First Running Memory: ‘In eighth grade when I ran my first cross-country race. And I asked my dad for tactical advice. And he said, ‘Just get out in front, don’t let anyone pass you.’ Pretty simple advice but it worked. (Did you win?) I took second that day actually.”

Running Inspirations: “Bernard Lagat, for sure. Prefontaine. Rich Kenah. Coach (Frank) Gagliano, who was my first professional coach, he coached Rich. He’s always asking me when I’m going to get Rich’s PR which is 1:43.3, so that’s inspiration.”

Last Book Read: “The Far Pavilions.”

Nicknames: “They called me Noogie when I was playing soccer, I don’t know why.”

Favorite Movies: “Zoolander, Forrest Gump.”

First Job: “Golf ball picker upper at a golf course.”

First Car: “Chevy Blazer.”

Current Car: “Nissan Frontier.”

Favorite Meal: “Pad Thai, Thai food.”

Favorite Ice Cream Flavor: “Jamocha almond fudge.”

Pre-Race Feeling: “Anxiousness.”

Greatest Sports Moment: “Probably the Olympic Trials in 2008. (Why?) Because I was the most nervous for that race and it was the biggest relief to have made the team.”

Most Painful Moment: “Worlds in 2011. Because I had a real high expectation going in. And I think that I was in shape to medal and tactically messed up.”

Childhood Dream: “Doctor.”

Funny Career Memory: “Too many to name. Hanging out with all the athletes here is great. (Who is the funniest?) Ryan Gregson, funny kid from Australia. And Will Lear from America. Gregson has so much energy. I just love hangin’ out with the guy. Will Lear and I go way back from our days in college, so a lot in common with Will.”

Strangest Race: “The semifinal at Berlin Konky went down and I had to take the lead from 500 out. That was a pretty weird race.”

Embarrassing Running Memory: “When I was in high school, a girl (Molly) I was really interested in, on the track team, pulled my shorts down while we were running our warm-up lap. And took my underwear with them [laughs]. So that was pretty embarrassing, in front of the whole track team.”

Favorite Sport Outside Running: “Ice hockey.”

Toughest Competitor Encountered: “Good question. Bernard Lagat is a pretty fierce competitor. I like watching Roger Federer quite a bit. I think he’s a tough competitor, for sure. I love watching tennis. I think those guys are probably the greatest overall athletes in the world, just given their stamina, power, durability. I love watching tennis players. (Do you play?) Not well, it’s pretty sloppy but I like to play [smiles].”

Last Vacation: “It was almost two years ago. I went to Mexico with my sister’s boyfriend’s family last New Year’s.”

Favorite Place To Compete: “Hayward Field. My home.”

People Qualities Most Admired: “Outgoingness and friendliness. Confidence.”

DOB: September 1, 1923 in Brockton, MA Passed: August 31, 1969

Childhood Heroes: “Tony Lanzeri, Jack Dempsey, Joe Louis – he spoke so reverently of him. Felt he was as classy a guy as he had ever met.”

Nicknames: “The Rock, The Brockton Blockbuster, The Champ, King of the Hill.”

Hobbies/Interests: “Absolutely loved reading – philosophy, religion, meditating, baseball.”

Greatest Sports Moment: “September 23, 1952. In Philadelphia, he had just thrown a right cross in the 13th round – coming from certain defeat – to win the Heavyweight championship of the world from Jersey Joe Walcott. And besides the birth of his daughter (Mary Anne), one of the greatest moments of his life was when he asked our father to retire from working in the shoe factory. My dad was the proudest guy in the world. And I think Rocky was even prouder.”

Most Painful Moment: “The day he knocked out Joe Louis (1951). His boyhood hero. Actually knocked him through the ropes (8th round). Afterward, Rocky said, ‘His career is over and I was the one that had to do it.’ It really did bother him.”

Favorite Movie: “On The Waterfront.”

Musical Tastes: “Big Band.”

Pre-Fight Feeling: “Rocky was a hard, hard worker before a fight. The rigors he went through. I don’t know if anyone came close. When he trained, he was like a monk. He gave up all the Italian foods, no women would enter his life. Literally lived like a monk. He spent a great deal of his time reading. Whenever he went into the ring, he knew in his mind, he was in the very best shape. He knew the opponent could not be in the shape he’s in. Tremendous confidence.”

