--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I have played professional baseball for…" description: "\"I have played professional baseball for over half my life. From the time I picked up a baseball glove, I did not want to put it down.\" — Bernie Williams" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf5/bernie-williams-52145_baseball_i-have-played-professional-baseball-for_1079956.png" --- # I have played professional baseball for over half my life… ![“I have played professional baseball for over half my life. From the time I picked up a baseball glove, I did not want to put it down.” quote by Bernie Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf5/bernie-williams-52145_baseball_i-have-played-professional-baseball-for_1079956.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf5/bernie-williams-52145_baseball_i-have-played-professional-baseball-for_1079956.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf5/bernie-williams-52145_baseball_i-have-played-professional-baseball-for_1079956.png) > “I have played professional baseball for over half my life. From the time I picked up a baseball glove, I did not want to put it down.” [Bernie Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-williams/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A lifelong passion for baseball drives dedication and perseverance throughout a career. **In simple terms:** Passion fuels long‑term commitment. Key Takeaway Cultivate deep love for your craft. Themes dedication career passion Mood inspirational motivational Type personal career When to use this quote - sports coaching - career planning - personal growth Key Concepts motivation identity skill development Questions to Reflect On - How does love for a sport shape personal identity? - What habits sustain long‑term engagement? A Different Perspective Passion alone may not guarantee success without skill. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Baseball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/baseball/) [Baseball Glove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/baseball-glove-2735865/) [Glove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/glove/) [Glove Did](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/glove-did-2735867/) [Gloves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gloves/) [Half](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/half/) [Picked Baseball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/picked-baseball-2735866/) [Played Professional](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/played-professional-799377/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/) ## Related quotes > [But wherever I was I played baseball. That's all I lived for. When I sat up on the front seat of that covered wagon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/smoky-joe-wood/but-wherever-i-was-i-played-baseball-that-s-all-i-lived-for-when-i/) [Smoky Joe Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/smoky-joe-wood/) > [And my father didn't have money for me to go to college. And at that particular time they didn't have black quarterbacks, and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-mays/and-my-father-didn-t-have-money-for-me-to-go-to-college-and-at-that/) [Willie Mays](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-mays/) > [I was this eggheady kid, the one who was consistently beaten up and picked last for the baseball teams.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-sapolsky/i-was-this-eggheady-kid-the-one-who-was-consistently-beaten-up-and/) [Robert Sapolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-sapolsky/) > [The lost glove is happy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-nabokov/the-lost-glove-is-happy/) [Vladimir Nabokov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-nabokov/) > [A Gold Glove would be one of the things I would really cherish. When I was younger, I was always smaller. I couldn't hit,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-zimmerman/a-gold-glove-would-be-one-of-the-things-i-would-really-cherish-when-i/) [Ryan Zimmerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-zimmerman/) > [When you're in a slump, it's almost as if you look out at the field and it's one big glove.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vance-law/when-you-re-in-a-slump-it-s-almost-as-if-you-look-out-at-the-field/) [Vance Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vance-law/) > [There's no difference between me and you. You need something, a glove, a place to live, you let me know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roberto-clemente/there-s-no-difference-between-me-and-you-you-need-something-a-glove-a/) [Roberto Clemente](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roberto-clemente/) > [He is an old glove, but he looked like the old Glove.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaquille-o-neal/he-is-an-old-glove-but-he-looked-like-the-old-glove/) [Shaquille O'Neal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaquille-o-neal/) > [I'm a big glove hoarder. If I have gloves, I like to hoard them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kyle-schwarber/i-m-a-big-glove-hoarder-if-i-have-gloves-i-like-to-hoard-them/) [Kyle Schwarber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kyle-schwarber/) > [I didn't teach you that. Catch the ball with your glove.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-mays/i-didn-t-teach-you-that-catch-the-ball-with-your-glove/) [Willie Mays](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-mays/) > [I grew up on the softball field. Every day I would take my glove and my bat with me](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yoenis-cespedes/i-grew-up-on-the-softball-field-every-day-i-would-take-my-glove-and/) [Yoenis Cespedes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yoenis-cespedes/) > [As if the world and they were hand and glove.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cowper/as-if-the-world-and-they-were-hand-and-glove/) [William Cowper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cowper/) > [A glove is a very literal looking hand puppet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demetri-martin/a-glove-is-a-very-literal-looking-hand-puppet/) [Demetri Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demetri-martin/) > [I feel like I got a good jump on the ball. I turned my head and picked a spot out to run to. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trot-nixon/i-feel-like-i-got-a-good-jump-on-the-ball-i-turned-my-head-and-picked/) [Trot Nixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trot-nixon/) > [Watch Darren Daulton use his mitt like a glove.