--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I never understood that when I heard…" description: "\"I never understood that when I heard people retire - they said they missed being around the guys. I don't have a need to make a play in the ninth innin..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7a2/cal-ripken-jr-8454_anymore_i-never-understood-that-when-i-heard-peo_149954.png" --- # I never understood that when I heard people retire - they… ![“I never understood that when I heard people retire - they said they missed being around the guys. I don't have a need to make a play in the ninth inning of a game anymore. But being on the inside and being part of a team is something that you really do value and you really do miss.” quote by Cal Ripken, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7a2/cal-ripken-jr-8454_anymore_i-never-understood-that-when-i-heard-peo_149954.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7a2/cal-ripken-jr-8454_anymore_i-never-understood-that-when-i-heard-peo_149954.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7a2/cal-ripken-jr-8454_anymore_i-never-understood-that-when-i-heard-peo_149954.png) > “I never understood that when I heard people retire - they said they missed being around the guys. I don't have a need to make a play in the ninth inning of a game anymore. But being on the inside and being part of a team is something that you really do value and you really do miss.” [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. Retirement reveals a longing for teamwork and camaraderie, highlighting the deep value placed on belonging and shared purpose. **In simple terms:** Missing team spirit after retirement. Key Takeaway Seek community and shared goals. Themes teamwork loneliness identity Mood reflective hopeful Type advice inspirational When to use this quote - career transitions - mental health - leadership Key Concepts sports retirement social bonds Questions to Reflect On - How can retirees maintain a sense of belonging? - What activities replace team camaraderie? A Different Perspective Finding new purpose can be difficult after leaving a team. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Baseball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/baseball/) [Being](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being/) [Game](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/game/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) [Team](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/team/) [Value](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/value/) ## Related quotes > [Make sure you value the outs. You get 27 in a nine-inning game. Each out is very important.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-cora/make-sure-you-value-the-outs-you-get-27-in-a-nine-inning-game-each/) [Alex Cora](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-cora/) > [I threw so hard (after striking out Art Fletcher & Doc Crandall in the 9th inning of Game 1 of the 1912 World Series)…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/smoky-joe-wood/i-threw-so-hard-after-striking-out-art-fletcher-doc-crandall-in-the/) [Smoky Joe Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/smoky-joe-wood/) > [If you are a reliever, you get one inning per game or if you are a starter you get one game per week. There…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-gostkowski/if-you-are-a-reliever-you-get-one-inning-per-game-or-if-you-are-a/) [Stephen Gostkowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-gostkowski/) > [Baseball is great because anything can happen through the ninth inning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-m-nixon/baseball-is-great-because-anything-can-happen-through-the-ninth-inning/) [Richard M. Nixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-m-nixon/) > [You never know when you're going to throw a no-hitter or if you're ever going to get the chance to do it. It's one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-lester/you-never-know-when-you-re-going-to-throw-a-no-hitter-or-if-you-re/) [Jon Lester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-lester/) > [It's never over. You don't want to be in the position to be down four runs in the ninth inning, but it's not over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derek-jeter/it-s-never-over-you-don-t-want-to-be-in-the-position-to-be-down-four/) [Derek Jeter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derek-jeter/) > [I've missed you guys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toilet-bowl/i-ve-missed-you-guys/) Toilet Bowl > [If I meant that I missed Bochy and Hunter, it's the guys I'd been joking around with most. Hunter is like my brother, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-sandoval/if-i-meant-that-i-missed-bochy-and-hunter-it-s-the-guys-i-d-been/) [Pablo Sandoval](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-sandoval/) > [I want to retire, when it's all said and done, as one of the greats.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jinder-mahal/i-want-to-retire-when-it-s-all-said-and-done-as-one-of-the-greats/) [Jinder Mahal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jinder-mahal/) > [Everybody asks me, 'Lee when did you know it was time to retire?' I said, 'when they quit asking me to coach.' After the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-corso/everybody-asks-me-lee-when-did-you-know-it-was-time-to-retire-i-said/) [Lee Corso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-corso/) > [A friend of mine asked me a question at the end of 2015. We were going over my finances and setting things up for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prince-fielder/a-friend-of-mine-asked-me-a-question-at-the-end-of-2015-we-were-going/) [Prince Fielder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prince-fielder/) > [After that, I came back every year. Everyone said, 'Well, when you retire you can move there.' But I said, 'Why should I live…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-goodkind/after-that-i-came-back-every-year-everyone-said-well-when-you-retire/) [Terry Goodkind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-goodkind/) > [If you'd said to