Q. You look as if you could still play in the big leagues at the age of 48. Are you still involved with the Florida Marlins organization?
A. I am special assistant to the president. And what it entails is that I work on the field in spring training. I don’t travel that much, but I may be with the club on a road trip or two. I do some community work.
Q. You played the game with so much enthusiasm, dedication and respect, starring for the Expos, Cubs, Red Sox and Marlins during your 21-year career. Does it bother you to see many star players today conduct themselves so selfishly?
A. I think finances have changed the attitude of the players–the way they conduct themselves, not only on the field but off. Hopefully this won’t destroy the game, because we have enough problems as it is. The players who think they are bigger than the game itself need to change.
Q. Cubs fans, especially the ones in the right-field bleachers, used to bow to you in respect when you took your position after hitting a home run. How exhilarating was it for you playing in Wrigley Field?
A. My six years with the Cubs (1987-92) pretty much got my career rejuvenated. As far as I am concerned, there is no better place to play. People always talk about New York, but I never had any aspirations to play there. But to come to Chicago . . . the warmth of the Friendly Confines and the knowledge of the fans . . . the thing that they do best is allow you to enjoy yourself and have fun. The pressure should be on the front office to get the right personnel on the field.
Q. You received 50 percent of the writers’ votes for the Hall of Fame last month. Are you confident you will receive the necessary 75 percent to be selected in the near future?
A. Your numbers don’t change from year to year. You are either a Hall of Famer or you are not. Once you get in, you enjoy it all of your lifetime.
Q. When you are inducted into the Hall of Fame, which team’s cap will you wear?
A. My aspirations always were to go in as a Cub. But Major League Baseball makes the determination.
Q. In 1987, you and your agent presented the Cubs a blank contract when you were a free agent leaving Montreal. Former Cubs general manager Dallas Green referred to that scene as a “dog and pony show,” but you were sincere, weren’t you?
A. If I had to do it all over again, I probably would do it the same way. It was just a matter, for me, of going somewhere that I knew I would enjoy the game and be a little more respected from management. I couldn’t have picked a better place. I always loved daytime baseball and I always enjoyed playing in Wrigley Field.
Q. Your first season with the Cubs, you hit 49 home runs and drove in 137 runs to earn the league MVP award. But my enduring image of you is watching you painstakingly ice your knees after every game. Do your knees still bother you?
A. I am looking at knee replacement down the road.
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