Ben Zobrist

When the ball was hit, my first reaction as a shortstop was always go in the direction of the ball. You can't do that at first base. You go too far in that direction, and it's hard to scurry back and be ready to pick the throw. ”

For me, it's not so much about picking the right position; it's about the team. ”

There were always kids better than me. Because of that, I had to learn to be a role player and do my part. ”

I never even thought about playing professionally. I didn't think that was a possibility for a little kid from Illinois. ”

I had a chance to choose a couple different places and, well, I grew up - I was a small-town kid from Illinois, so No. 1, just trying to win a championship for my home state. ”

Occasionally, you have to make adjustments and try different things. ”

Each new day has a different shape to it. You just roll with it. ”

I'm a manager's player, in a way, because he can use me in a lot of different ways, and I'm willing to do that. ”

I played a lot of right field with Tampa. ”

Out in the field, I feel like I'm flexible enough to where I'm comfortable at different positions, wherever they want to put me. ”