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-mccarver/watch-darren-daulton-use-his-mitt-like-a-glove/) [Tim McCarver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-mccarver/) ## More by Bernie Williams > [I had a good run here, fifteen years. That's a great run. I'm not saying that I'm done in center field - if I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-williams/i-had-a-good-run-here-fifteen-years-that-s-a-great-run-i-m-not-saying/) [Bernie Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-williams/) > [My experience over 17 years playing with the Yankees, these are a few of the things that I've learned. You've got to have a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-williams/my-experience-over-17-years-playing-with-the-yankees-these-are-a-few/) [Bernie Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-williams/) > [Don't be afraid to take risks. Make the most of your journey. Make it fun and exciting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-williams/don-t-be-afraid-to-take-risks-make-the-most-of-your-journey-make-it/) [Bernie Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-williams/) > [My job is to make myself available to play to the best of my ability. Mentally, I've got to stay ready to play every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-williams/my-job-is-to-make-myself-available-to-play-to-the-best-of-my-ability/) [Bernie Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-williams/) > [When my Yankee career is over I'll play anywhere, but I'm positive that I'll never find a team quite like the Yankees.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-williams/when-my-yankee-career-is-over-i-ll-play-anywhere-but-i-m-positive/) [Bernie Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-williams/) > [I know the good Lord wouldn't give me any more than I can handle, but I sure wish he wouldn't have so much confidence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-williams/i-know-the-good-lord-wouldn-t-give-me-any-more-than-i-can-handle-but/) [Bernie Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-williams/) [Explore all 7 Bernie Williams quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-williams/) ## More Baseball quotes > [I'd always have grease in at least two places, in case the umpires would ask me to wipe one off. I never wanted to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gaylord-perry/i-d-always-have-grease-in-at-least-two-places-in-case-the-umpires/) [Gaylord Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gaylord-perry/) > [When you're in the middle of a pennant race, you can't go up there thinking about home runs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sammy-sosa/when-you-re-in-the-middle-of-a-pennant-race-you-can-t-go-up-there/) [Sammy Sosa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sammy-sosa/) > [Thinking about the things that happened, I don't know any other ball player would could have done what he (Jackie Robinson) did. To be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pee-wee-reese/thinking-about-the-things-that-happened-i-don-t-know-any-other-ball/) [Pee Wee Reese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pee-wee-reese/) > [Spring training means flowers, people coming outdoors, sunshine, optimism and baseball. Spring training is a time to think about being young again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernie-banks/spring-training-means-flowers-people-coming-outdoors-sunshine/) [Ernie Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernie-banks/) > [Pitchers pitch differently. Hitters, hardly anyone has the same stance. That's just how it is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-zimmerman/pitchers-pitch-differently-hitters-hardly-anyone-has-the-same-stance/) [Ryan Zimmerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-zimmerman/) > [Five World Series rings, 3000-plus hits, the fame, the fortune and playing for the second most historic franchise in baseball... These are just some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mookie-betts/five-world-series-rings-3000-plus-hits-the-fame-the-fortune-and/) [Mookie Betts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mookie-betts/) > [I don't want the electronic strike zone. I like the element of sometimes pitches don't get called. Guys don't receive it well or whatever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kyle-schwarber/i-don-t-want-the-electronic-strike-zone-i-like-the-element-of/) [Kyle Schwarber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kyle-schwarber/) > [I sang the National Anthem at Dodger Stadium - at a baseball game - which was crazy; there was, like, 60,000 people there, which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-devine/i-sang-the-national-anthem-at-dodger-stadium-at-a-baseball-game-which/) [Adam DeVine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-devine/) > [If I was going to make one rule change, I would bring the DH to the National League.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-brett/if-i-was-going-to-make-one-rule-change-i-would-bring-the-dh-to-the/) [George Brett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-brett/) > [In all honesty, once you become a professional, number one, you're no longer a fan. I don't root for the Dodgers, really. I just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vin-scully/in-all-honesty-once-you-become-a-professional-number-one-you-re-no/) [Vin Scully](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vin-scully/) > [I'll tell you what's helped me my entire life. I look at baseball as a game. It's something where people can go out, enjoy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-caray/i-ll-tell-you-what-s-helped-me-my-entire-life-i-look-at-baseball-as-a/) [Harry Caray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-caray/) > [When I step into the batters box. The fans, the noise, the cheers, they all disappear. For that moment, the world is just a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-wollstonecraft-shelley/when-i-step-into-the-batters-box-the-fans-the-noise-the-cheers-they/) [Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-wollstonecraft-shelley/) > [What we should have done is kept the same team that played in the '95 World Series. Those trades (Eddie Murray & Carlos Baerga)…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-belle/what-we-should-have-done-is-kept-the-same-team-that-played-in-the-95/) [Albert Belle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-belle/) > [“I can buy baseball cards to view an entire career on the back of a little square of cardboard. But nobody sells major league…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg-jr/i-can-buy-baseball-cards-to-view-an-entire-career-on-the-back-of-a/) [John Ortberg Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg-jr/) > [The wind always seems to blow against catchers when they are running.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-garagiola/the-wind-always-seems-to-blow-against-catchers-when-they-are-running/) [Joe Garagiola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-garagiola/) [Browse all 7,461 Baseball quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/baseball/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I have played professional baseball for over half my life. 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