--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I did make a choice when I got away from…" description: "\"I did make a choice when I got away from baseball to be there to get my kids off to college.\" — Cal Ripken, Jr" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1d5/cal-ripken-jr-8454_away_i-did-make-a-choice-when-i-got-away-from_1134062.png" --- # I did make a choice when I got away from baseball to be… ![“I did make a choice when I got away from baseball to be there to get my kids off to college.” quote by Cal Ripken, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1d5/cal-ripken-jr-8454_away_i-did-make-a-choice-when-i-got-away-from_1134062.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1d5/cal-ripken-jr-8454_away_i-did-make-a-choice-when-i-got-away-from_1134062.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1d5/cal-ripken-jr-8454_away_i-did-make-a-choice-when-i-got-away-from_1134062.png) > “I did make a choice when I got away from baseball to be there to get my kids off to college.” [Cal Ripken, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-ripken-jr/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Choosing family and education over a sports career reflects prioritizing long‑term values. **In simple terms:** Family and education can outweigh career. Key Takeaway Prioritize lasting fulfillment. Themes family education career choices Mood reflective inspirational Type advice sports When to use this quote - college planning - career changes - parental decisions - retirement planning Key Concepts sports life balance legacy Questions to Reflect On - What values guide your major decisions? - How do you measure success beyond career? A Different Perspective Sacrificing a dream may bring regret. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Baseball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/baseball/) [Choice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choice/) [College](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/college/) [Kids](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kids/) ## Related quotes > [I will never be ok with being someones second choice, got me fucked up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-will-never-be-ok-with-being-someones-second-choice-got-me-fucked-up/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Brandon McCaw is the only person and only man in the world to hit a baseball pitch and make it in the basketball court…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-mccaw/brandon-mccaw-is-the-only-person-and-only-man-in-the-world-to-hit-a/) [Brandon McCaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-mccaw/) > [You want to impact your community, not just in terms of playing baseball, but you can give people a little bit of an inside…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kyle-schwarber/you-want-to-impact-your-community-not-just-in-terms-of-playing/) [Kyle Schwarber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kyle-schwarber/) > [During the season I really don't do anything else but play baseball. I've never wanted to get away from baseball for a break. Why…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darin-erstad/during-the-season-i-really-don-t-do-anything-else-but-play-baseball-i/) [Darin Erstad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darin-erstad/) > [“It’s not always a good idea, digging around in the past,” he said. “I done that once. I went to see the girl who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-berg/it-s-not-always-a-good-idea-digging-around-in-the-past-he-said-i-done/) [Elizabeth Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-berg/) > [I should've never let her go, I should've begged her to stay, she was the one that got away...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jake-owen/i-should-ve-never-let-her-go-i-should-ve-begged-her-to-stay-she-was/) [Jake Owen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jake-owen/) > [My parents were so relaxed by the time I was growing up that I got away with a lot more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rose-byrne/my-parents-were-so-relaxed-by-the-time-i-was-growing-up-that-i-got/) [Rose Byrne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rose-byrne/) > [Summer after high school when we first met We make-out in your Mustang to Radiohead And on my 18th Birthday We got matching tattoos…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katy-perry/summer-after-high-school-when-we-first-met-we-make-out-in-your/) [Katy Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katy-perry/) > [Of all the butterflies that chose to stay, I’m in love with the one that got away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-miller/of-all-the-butterflies-that-chose-to-stay-i-m-in-love-with-the-one/) [Laura Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-miller/) > [I got everything; I got nothing. If they take you away from me. I'm your medicine. Make you better when all your hopes start…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-fresh/i-got-everything-i-got-nothing-if-they-take-you-away-from-me-i-m-your/) [Aaron Fresh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-fresh/) > [“Though I never really had you…. … to me you will always be the one that got away.