“He knew in his mind, the power of positive thinking, before the book even came out. He knew when he hit them, they had to go down. He was so positive about it, he could lay down before a fight and fall asleep. A tremendous ability. I saw it with my own eyes.”

(Would he look at his opponents after entering the ring?) He never would look at his opponent. He had his own feeling about that. In the ring he was really a different person. He was, I hate to say it, a killer. Outside the ring he was so much different. Opponents often tried to intimidate him. Rocky always had to have his eyes slightly down. He didn’t want to know anything about the opponent, his family, who he loved, who loved him. It was not personal, just a job to do. After a fight, Rocky never did not go over and see if his opponent was okay.”

Favorite Meal: “Obviously, mom’s (Pasqualena) pasta. But his number one favorite was mom’s homemade lentil soup.”

First Job: “Worked in a factory that made shoe soles.”

Toughest Opponents: “Carmine Vingo and Jersey Joe Walcott.”

Hardest Puncher Encountered: “Vingo. Rocky met him at Madison Square Garden in 1949. Vingo was an Italian from New York City who had nothing but glory days ahead of him. A possible future champion. Rocky said Vingo hit him the hardest in his career.”

Worst Injury: ‘I can tell you from personal observation. Ezzard Charles, 1954. No one really knows what kind of punch did it, maybe an uppercut. It slit underneath Rocky’s nose. Like a slice by a knife. Horrible cut. The doctor came in and was very close to stopping it. The cut was bleeding profusely. Rocky went out and stopped him in the next round, with a straight right, left, right. I remember going into the locker room after, to give my big brother a big hug and a kiss, when he was talking with the reporters. When I saw that cut it almost made me throw up.”

Funny Boxing Memory: “He had a fight early in his career against Don Mogard I think. Before the fight, they met accidentally in the hallway. The guy looked real nervous. He said, ‘I know you’re gonna be a great, great fighter. I’m going to earn a few bucks…I’ve fallen on hard times.’ He let it know he wasn’t excited about being in the ring with Rocky. I guess he was asking Rocky to take it easy on him. And the fight ended up going the distance.”

Favorite Boxers To Watch: “Willie Pep. His number one favorite from Hartford, CT. A real sharp dresser. Rocky was in awe of him. A Deion Sanders type of guy way back then [laughs]. Joe Louis. Muhammad Ali. Tremendous respect for Ali. They met each other many times. Ali always referred to Rocky as ‘The Champ.’ Ali was at the wake (in Brockton in 1969) after Rocky’s airplane accident. A reporter asked Ali a question and Ali said, It wasn’t ‘the time to conduct an interview here. I’m here to pay my respects to one of the greatest fighters to ever live and a great man and a dear friend.’ I was nearby when he said that. I always had the greatest respect for Muhammad Ali.”

Favorite Vacation Spots: “Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Italy.”

Childhood Dream: “Being a Major League Baseball player.”

People Qualities Most Admired: “Absolutely adored his mother and father. They were simple people whose love was unconditional. He admired people who succeed in life. Especially if they could succeed in an honorable way. And could give something back to where they came from. A big believer in that.”

www.thebiofile.com

(Thanks to Peter Marciano for making this Biofile with Rocky Marciano possible.)

DOB: January 21, 1952 In: Long Beach, CA

Baseball Inspirations: “Don Drysdale and Frank Howard. They’re my guys. Frank Howard was my hero.”

Nicknames: “Otter. (Why?) The guy in Animal House. They just slapped that on me. Who knows. Wake up one day and you got a nickname. It’s like, Oh, whatever.”

Hobbies/Leisure Activities: “Reading, bicycling, snowboard, play music, golfing, I have five kids.”

Favorite Movie: “Well, Field Of Dreams is the best movie ever made.”

Musical Tastes: “I likie anything. Broadway musicals, rock ‘n roll, blues, classical. When I was playing in Puerto Rico, I loved it down there. I love reggae. Love it all. Wherever I’m at. To me it’s hard to listen to reggae – reggae does not go in Houston, Texas. And likewise Dwight Yoakum does not go in Jamaica. When I played in Puerto Rico, my wife and I were dancing to salsa by the time we got out of there.”

