---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Actually, I wanted to play baseball…"
description: "\"Actually, I wanted to play baseball. Honestly, I just think with a kid developing, playing a lot of sports, it's just kind of whatever you're good at.\"..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd7/chris-long-5847_baseball_actually-i-wanted-to-play-baseball-hones_1835196.jpg"
---

#  Actually, I wanted to play baseball. Honestly, I just…

![“Actually, I wanted to play baseball. Honestly, I just think with a kid developing, playing a lot of sports, it's just kind of whatever you're good at.” quote by Chris Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd7/chris-long-5847_baseball_actually-i-wanted-to-play-baseball-hones_1835196.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd7/chris-long-5847_baseball_actually-i-wanted-to-play-baseball-hones_1835196.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd7/chris-long-5847_baseball_actually-i-wanted-to-play-baseball-hones_1835196.jpg)

> “Actually, I wanted to play baseball. Honestly, I just think with a kid developing, playing a lot of sports, it's just kind of whatever you're good at.”

[Chris Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-long/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The speaker reflects on a child's sports choices, emphasizing natural talent and personal preference.

**In simple terms:** Kids often gravitate toward sports they enjoy and excel at.

Key Takeaway

Support children's interests and strengths.

Themes

sports child development personal choice talent

Mood

encouraging reflective

Type

parental motivational

When to use this quote

- school sports
- recreational leagues
- family discussions

Key Concepts

self-discovery skill development

Questions to Reflect On

- How can parents balance guidance and freedom?
- What role does fun play in skill growth?

A Different Perspective

Pressure to specialize early can limit exploration.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Baseball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/baseball/) [Baseball Honestly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/baseball-honestly-2305679/) [Developing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/developing/) [Developing Playing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/developing-playing-2305680/) [Good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good/) [Kid Developing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kid-developing-2305681/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) [Play baseball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play-baseball/) [Sports](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sports/) [Wanted Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wanted-play/)

## Related quotes

> [People asking my teammates, 'Is Arrieta a guy who'd try to cheat the system?' Honestly, hearing that kind of stuff come from some of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jake-arrieta/people-asking-my-teammates-is-arrieta-a-guy-who-d-try-to-cheat-the/)

[Jake Arrieta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jake-arrieta/)

> [I wanted to play baseball ever since I was 5 years old.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allan-ray/i-wanted-to-play-baseball-ever-since-i-was-5-years-old/)

[Allan Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allan-ray/)

> [I always wanted to play baseball and join the circus. Now I have both.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graig-nettles/i-always-wanted-to-play-baseball-and-join-the-circus-now-i-have-both/)

[Graig Nettles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/graig-nettles/)

> [I wanted to play baseball!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kareem-abdul-jabbar/i-wanted-to-play-baseball/)

[Kareem Abdul-Jabbar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kareem-abdul-jabbar/)

> [I just wanted to play baseball because I liked baseball. I never was giving up on football.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-flacco/i-just-wanted-to-play-baseball-because-i-liked-baseball-i-never-was/)

[Joe Flacco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-flacco/)

> [The A's are a reason I wanted to play baseball.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-semien/the-a-s-are-a-reason-i-wanted-to-play-baseball/)

[Marcus Semien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-semien/)

> [I was a hyper kid, so I didn't want to play baseball and wait for the ball to come to me. I wanted to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-larkin/i-was-a-hyper-kid-so-i-didn-t-want-to-play-baseball-and-wait-for-the/)

[Shane Larkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-larkin/)

> [I was a baseball fan myself, I wanted to play baseball.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kareem-abdul-jabbar/i-was-a-baseball-fan-myself-i-wanted-to-play-baseball/)

[Kareem Abdul-Jabbar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kareem-abdul-jabbar/)

> [To be able to play baseball for those nine innings in front of a major league crowd is a special privilege.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-teixeira/to-be-able-to-play-baseball-for-those-nine-innings-in-front-of-a/)

[Mark Teixeira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-teixeira/)

> [For me, I take a lot of pride in that, and we take a lot of pride in that, being able to play baseball.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trea-turner/for-me-i-take-a-lot-of-pride-in-that-and-we-take-a-lot-of-pride-in/)

[Trea Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trea-turner/)

> [I don't play baseball first. I put Christ first in my life. I put my family behind Him and I put baseball down the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-teixeira/i-don-t-play-baseball-first-i-put-christ-first-in-my-life-i-put-my/)

