Getting beat down

Xavier Nady, who played for the Pirates from 2006 to 2008:

When you first got here, what was the most eye-opening aspect of playing with the Yankees?

"For me, it's just the tradition of winning. And in the city, there's a lot of emphasis on winning. When you throw on that Yankees uniform, you're expected to play the game right. Coming from different organizations like Pittsburgh, it was just kind of like, over and over getting beat down. When I came over to Yankee Stadium, it was just an honor to put on that uniform. It was a dream come true."

Ouch. Full interview, by Marc Carig for the New Jersey Star-Ledger, here.