hit 30 home runs this year.

He never got over his career ending the way it did. He had four-five more good years left.

I almost broke down, too, when I heard the news yesterday, but I tried to hold it in. It's a really tough situation. It's a really hard day, really hard day for all of us.

He kept getting heavier and heavier and heavier.

Kirby meant to me a lot. For me, it's like my own son. He used to call me 'Papa', too.

I think it's great with all the opportunities that those players have now. By the time those kids here come here, they are ready for Rookie league or Class A league or whatever, because we can keep them (at the academies) for a couple years until we think they are ready to come here, and that makes a big difference.

Brain dead? You can't be brain dead to play baseball, because you always have to adjust. Latin players, they're smart. I have friends all over the world, Spanish friends and English-speaking friends. They don't care. If you're good, you're good.

That's not crazy, it's stupid. I think the guy made a very big mistake, and he should apologize. If you take away the Spanish players, you don't have baseball.

It's a shame; I hope to be able to go before it's too late. It's a bad law; this is hard to believe.

It's almost impossible to go into the Hall of Fame the way the system is now. It's ridiculous ... If I played in New York, I'd be there a long time ago. You play in Minnesota, they stick it to you.

It's very hard because he was like my son.

It will be fun, but more fun if we had Earl, ... If Earl was here, he would make everybody laugh.

He would want us to feel like it's a celebration.

He played hard but when he really wanted to play hard, no one was better than him. He had great range and could make some plays that others couldn't make.

The last few times I saw him, he kept getting bigger and bigger and bigger. And we worried about him. I saw him about five months ago. He always tries to invite me. He says, 'Come to Arizona, and we'll play some golf.

The last few times I saw him, he just kept getting bigger and bigger and bigger.