Early Baseball Memory: “How much time do you got? Hours and hours? First pitch, first strikeout, first, all the firsts. First home run I gave up. First home run I hit. First all the kids – because I had four of my kids were born during the season. So I remember all that.”

Greatest Sports Moment: “Was pitching in the playoffs 1987, pitching the final out of the game, to beat St. Louis 4-2. And it was a complete game, that was pretty neat.”

Most Painful Moment: “Breaking down. Ripping the rotator cuff July of 1989. And having played for 17 years, wanting to get to the World Series, finally got there and couldn’t play.”

Funny Baseball Memory: “We’re talking about stuff that happens to us all the time. Too many.”

First Job: “Paperboy – Post Advocate.”

Favorite Meal: “Fresh fish grilled, with fresh vegetables, salad.”

Favorite Ice Cream Flavor: “Vanilla.”

Funniest Players Encountered: “Don Robinson – The Caveman. Bob Brenley. Rennie Martin. Steve Nicosian. My partner Duane Kuiper. Tug McGraw – my roomate in Philadelphia. Bruce Sutter – my roommate coming up in the minor leagues. And playing with him in Chicago – great guy.”

Toughest Competitors Encountered: “Pete Rose. Pete took everything personal. Having played against him and with him in Philadelphia, and he was one of the guys who truly lived up to expectations. He took every at-bat personal. It was intense. You know exactly when he got in the batter’s box. He was awesome. Loved him. Bill Buckner was incredible also.”

Favorite Uniforms: “I like all the old ones – Giants, the Cardinals, the Cubs, the Dodgers, the Tigers, the Yankees, I like all the classic ones. The Braves are a sweet uni. I like ‘em all. I don’t think there are many bad uniforms in the big leagues. Other than a few, I kinda like ‘em all.”

Favorite Ballparks: “Our ballpark is fabulous. Unbelievable. The only thing bad with that is that I didn’t play there. I like Wrigley Field, Dodger Stadium, the old ones. Great yards.”

Embarrassing Baseball Memory: “Oh geez, where do I start.”

People Qualities Most Admired: “People who persevere through adversity. People who go through tough times and don’t make any excuses. I like that.”

Family: Wife, Jennifer; Children, Tessa, Baker, Chase, Jarek, Weston.

Career Accomplishments: 1986 All-Star; 20-game winner in 1986, 124-117 career record with 1478 strikeouts and a 3.90 ERA; won five Emmy Awards for his TV commentating work.

DOB: April 9, 1971 In: Johannesburg, South Africa

First Art Memory: “Is winning an art competition when I was a young boy (age 7). And for some reason the teacher picked my painting. I never ever thought about art again till about ten years ago. I saw a Van Gogh in a museum and I saw a green color that I absolutely loved. And I’ve never forgot that color. Those are my two recollections of art. I’m a man who ran through the Louvre in 15 minutes. I found art as a miracle, it was given to me as a gift from God.”

Inspirations: “I can’t say any man because I believe all people are messengers on this earth, sent by God to help the world. People that inspire me to be brave. People like LaDainian Tomlinson. Like a boxer. When these men are beaten and battered, like Jack Dempsey said, ‘A champion is one who gets up when he can’t.’ I learned from these people, the true heart of a man comes out in the 11th hour. The people that inspire me are the warriors who get through things nobody can get through. I can’t name specific men. Like people that climb Mount Everest, even if they don’t summit, those are people that inspire me. That do the impossible.”

Last Book Read: “The Power Of One – about 14 years ago. Haven’t read another book since.”

Favorite Movie: “It’s called I Dare You To Love Me. It’s by far the best movie I ever saw.”

First Job: “I’ve always been my own boss, always.”

First Car: “VW Beetle, purple with black-shaded windows.”

Current Car: “A 740i old BMW that I bought second hand, that I painted head to toe, it’s covered in paint, as is my apartment, my motor bike and every material possession I own.”

Favorite Ice Cream Flavor: “Chocolate.”

