I had never been to the playoffs, and it was exciting. The fans went through the roof. They were excited about the whole team. It was great to be traded to a city like Chicago, which was a lot like Boston. Dennis Eckersley
I was a starter and did some good things there, and then I got a chance to prove myself as a closer. Because of that opportunity, I was blessed with the honor of being elected to the Hall of Fame. Dennis Eckersley
That first year in Chicago was one of the most memorable in my career. Getting traded rejuvenated me, and I had something to prove. I wanted to show them what I could do. Dennis Eckersley
They developed a platform for me to put up another 12 years, and that was my ticket to Cooperstown. Those were the best years of my life. It was like magic. Dennis Eckersley
When I started finishing games and coming off the field shaking hands, it was a beautiful thing. I mean, you start seeing that you're an important part of the team. Dennis Eckersley
I think today the players are too nice to one another, but that might change with the unbalanced schedule, with teams playing each other more and more. When you face each other that much, with that much at stake, something's bound to happen.Dennis Eckersley
I can't recall too much about pitching, but I do remember that I was anxious to get it over with. I just wanted to get that first game over with and go from there. Dennis Eckersley
When I first came up, the bullpen was pretty much where they put the guys who couldn't start. Dennis Eckersley
The thing that got me over the hump was accepting that I had to do whatever I could to stay in the game. Dennis Eckersley
Later, I could take something off my slider and I could make my fastball sink, so I really had four pitches. Dennis Eckersley
I want to see where I measure up against everyone in the world and everyone who has ever competed in the sport, and there's that innate sense of wanting to challenge myself. I'm competitive in all aspects. Ashton Eaton
There's never going to be a decathlon that you're going to have 10 events that your satisfied with. You're always, always going to be dissatisfied in something, and that always draws you back to try to retry that the next time you do a decathlon. It's like you go for the perfect 10. Ashton Eaton
That is when the crowd really lifted me. That last 600 meters I was not running with my own legs. It was incredible. Ashton Eaton
The thing I like about decathlon is also the thing I dislike: It's the maximum challenge, but also the maximum frustration. Ashton Eaton
The great thing about this is, and not to pump my own tires, but I feel like I'm not maximized yet. I feel like I can still run faster, jump higher, which I think makes it special. Hopefully, going to London, I'll be welcomed into the decathlon community. Ashton Eaton