The Mets. no. 45, as interviewed by Sandra Guzman of New York Post’s Tempo section.
Q: What™s the most important thing you want New York fans to know about you?
A: I want them to know that I am a simple human being just like any other, totally different in uniform than I am in regular clothes. I am a believer of the good. I don™t want to harm anybody. I wish that I could just walk the streets of New York, especially Washington Heights, like a regular guy, and enjoy the neighborhood, the people.
Q: Why don™t you try it?
A: The last time I was there [to Washington Heights], it was right after the [Red Sox-Yankee] playoffs. I went to visit some friends and people found out. The crowd was so out of control that police had to come and help escort me out.
Q: You™re known for your calling-it-like-it-is personality. Have you ever said anything you regret?
A: I speak from my heart. I™m honest. I can™t be any other way. But yes, there were actually two things I™ve said that I™ve come to regret. The first, when I called the Yankees my daddy. I was feeling it that night so I said it, but I was saying it more for my team, than for me. I was feeling like I could not beat them because my team was not helping me.
Q: So who™s your daddy now?
A: God is my daddy.
Q: What™s the second thing you regret?
A: Saying that I wanted to stay in Boston [with the Red Sox.] They took that and used it to their advantage.
Q: What ever happened to Nelson de la Rosa [Pedro™s midget pal who became a sort of locker room personality with the Red Sox]?
A: Nelson needs help. He is a special human being. I haven™t seen him in a while.
Q: But he says you broke his heart.
A: He was angry that I signed with the Mets. He wanted me to stay with Boston.
Q: So are you going to bring any lucky charms to New York?
A: He was not my lucky charm. I™m not superstitious like some guys. It was Kevin Millar who thought this. I met Nelson through mutual friends and he asked to come to the game. I gave him tickets. And it so happened that we would win every time he came to games and people would go crazy for him, especially kids. Since we won some games, Millar started saying that he was the team™s lucky charm. But I am not superstitious. I only have certain routines that I practice.
Q: Do you want to share them?
A: I have two sets of underwear ”a set that I wear for practice only, the other set I use to play.
Q : But you wash them, right?
A : Of course … really clean, baby!