Pre-Work Feeling: “I’ve structured my life in a way that my life and my work is one. So I never feel like anything before I start working because part of my background in this life was to enjoy every day. Because I lost many days of enjoyment to severe torment and depression. So every day, to me, is a gift, and I paint when I want. I have a great team to help me with a lot of wonderful things, IT and all that stuff, which I know nothing about. I’m not good with money, so I have people that make sure everything is in order. So my books can be audited at all times. My life is a wonderful, wonderful place. And I hope people can one day experience it themselves.”

Greatest Career Moment: “Right here, right now. No, I suppose, when Nelson Mandela signed my painting. A man that I have met many times. People say to me, Why is Nelson Mandela so great? Is it great to meet him? And I say the greatness of Nelson Mandela is that he knows that he’s not great. And he knows that he was a messenger put on here, on earth by God, to teach people humanity. So the joy of meeting Nelson Mandela is just the fact that he knows that he’s not great. He’s just a man. Put on this earth by God. That’s the joy of meeting him…You cannot get to see Nelson Mandela for $2 million now. He’s a very old man so it was a big thing for him to sign my painting.”

Most Painful Moment: “When I started this new journey in my life I decided that I was going to have fun. Because I didn’t have fun for the first 40 years. And I’ve had no painful moment. And the day that I do, I will stop it all. But I live by the saying I’m the free-est man in the world. I’ve had it tattooed on my left arm to remind myself. No one can mess up my enjoyment, no one.”

Favorite Artists: “I would say only Picasso. Truth of the matter, I don’t even know who the other artists are. I really don’t. I don’t get any inspiration from them. I never looked at their art. I don’t really care what they’ve done. I just did it myself. I’m starting to appreciate other artists now. But it’s not really the artists who have been made famous, it’s the artists that I see on the streets. And I say, Wow. That guy a Basquiat, or that guy a Van Gogh – why is his painting not selling for $500 million? He has a story to tell as well. So I think art is a lot of luck.”

Favorite Subjects: “Humanitarianism has become my one and only subject that I truly enjoy talking about.”

Funny Memory: “When I was hanging my giraffe, 18 feet high and nine feet wide. At Southampton. I hired the most wonderful team of Mexican workers. I turned my head and one of them was high in a tree with an electric saw. And I said, ‘What are you doing?’ He said, ‘I’m gonna cut down the branch. To hang the giraffe.’ And I said, ‘NO! There’ll be no cutting any trees here!’ That was a funny memory.”

Embarrassing Memory: “Nothing. I can’t get embarrassed any more. I don’t get embarrassed. I don’t fear any man, I fear God. I’m free. I don’t hurt anybody. I’m as generous as I can be. But I stay away from bad people.”

People Qualities Most Admired: “I cannot stand arrogance. I’ll tell you things that I cannot stand…arrogance. I cannot stand people that are so self absorbed that they can’t listen to anybody for a second. And people that are just grossly overindulgent, I suppose, that don’t give things back. I don’t mean people that are overindulgent, as long as they’re giving something back.”

Ht: 6-3 Wt: 210

DOB: December 2, 1955 In: St. Paul, Minn.

Childhood Heroes: “Well, I was a big baseball fan, I loved baseball when I was a kid. And my heroes were probably Harmon Killebrew and Zoilo Versalles, two guys who played for the Minnesota Twins.”

Hockey Inspirations: “My brother Mark.”

Hobbies/Interests: “Fish.”

Nickname: “(Any besides Homer?) Nope, that’s the only one.”

Favorite Movies: “Shawshank Redemption and Slapshot.”

Favorite TV Shows: “Seinfeld.”

Musical Tastes: “Oldies.”

Early Hockey Memory: “I can remember my brother, who passed away and was a year older than me. We grew up and played together all the way through high school. I have a lot of fond memories of that.”

First Job: “I worked at a sod farm when I was 15.”

First Car: “Chevrolet Monte Carlo, 1976.”

Favorite Meal: “Still lasagna.”

Favorite Ice Cream Flavor: “Mint chocolate chip.”

Greatest Sports Moment: “Playing in the Stanley Cup finals in 1980.”

Most Painful Moment: “That same year [smiles]. Losing in the Stanley Cup finals in 1980 (to the New York Islanders).”

