I'm a child of the sixties, I'm a man of the sixties. During that period of time this country was coming apart at the seams. We were in Southeast Asia. Good men were dying for America and for the Constitution.
Customary though it may be to write about that institutionalized pastime as though it existed apart from the general environment, my story does not lend itself to such treatment.
Remember when I told you about the American dream? That if you worked hard enough and tried hard enough and kicked yourself in the butt, you'd succeed? Well, I think I did, I think I did.
All the grand work was laid for people who came after me. The Supreme Court decided not to give it to me, so they gave it to two white guys. I think that's what they were waiting for.
But I want you to know that what I'm doing here I'm doing as a ballplayer, a major league ballplayer.
It was so difficult for the fans to understand my problems with baseball.
I was leaving probably one of the greatest organizations in hte world at that time for what was probably one of the least like, and, by God, this is America.
I was telling my story to deaf ears, because I was telling my story to a person who would give their first-born child to be doing what I was doing.
But when you weigh that against all the things that are really and truly important, things that are deep inside you, then I think I've succeeded.