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ranata-suzuki/though-i-never-really-had-you-to-me-you-will-always-be-the-one-that/) [Ranata Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ranata-suzuki/) > [I know you want me back. It's time to face the facts. That I'm the one that's got away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beyonce/i-know-you-want-me-back-it-s-time-to-face-the-facts-that-i-m-the-one/) [Beyonce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beyonce/) > [I was an opportunist and got away with things because I was very young, but I went to prison and came out and remade…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-abagnale/i-was-an-opportunist-and-got-away-with-things-because-i-was-very/) [Frank Abagnale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-abagnale/) > [For one moment I thought you were the you, but then I saw how big of a jerk you really were , but I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelsey-dumont/for-one-moment-i-thought-you-were-the-you-but-then-i-saw-how-big-of-a/) Kelsey Dumont > [I had such a crazy life. How I got away with it, I don't know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jake-lamotta/i-had-such-a-crazy-life-how-i-got-away-with-it-i-don-t-know/) [Jake LaMotta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jake-lamotta/) ## More by Cal Ripken, Jr > [Whether it was Little League or playing with your brothers or sisters, that was always a problem. If I would lose - because I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-ripken-jr/whether-it-was-little-league-or-playing-with-your-brothers-or-sisters/) [Cal Ripken, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-ripken-jr/) > [I lived the baseball life as a kid, with my dad in it. And I lived the baseball life as an adult, because I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-ripken-jr/i-lived-the-baseball-life-as-a-kid-with-my-dad-in-it-and-i-lived-the/) [Cal Ripken, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-ripken-jr/) > [I've been asked to interview for many managing jobs, and I never said yes because I was never serious about it, and I thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-ripken-jr/i-ve-been-asked-to-interview-for-many-managing-jobs-and-i-never-said/) [Cal Ripken, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-ripken-jr/) > [You could be a kid for as long as you want when you play baseball.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-ripken-jr/you-could-be-a-kid-for-as-long-as-you-want-when-you-play-baseball/) [Cal Ripken, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-ripken-jr/) > [You don't project yourself in the Hall of Fame as a player. It's only during that five-year period where people start asking about it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-ripken-jr/you-don-t-project-yourself-in-the-hall-of-fame-as-a-player-it-s-only/) [Cal Ripken, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-ripken-jr/) > [I never understood that when I heard people retire - they said they missed being around the guys. I don't have a need to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-ripken-jr/i-never-understood-that-when-i-heard-people-retire-they-said-they/) [Cal Ripken, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-ripken-jr/) > [I take pride in the fact that you are able to make some good contributions to the sport at certain times.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-ripken-jr/i-take-pride-in-the-fact-that-you-are-able-to-make-some-good/) [Cal Ripken, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-ripken-jr/) > [Your job as a baseball player is to come to the park ready to play every day, and the manager, it's his job to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-ripken-jr/your-job-as-a-baseball-player-is-to-come-to-the-park-ready-to-play/) [Cal Ripken, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-ripken-jr/) > [I'd like to be remembered. I'd like to think that someday two guys will be talking in a bar and one of them will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-ripken-jr/i-d-like-to-be-remembered-i-d-like-to-think-that-someday-two-guys/) [Cal Ripken, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-ripken-jr/) > [You learn as a player not to listen to the criticism. Many of the people who put out that criticism might not be as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-ripken-jr/you-learn-as-a-player-not-to-listen-to-the-criticism-many-of-the/) [Cal Ripken, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-ripken-jr/) > [The reality is that players can't play forever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-ripken-jr/the-reality-is-that-players-can-t-play-forever/) [Cal Ripken, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-ripken-jr/) > [I think Nick Markakis is a perennial All-Star, and nobody knows about him. I think people are learning about how good he is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-ripken-jr/i-think-nick-markakis-is-a-perennial-all-star-and-nobody-knows-about/) [Cal Ripken, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-ripken-jr/) > [There are so many great moments in Yankee Stadium. There is nothing better or no better place better to compete when you are good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-ripken-jr/there-are-so-many-great-moments-in-yankee-stadium-there-is-nothing/) [Cal Ripken, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-ripken-jr/) > [Ultimately, at the end of the day, you couldn't say you were better than the other person because you knew you had a secret.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-ripken-jr/ultimately-at-the-end-of-the-day-you-couldn-t-say-you-were-better/) [Cal Ripken, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-ripken-jr/) > [Different styles work for different guys... If you can handle shortstop and hit, teams will find a way to pencil you into the lineup.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-ripken-jr/different-styles-work-for-different-guys-if-you-can-handle-shortstop/) [Cal Ripken, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-ripken-jr/) [Explore all 80 Cal Ripken, Jr quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-ripken-jr/) ## More Away quotes > [I once told someone I could act. They totally bought it. I've been getting away with it ever since.