Closest Hockey Friends: “Kevin McCarthy, Bob Clarke, Ron Hextall.”

Funniest Players Encountered: “Rick MacLeish, Bob Kelly, Kevin McCarthy.”

Toughest Competitors: “Terry O’Reilly, Wayne Cashman, Clark Gillies and Bobby Nystrom.”

Toughest Fighters: “For me, Garry Howatt [smiles]. I could never get him off my chest. And he was small; he was smaller than I was. Even if you were to win, you look like you lose because you’re fighting a smaller guy. He was a hard-nosed guy. I ended up having to fight him a lot and I just don’t feel like I ever beat him [smiles].”

Favorite Arena(s): “Today I like the rink the Wild play in. It is one of the nicest ones. But I’ve always enjoyed going to Toronto. I liked playing in Maple Leaf Gardens.”

Favorite Vacation Spot: “Northern Minnesota.”

Embarrassing Hockey Memory: “Probably like 1981, we came back and won Game 6 of the playoff series against Calgary and everyone in hockey expected us to beat them in Game 7. We just played terrible and they played great and beat us. I don’t know if that’s embarrassing, but that’s what comes to mind.”

People Qualities Most Admired: “Integrity.”

Career Accomplishments: NHL right wing 1975-1985; played in 1981 NHL All-Star Game; scored 144 goals in 527 NHL games; was the first U.S.-born player to score a hat trick in a Stanley Cup final game (1980 Game 2 vs. Islanders).

Ht: 6-5 Wt: 185

Age: 21

Birthplace: Montenegro

Residence: Ontario, Canada

First Tennis Memory: “A lot of time with the ball machine. I think that’s how I started out, mostly. That’s where I started to get my level up. And my dad (Dusan) was there picking up the balls and I’d be just standing and hitting tennis balls non-stop .”

Tennis Inspirations: “Pete Sampras, by far the biggest one. Spent many hours watching his matches. Not just once – twice, three, four times. And sort of he was the inspiration who taught me to work so hard on the serve.”

First Famous Tennis Player You Met: “Tommy Haas, I think. I probably embarrassed myself [smiles]. I think I had a photo with him and Nick Bollettieri, and I saying, ‘Tommy, we’ve met before, we’ve met before. Will you please sign my picture?’ I remember that. Probably not Tommy [smiles].”

Greatest Sports Moment: “Winning San Jose and then defending it. First title and then able to back it up is amazing.”

Most Painful Moment: “The pain you feel when you make that slip and when you realise how long you’re going to be out for during Wimbledon.”

Funny Tennis Memory: “There’s a lot of things that happen but I can’t point out one thing. But being in the locker room with…there’s some really special characters on the Tour. And guys that make this Tour and being on it for so many, it’s fun. (Which players come to mind on that?) Djokovic is a funny guy, got a great personality. There’s many guys like him that sort of bring up the energy in the locker room [smiles].”

Strangest Match: “One time I think I was playing a Challenger against a guy in the top 200. The guy was obviously better than me but I was sort of sticking with him and I had 40-love serving. And a guy off the court fainted on the side. Paramedics had to come. Took almost 15 minutes. We stopped. And I don’t think I won a game after that. I think it was 4-all and I lost 6-4 6-0. (Where?) Granby. I got a wildcard into main draw.”

Closest Tennis Friends: “Coach and Almagro.”

Favourite Players To Watch: “I’ll watch probably the finals of most tournaments. Probably Djokovic. I enjoy watching Federer, Nadal, Soderling, probably all the guys in the top 10.”

Embarrassing Tennis Memory: “Most embarrassing…I don’t know…Lost 0 and 0 in juniors. It was a long time ago. Maybe under 12’s. Somewhere in Europe I think.”

Favourite Ice Cream Flavour: “Strawberry.”

Favourite Meal: “Steak before match.”

Favourite Sports Outside Tennis: “Basketball.”

Current Car: “My parents’ Honda Civic.”

People Qualities Most Admired: “Honesty. People that are genuine. People that are caring. And people that just go and take care of the common courtesies. When you walk by them in the locker room and I’ll say Hi and all these kinds of things. Because you see them so many times a day. You don’t just want to be walking cold shoulder by a lot of people. I think this is one of the most important things on the Tour.”

