You talked about being a goal-oriented person. After that first year, which may very well have been the greatest rookie season in professional sports, was there pressure on you to continue to play at that level?

Yes, there was. I had such a good first year, making the cover of Sports Illustrated and all, and then I started to hear the stuff about a sophomore slump and the jinx of being on the cover of the magazine. I said that it wasn’t going to happen to me.

It was mentioned somewhere that I might be a flash-in-the-pan. I was determined to prove that I wasn’t a flash-in-the-pan and that I wasn’t jinxed by Sports Illustrated. I think I proved both. There was probably more pressure from myself than anyone else.

For being a good competitor; as being one of the greatest players in the history of the game, but also one of the friendliest. Watching pro athletes over the years, I’ve seen where some of them have not been so nice. That disturbed me as I was growing up and it still disturbs me. I want to be remembered by those who watch me play as a nice person.

You recently attended a Detroit-Boston series in Boston to watch Ray play. Is this common? What creative ways do the two of you have to intermesh your schedules?

I don’t go on many road trips during the season. When I was pregnant, I did. Otherwise, when he’s traveling, we’re (Nancy and her daughters) traveling.

My scheduled changed because I decided not to play Atlantic City. The Boston trip was a time for us to be by ourselves, which is something we don’t get to do too often. We feel guilty leaving our children, but we have a great nanny, someone to love them while we’re gone. Still, it’s very hard to leave my kids. I didn’t stay for the whole series.

Ray had a day off during that series and we went shopping and talked all day. It seemed like we never have enough time to talk; we’re always getting interrupted. We didn’t get interrupted there and it was great.

Our schedules are difficult. We end up sliding around a lot. For instance, Ray might come in on a one-day-off situation, fly in and fly right back out. I haven’t had much of a chance this year to see him at all. This has been the worst year for us, and it’s hard. I dread being away for so long, and not seeing him, but he understands. Because of the year I’m having, trying to be No. 1 (on the money list). I’ve got to play for five weeks in a row.