me when I was 21, 'You're going to get into parliament, be a senior minister of state, shadow health secretary,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-widdecombe/if-you-d-said-to-me-when-i-was-21-you-re-going-to-get-into-parliament/) [Ann Widdecombe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-widdecombe/) > [I tell people all day who say 'When you going to retire?' I said I never found the word retirement in the Bible, so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-dibiase-sr/i-tell-people-all-day-who-say-when-you-going-to-retire-i-said-i-never/) [Ted DiBiase Sr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-dibiase-sr/) > [I remember sitting down with the Rockets and saying, 'Yeah. I'm going to retire.' They said, 'Well, we'll give you $9 million.' And I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-barkley/i-remember-sitting-down-with-the-rockets-and-saying-yeah-i-m-going-to/) [Charles Barkley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-barkley/) ## 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 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/) > [Even though my dad was a manager in the minor leagues, I still traveled around with him and saw it from the field out.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-ripken-jr/even-though-my-dad-was-a-manager-in-the-minor-leagues-i-still/) [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 Anymore quotes > [What I do miss that I don't get anymore? You're going to think I'm crazy, but you want the truth, so here it is.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-mandrell/what-i-do-miss-that-i-don-t-get-anymore-you-re-going-to-think-i-m/) [Barbara Mandrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-mandrell/) > [When you can't dunk anymore, you have to find a way to make it into the news.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manu-ginobili/when-you-can-t-dunk-anymore-you-have-to-find-a-way-to-make-it-into/) [Manu Ginobili](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manu-ginobili/) > [My life had been defined by the apartheid years. Now we were going into an era of democracy... and I believed that I didn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/athol-fugard/my-life-had-been-defined-by-the-apartheid-years-now-we-were-going/) [Athol Fugard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/athol-fugard/) > [There needs to be some regime that is overseeing access to broadband to make sure we have openess; otherwise, there is a risk it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vint-cerf/there-needs-to-be-some-regime-that-is-overseeing-access-to-broadband/) [Vint Cerf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vint-cerf/) > [“I don’t know who she is anymore, or who she was, but I need to find her”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/i-don-t-know-who-she-is-anymore-or-who-she-was-but-i-need-to-find-her/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [I'm not in the movie business anymore, and hardly any 70 year olds are. I always ask the producers: 'Are there no 70-year old…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-dennehy/i-m-not-in-the-movie-business-anymore-and-hardly-any-70-year-olds-are/) [Brian Dennehy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-dennehy/) > [“I don't have much anymore, but I'll give you everything I got.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kendall-grey/i-don-t-have-much-anymore-but-i-ll-give-you-everything-i-got/) [Kendall Grey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kendall-grey/) > [I don't really write songs anymore.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-vernon/i-don-t-really-write-songs-anymore/) [Justin Vernon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-vernon/) > [I don't need to prove anything in that ring anymore. I've done all that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diamond-dallas-page/i-don-t-need-to-prove-anything-in-that-ring-anymore-i-ve-done-all-that/) [Diamond Dallas Page](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diamond-dallas-page/) > [Time starts out as a notion. But after you turn fifty, time is not a notion anymore but a fact that you start feeling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/time-starts-out-as-a-notion-but-after-you-turn-fifty-time-is-not-a/) [Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/) > [Some days, I think maybe we should try and be a little more conventional, but every time I try, I fail, so I'm learning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seinabo-sey/some-days-i-think-maybe-we-should-try-and-be-a-little-more/) [Seinabo Sey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seinabo-sey/) > [Every year, you have to keep adjusting. I'm 28; I'm not 19 anymore. You have to work harder now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felix-hernandez/every-year-you-have-to-keep-adjusting-i-m-28-i-m-not-19-anymore-you/) [Felix Hernandez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felix-hernandez/) > [“Let go of those thoughts that do not serve you anymore.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debasish-mridha/let-go-of-those-thoughts-that-do-not-serve-you-anymore/) [Debasish Mridha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debasish-mridha/) > [“Always fight until you can't anymore, and then be fought for...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerose/always-fight-until-you-can-t-anymore-and-then-be-fought-for/) [Jerose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerose/) > [It's just madness. First email. Then instant message. Then MySpace. Then Facebook. Then LinkedIn. Then Twitter. It's not enough anymore to 'Just do it.'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mckinnon/it-s-just-madness-first-email-then-instant-message-then-myspace-then/) [Mark McKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mckinnon/) Browse all 1,192 Anymore quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I never understood that when I heard people retire - they said they missed being around the guys. I don't have a need to make a play in the ninth inning of a game anymore. 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