Status: Former PGA golfer and two-time Masters winner.

DOB: January 11, 1952 In: Austin, TX

Childhood Heroes: “Bobby Jones, Ben Hogan, Jack Nicklaus. The Big Three. They have some unbelievable records. And for the men they are too.”

Early Golf Memory: “Winning Texas State junior championship. Match play tournament. 600 entries from all over the state. It was the first big tournament I won (age 15).”

Nicknames: “Gental Ben, Mental Ben.”

Favorite TV Shows: “The Andy Griffith Show, nature shows.”

Hobbies/Interests: “Golf course architecture, country western music, fishing, bird watching, golf artifacts.”

Favorite Movie: “Field of Dreams.”

Musical Tastes: “Gatlin Brothers, George Strait, Willie Nelson, George Jones.”

First Job: “Caddying for some college players (age 13).”

First Car: “1970 green (with white top) Buick GS 455 (Grand Sport).”

Greatest Sports Moment: “Winning the 1984 Masters. It was special for me. Bobby Jones built Augusta. It was his conception. It’s how he thought about the game, how he presented the game.”

Favorite Golfers To Watch: “Seve Ballesteros. Greg Norman. Steve Elkington. There’s so many good, young players, good swings, good mechanics.”

Favorite Meal: “Mexican.”

Favorite Book: “Anything by Bobby Jones. One of the real masters of the English language. I enjoy anything he ever wrote on the game. He was the best player-writer, very much an intellectual.”

Favorite Sport Outside Golf: “To watch – baseball. To play – basketball and baseball.”

Favorite Athletes To Watch: “Alan Trammel. I saw Detroit play Texas. My eyes just followed him the whole game. I never saw someone so intense. Running the bases, going to the dugout…it looked like he was doing everything he could do to play his best. I never met him but I sure do admire him. Don Baylor – I grew up with him. A great man. I have lots of admiration for him. Spike Owen – a friend of mine.”

Funniest Golfers Encountered: “Jimmy Demaret. Lee Trevino. Chi Chi Rodriguez. Peter Jacobsen.”

Closest Friends In Golf: “Lanny and Bobby Wadkins. Steve Elkington. Bruce Lietzke. Bill Rogers.”

Favorite Golf Courses: “Winged Foot. Merion (PA). Shinnecock Hills. National Golf Links. So many.”

People Most Admired: “Golfers. I do. Because they have to prove something each week. You kind of start over each week. It’s an equitable game. Very simple. If you play well, you get paid. If not, you don’t. I have a lot of admiration for golfers.”

Family: Wife, Julie; daughter, Katherine.

Career Accomplishments: NCAA Golf Champ in 1971, 1972, 1973; Won first ever pro event of his PGA career (1973); Winner of 1984 and 1995 Masters; 19 PGA victories; Former captain of U.S. Ryder Cup Team.

Ht: 6-6 Wt: 240

DOB: November 9, 1979, in Houston, Texas

Childhood Heroes: “I really didn’t have any childhood heroes.”

Nicknames: “I want to skip that one, there’s a lot of them [smiles].”

Hobbies/Interests: “I like fishing, hunting and playing PlayStation.”

Early Baseball Memory: “I can remember when I was four-years-old, I was on the All-Star team in T-ball. I played catcher. If you know anything about T-ball and catching, the catcher does nothing except when they swing and miss, you put the ball back on the tee for them. That was me, the All-Star catcher [smiles].”

Favorite Movies: “‘Tombstone’, ‘Weekend At Bernie’s’, ‘Shawshank’.”

Musical Tastes: “Country, any kind of country. Pretty much anything.”

Favorite TV Shows: “‘Friends’, and ‘Simpsons’.”

Childhood Dream: “I was going to be a doctor all the way. But it didn’t work out.”

First Car: “A white Dodge truck.”

First Job: “This is it, baseball [smiles].”

Current Car: “Lamborhini.”

Favorite Meal: “Mexican food.”

Favorite Breakfast Cereal: “I would have to go with Froot Loops.”

Favorite Ice Cream Flavor: “Vanilla.”

Pre-Game Feeling: “I’m just relaxed. I really don’t get nervous. Just wondering when the wait is going to be over. Another day. This is your job. You’ve got to go out there and take it seriously.”