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/akshay-kumar/i-once-told-someone-i-could-act-they-totally-bought-it-i-ve-been/) [Akshay Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/akshay-kumar/) > [I don't like being away from home. That's one reason why I don't work as much as I used to \[when I started my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-powell/i-don-t-like-being-away-from-home-that-s-one-reason-why-i-don-t-work/) [Jane Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-powell/) > [Some shows just go away - and that's fine. They serve their purpose and their entertainment value, but there are shows that touch people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-cudlitz/some-shows-just-go-away-and-that-s-fine-they-serve-their-purpose-and/) [Michael Cudlitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-cudlitz/) > [You just say the word, and I'll make the rest of the world go away. I'll take you someplace safe, where no one else…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-vincent/you-just-say-the-word-and-i-ll-make-the-rest-of-the-world-go-away-i/) [Rachel Vincent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-vincent/) > [Who wants a stylus. You have to get em and put em away, and you lose em. Yuck. Nobody wants a stylus.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/who-wants-a-stylus-you-have-to-get-em-and-put-em-away-and-you-lose-em/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [I just think my own ambition would not allow me to sit on the gifts that my creator had given me. And so that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janelle-monae/i-just-think-my-own-ambition-would-not-allow-me-to-sit-on-the-gifts/) [Janelle Monae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janelle-monae/) > [Beauty fades away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/beauty-fades-away/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You can't kind of take away, you either do or you don't. If you kind of take away something you're a failure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-guare/you-can-t-kind-of-take-away-you-either-do-or-you-don-t-if-you-kind-of/) [John Guare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-guare/) > [We never think that our mothers will die. It was like suddenly an abyss opened at my feet - I was standing on nothing.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-okri/we-never-think-that-our-mothers-will-die-it-was-like-suddenly-an/) [Ben Okri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-okri/) > [We all have time away from football to get our head down. At the same time it is a very busy schedule.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reece-james/we-all-have-time-away-from-football-to-get-our-head-down-at-the-same/) [Reece James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reece-james/) > [If you take away the predators in the prairies and the national parks, you suddenly have an explosion of elk, and then you have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-benchley/if-you-take-away-the-predators-in-the-prairies-and-the-national-parks/) [Peter Benchley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-benchley/) > [“Please don't go away. You--you matter. To me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-caine/please-don-t-go-away-you-you-matter-to-me/) [Rachel Caine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-caine/) > [Our world is drowning in a sea of self-centeredness. You can make yourself quite unique right away by leaving this ocean of selfishness and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bytheway/our-world-is-drowning-in-a-sea-of-self-centeredness-you-can-make/) [John Bytheway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bytheway/) > [“Why is it," she asked, snuggling closer, "that I so often imagine myself running away and running free?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-balogh/why-is-it-she-asked-snuggling-closer-that-i-so-often-imagine-myself/) [Mary Balogh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-balogh/) > [I do spend a lot of weekends on the road. I have to pace myself. It can be pretty busy, but I'm not out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-sinise/i-do-spend-a-lot-of-weekends-on-the-road-i-have-to-pace-myself-it-can/) [Gary Sinise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-sinise/) Browse all 4,933 Away quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I did make a choice when I got away from baseball to be there to get my kids off to college.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Cal Ripken, Jr" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-ripken-jr/i-did-make-a-choice-when-i-got-away-from-baseball-to-be-there-to-get/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Away" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-ripken-jr/i-did-make-a-choice-when-i-got-away-from-baseball-to-be-there-to-get/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1d5/cal-ripken-jr-8454_away_i-did-make-a-choice-when-i-got-away-from_1134062.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1d5/cal-ripken-jr-8454_away_i-did-make-a-choice-when-i-got-away-from_1134062.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1d5/cal-ripken-jr-8454_away_i-did-make-a-choice-when-i-got-away-from_1134062.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I did make a choice when I got away from baseball to be there to get my kids off to college.” — Cal Ripken, Jr", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Cal Ripken, Jr", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-ripken-jr/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I did make a choice when...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-ripken-jr/i-did-make-a-choice-when-i-got-away-from-baseball-to-be-there-to-get/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-ripken-jr/i-did-make-a-choice-when-i-got-away-from-baseball-to-be-there-to-get/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```