Joe's Question #1: On August 23rd, 1983 you got your 2000th career hit. What was that great moment like for you?

Mr. Otis's Answer: Well, I'm trying to think back now, that's almost 20 years ago. When I think back on it, it was the ultimate high because I was trying to get it for about a week. Everything I hit seemed to go right at everybody. By the time I got it, it was like getting a big gorilla off my back.

Joe's Question #2: On September 7th, 1971 you had four hits and five stolen bases and scored the winning run against my Milwaukee Brewers. What do you remember about that great game?

Mr. Otis's Answer: That was probably my greatest thrill in baseball. That morning I went to the ballpark I got four hits. Stole five bases, (against your Milwaukee Brewers). I felt like I had nine hits because everytime I turned around I was on base or running on base. It didn't matter who came out there pitching that day, I had an idea of what they were doing and I was stealing the bases.
The last one came off of Kenny Sanders (Brewer reliefer at the time). Darrell Porter (the Brewer catcher that day) threw it into leftfield, I ended up stealing third and scoring the winning run.
Everybody in the media tried to blame Darrell Porter but I told them the next day that everything happened because of the pitcher. I stole of the pitcher and not one time did I steal off Darrell Porter.

Joe's Question #3: In the 1980 World Series you hit .478 with three Home Runs, seven RBI and 11 hits. Even though the Royals lost you had a great series. What was that experience like for you?

Mr. Otis's Answer: The World Series for me started off even better from the get go, because I was the 16th person to hit a home run in his first World series at bat. I hit it off of Bob Walk. I hit a slider into the leftfield bullpen. I was the 16th player to do that in the first at bat. Then to go on and have such a great series with the Home Runs and the RBI, and hitting in clutch situations. Everything was looking great but the Phillies came back on us a few times and that was a downer. I though we should have won. We were leading practically every game that we played in.
MVP went to Mike Schmidt because they give it to a player on the wining team. I thought I should have got it or Willie Aikens should have got it.

Joe's Question #4: Of all the great things about your career, (the 1980 World Series, being a five time All-Star, three Gold Gloves, 341 Stolen Bases), what are the things that you are most proud of?

Mr. Otis's Answer: In any sport that you play you always want to be known as a complete ball player. I player that can beat you in more than one way. I could beat you with my legs or my bat. That's what everybody wants to be remembered for.
But you talk about the stolen bases, I stole 341 but what most people don't realize is that I only had 410 attempts. In a running situation if the game was close I stole a base, that's how I did it. I had a teammate Freddy Patek did the same thing. No knock against Rickey Henderson but I never stole a base if the score was four to nothing.
Then the other thing that sticks out is the trade from the New York Mets to Kansas City. Because if I would have stayed there I don't think I would have had the career that I had in Kansas City. New York was a little to fast for me. I was from the south and Kansas City, and the Midwest, was more laid back like Alabama was. So I fit right in.