Greatest Sports Moment(s): “So far, I’d say the greatest moment would have to be just making the big leagues. (Adam was recalled from Triple-A Louisville on July 20, 2001. He played that night in Florida and got his first hit in his second at-bat against Matt Clement.) And being an All-Star (in 2002).”

Most Painful Moment: “I haven’t had any really painful ones.”

Worst Injury: “I guess that would be in 2000. I broke my thumb and had 17 stitches taken over my eye. The third baseman ran into me on a pop-up.

Closest Baseball Friend: “I’ve got a bunch.”

Funniest Player(s) Encountered: “I’m gonna have to go with someone like Kent Mercker — he’s funny. Do they have to be in baseball still? (No.) Pete Harnisch, he was the best. He was hilarious. Funniest human being on earth [smiles].”

Toughest Competitors: “You gotta go with people like Clemens. And I’ll tell you what — Jake Peavy is up there too.”

Funny Baseball Memory: “We were in A-ball. My buddy’s name was Randy Stegell and he had a pretty good game, so he had an interview on TV. He never had that before so he was really excited. So we kind of got him with shaving cream in the face [smiles]. And he kind of took it personal. So I get out of the shower and get dressed and go to put my shoes on and my freakin’ shoes are filled with shaving cream. He thought that was really funny.”

Favorite Vacation Spot: “I like Tennessee … Gatlinsburg. It’s in old folks’ territory, but I like it.”

Favorite Uniforms: “I’m gonna have to say Toronto’s.”

Favorite Ballpark: “Houston.”

Embarrassing Baseball Moment: “I haven’t had any real embarrassing stuff. Just normal stuff, like droppin’ flyballs. Nothing really out of the ordinary.”

Favorite Athletes To Watch: “I liked watching Larry Walker. I liked Bo Jackson back in the day. (Basketball?) I’m not a big basketball guy … since Hakeem (Olajuwon) left Houston. (Boxing?) I like Bernard Hopkins. (Tennis?) Besides Anna Kournikova — she’s my all-time favorite — I like Andy Roddick. And Maria Sharapova (Golf?) Steve Elkington. Gotta go with my boy. We’re pretty good friends.”

People Qualities Most Admired: “I think honesty … to me. And I don’t like selfish people. So you’ve got to be honest and not selfish.”

Status: Manager of Miami Marlins. Former MLB shortstop from 1985-2000 with Chicago White Sox, Baltimore, Atlanta and Tampa Bay.

DOB: January 20, 1964 In: Ocumare del Tuy, Venezuela

Baseball Inspirations: “Roberto Clemente. David Concepcion – from Venezuela, shortstop.”

Early Baseball Memory: “Coming to my first big league training camp in 1984. A member of the team. Being around Carlton Fisk, Tom Seaver, Harold Baines…going to the Hall of Fame. Playing with them, that’s something all kids look up to. I think they taught me the way to be in the big leagues, off the field and on the field. Teach me a lot of things. Not like the ****ing kids right now, they don’t listen to nobody [laughs].”

Hobbies/Interests: “Play congos, bullfighting – I practice once in a while.”

Nicknames: “Piao. I called my daddy Piao instead of poppa, so they call me Piao. Ozzie.”

Childhood Ambition: “Bullfighter. True! A great art. Back in my country, bullfighters are big. I wanted to see everyone looking at me and the bull in the ring.”

Favorite Movies: “Basic Instinct, all Sharon Stone movies, Major League, Ghost.”

Musical Tastes: “Salsa, Latin music, it’s in my blood. Oscar De Leon. Domingo Quinones. Gilberto Santa Rose.”

Favorite Athletes To Watch: “Dennis Rodman – a gamer, plays harder than anyone. Always plays to win. I’d like to meet him. Rickey Henderson. Roberto Alomar. Walter Payton. Roberto Baggio. Julio Cesar Chavez. Sugar Ray Leonard. My girlfriend Gabriela Sabatini [smiles].”

Pre-Game Feeling: “Nervous. No, not nervous…anxious. Butterflies. I want the game to start right away. I feel every day something different. I have to be the best on the field that day, eventhough I cannot be. I think about being the best that day.”

