--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: One day he [Wagner] was batting against a…" description: "\"One day he [Wagner] was batting against a young pitcher who had just come into the league. The catcher was a kid, too . The pitcher threw Honus a curve..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c43/burleigh-grimes-53660_back-and-forth_one-day-he-wagner-was-batting-against-a_191761.jpg" --- # One day he \[Wagner\] was batting against a young pitcher… ![“One day he [Wagner] was batting against a young pitcher who had just come into the league. The catcher was a kid, too . The pitcher threw Honus a curve ball, and he swung at it and missed and fell down. Looked helpless as a robin. I was kind of surprised, but the guy sitting next to me poked me in…” quote by Burleigh Grimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c43/burleigh-grimes-53660_back-and-forth_one-day-he-wagner-was-batting-against-a_191761.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c43/burleigh-grimes-53660_back-and-forth_one-day-he-wagner-was-batting-against-a_191761.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c43/burleigh-grimes-53660_back-and-forth_one-day-he-wagner-was-batting-against-a_191761.jpg) > “One day he \[Wagner\] was batting against a young pitcher who had just come into the league. The catcher was a kid, too . The pitcher threw Honus a curve ball, and he swung at it and missed and fell down. Looked helpless as a robin. I was kind of surprised, but the guy sitting next to me poked me in the ribs and said, 'Watch this next one.' Those kids figured they had the old man's weakness, you see, and served him up the same dish - as he knew they would. Well, Honus hit a line drive so hard the fence in left field went back and forth for five minutes.” [Burleigh Grimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/burleigh-grimes/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A veteran player was underestimated because of a perceived weakness, but he turned it into a spectacular success. **In simple terms:** Experience can surprise opponents. Key Takeaway Expect the unexpected from seasoned talent. Themes sports experience underestimation resilience Mood surprised admiring Type anecdotal inspirational When to use this quote - game moments - coaching advice - team dynamics Key Concepts baseball strategy psychology of competition Questions to Reflect On - How can experience be leveraged against stereotypes? - What does this teach about judging abilities? A Different Perspective Assumes weakness always leads to easy advantage. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Baseball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/baseball/) [Batting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/batting/) [Kids](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kids/) [Left field](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/left-field/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Old man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/old-man/) [Robins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/robins/) [Weakness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/weakness/) ## Related quotes > [My song titles are always left-field or mean a lot to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/westside-gunn/my-song-titles-are-always-left-field-or-mean-a-lot-to-me/) [Westside Gunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/westside-gunn/) > [It's almost weirder sometimes when you don't have a full life experience with someone's ups and downs, knowing what they've been through. 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Not me, I was a real bastard when I played.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/burleigh-grimes/why-is-it-there-are-so-many-nice-guys-interested-in-baseball-not-me-i/) [Burleigh Grimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/burleigh-grimes/) > [I saw a lot of good hitters but I never saw a better one than Paul Waner. I mean I once threw a side…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/burleigh-grimes/i-saw-a-lot-of-good-hitters-but-i-never-saw-a-better-one-than-paul/) [Burleigh Grimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/burleigh-grimes/) > [The oldest pitcher acquires confidence in his ballclub - he doesn't try to do it all himself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/burleigh-grimes/the-oldest-pitcher-acquires-confidence-in-his-ballclub-he-doesn-t-try/) [Burleigh Grimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/burleigh-grimes/) > [I may have got (Paul) Waner out, but I never fooled him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/burleigh-grimes/i-may-have-got-paul-waner-out-but-i-never-fooled-him/) [Burleigh Grimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/burleigh-grimes/) > [The older pitcher acquires confidence in his ballclub. 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The catcher was a kid, too . The pitcher threw Honus a curve ball, and he swung at it and missed and fell down. Looked helpless as a robin. I was kind of surprised, but the guy sitting next to me poked me in the ribs and said, 'Watch this next one.' Those kids figured they had the old man's weakness, you see, and served him up the same dish - as he knew they would. 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