My motto was always to keep swinging. Whether I was in a slump or feeling badly or having trouble off the field, the only thing to do was keep swinging.

Every strike brings me closer to the next home run.

Don’t let the fear of striking out hold you back.

Fall forward. Here’s what I mean: Reggie Jackson struck out 2,600 times in his career – the most in the history of baseball. But you don’t hear about the strikeouts. People remember the home runs. Fall forward. Thomas Edison conducted 1,000 failed experiments. Did you know that? I didn’t either – because number 1,001 was the light bulb. Fall forward. Every failed experiment is one step closer to success.

The bassoon is one of my favorite instruments. It has a medieval aroma, like the days when everything used to sound like that. Some people crave baseball…I find this unfathomable, but I can easily understand why a person could get excited about playing the bassoon.

Set your goals high, and don’t stop till you get there.