Greatest Sports Moment: “Got a few. My comeback after surgery in 1993. Opening Day in Chicago. I missed one year. How the Chicago fans missed me. Gave me a welcome. Make me feel welcome back. Good ovation. Signs in upper deck. Kind of touching. And AL Division title in ‘93.”

Most Painful Moment: “Hurt in ‘92, couldn’t play that year. Also, my best friend Gus Polidor got killed last year (‘95) during the season. I wasn’t playing for a while. Flew back to Venezuela. My best friend. They tried to rob him and shot him.”

Interesting Fact: “Always happy. Because in the country I grew up in, everybody wants to be a ballplayer. I’m one of the lucky. Nothing can be better than that. That’s why I gotta enjoy every moment.”

Worst Injury: “Knee injury in 1992. Collision with Tim Raines. Break all three ligaments.”

Future Ambitions: “Watch my kids play in the big leagues. Hopefully I’ll still be around baseball. Hopefully enjoy my life after my career is over. You know, sometimes it’s tough after baseball.”

Family: Wife, Ibis; sons, Oswaldo, Oney, Ozney.

Career Accomplishments: .264 career batting average with 1764 hits and 619 RBI; 1985 Rookie of the Year; Three-time All-Star and two-time World Series Champion (2003 as coach with Florida, 2005 as manager with Chicago); First Latin manager to win a World Series.

Ht: 6-1 Wt: 167

DOB: November 27, 1978 In: Karvina Czech Republic

First Tennis Memory: “My father, tennis coach in Karvina.”

Inspirations: “My tennis inspiration – I’m taking all my inspiration from somewhere else because I see a lot of great athletes playing well in a higher number of ages. And this is what is inspiring me to do the same in my sport.”

First Famous Tennis Player You Met: “Hmm, good question…Thomas Muster. He was playing an exhibition against Slava Dosedel in Czech Republic, in a town where I lived for a few years. And I think I was 12 or 13, I just had to warm him up for the exhibition. And I was badly nervous [smiles].”

Greatest Sports Moment: “I think, singles-wise, my first title, definitely, in Rotterdam (2006). And winning doubles with Leander in Australian Open. Winning Grand Slam is always a memory which stay with me forever.”

Most Painful Moment: “When I got in 2006 to top ten. I had a great year, I felt on top of my game. And I woke up in the morning and I didn’t feel my right hand. I had a dislocated disk in the neck and couldn’t play tennis for six months.”

Favorite Tournaments: “Grand Slam – Australian Open. Super Nine – Indian Wells. The other – Dubai, Basel.”

Why Do You Love Playing Tennis: “Because I grew up playing tennis, I love the competition. I love the one to one – it’s like in a boxing arena. The one to one – there is no draw. You win or lose. I like that gamble. That’s the only gamble I do in my life – playing tennis. I don’t do gambling in casinos and stuff. I have a passion for tennis. And it’s the thing I know best in my life, so far.”

Which Match Did You Feel Your Very Best: “I think that was the finals of Rotterdam when I won my first title. There I played really good.”

Strangest Match: “Definitely they happen in the Davis Cup, that’s where all the strange things happen. As I remember it was 2007 in Prague when we played against Switzerland when they had on the team Roger Federer and Stan Wawrinka. And I played the final match against Wawrinka at two-all and I was two sets to love up. And suddenly on one of my serves, my knee didn’t hold up. I didn’t know what happened and I had to finish that match really injured. And I don’t know how, I don’t know where it came from, but I was able to close out the match in the third set. And the atmosphere and everything that comes with it was just amazing feeling which I will never forget.”

Three Athletes From Other Sports You Like To Watch: “Jaromir Jagr in hockey. Peter Cech in soccer, he’s goalkeeper for Chelsea. And Tiger Woods in golf.”

Funniest Players Encountered: “I think Gael Monfils is very funny. I used to watch Yannick Noah in the times before, he was a little funny. Mostly the past generation, they were bringing to the game something special, something where the crowd laughed. They brought up some energy with the umpires. It was more of a show which I like.”

Current Car: “BMW.”

Last Book Read: “Pavel Nedved, soccer player of Czech Republic.”