[Mark Teixeira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-teixeira/)

> [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/)

> [I knew that I was a gay boy fairly early; what was interesting to me was that my mother didn't know. She made me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nate-berkus/i-knew-that-i-was-a-gay-boy-fairly-early-what-was-interesting-to-me/)

[Nate Berkus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nate-berkus/)

> [I have to play baseball to make me happy. I have to be an athlete. But when it's all said and done, I'll be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rickey-henderson/i-have-to-play-baseball-to-make-me-happy-i-have-to-be-an-athlete-but/)

[Rickey Henderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rickey-henderson/)

> [I was the first person in my family to play baseball.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-yelich/i-was-the-first-person-in-my-family-to-play-baseball/)

[Christian Yelich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-yelich/)

## More by Chris Long

> [My mother has been really instrumental in raising a lot of money through the Boys &amp; Girls Club in my hometown.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-long/my-mother-has-been-really-instrumental-in-raising-a-lot-of-money/)

[Chris Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-long/)

> [I'm a big guy and I can't have any tiny tattoos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-long/i-m-a-big-guy-and-i-can-t-have-any-tiny-tattoos/)

[Chris Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-long/)

> [Before I was a champion, I failed, and I was afraid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-long/before-i-was-a-champion-i-failed-and-i-was-afraid/)

[Chris Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-long/)

> [I came to Philly not only because of the quality of the team and the organization, but also the fans, the passion - it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-long/i-came-to-philly-not-only-because-of-the-quality-of-the-team-and-the/)

[Chris Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-long/)

> [I don't think football is enough for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-long/i-don-t-think-football-is-enough-for-me/)

[Chris Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-long/)

> [My dad was able to give me everything through football.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-long/my-dad-was-able-to-give-me-everything-through-football/)

[Chris Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-long/)

> [I've been through nine camps, and they're all a little bit different, but at the end of the day, it's just football.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-long/i-ve-been-through-nine-camps-and-they-re-all-a-little-bit-different/)

[Chris Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-long/)

> [I've been lucky, man. I've been very lucky for 10 years, made a lot of money playing a game, a kids' game.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-long/i-ve-been-lucky-man-i-ve-been-very-lucky-for-10-years-made-a-lot-of/)

[Chris Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-long/)

> [I love Philadelphia.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-long/i-love-philadelphia/)

[Chris Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-long/)

> [When I grew up, I had everything you could ask for, and I kind of didn't appreciate it. Because it was a given for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-long/when-i-grew-up-i-had-everything-you-could-ask-for-and-i-kind-of-didn/)

[Chris Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-long/)

> [In my career playing football, nobody asked me to do as much as Bill Belichick did.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-long/in-my-career-playing-football-nobody-asked-me-to-do-as-much-as-bill/)

[Chris Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-long/)

> [It's a team game, but at the end of the day, you gotta be happy, and you gotta enjoy playing football every day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-long/it-s-a-team-game-but-at-the-end-of-the-day-you-gotta-be-happy-and-you/)

[Chris Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-long/)

> [I've heard a lot of people say you need white athletes to get involved in the anthem protests. I've said before I'll never kneel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-long/i-ve-heard-a-lot-of-people-say-you-need-white-athletes-to-get/)

[Chris Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-long/)

> [Educational equity was my way of giving my salary. It's not $10 million or anything. I'm not going to act like I'm the first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-long/educational-equity-was-my-way-of-giving-my-salary-it-s-not-10-million/)

[Chris Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-long/)

> [This is a wonderful country, and I think everyone agrees on that, but there are things in our country that can improve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-long/this-is-a-wonderful-country-and-i-think-everyone-agrees-on-that-but/)

[Chris Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-long/)

[Explore all 100 Chris Long quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-long/)

## 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 &amp; 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": "Actually, I wanted to play baseball. Honestly, I just think with a kid developing, playing a lot of sports, it's just kind of whatever you're good at.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Chris Long"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-long/actually-i-wanted-to-play-baseball-honestly-i-just-think-with-a-kid/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Baseball"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-long/actually-i-wanted-to-play-baseball-honestly-i-just-think-with-a-kid/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd7/chris-long-5847_baseball_actually-i-wanted-to-play-baseball-hones_1835196.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd7/chris-long-5847_baseball_actually-i-wanted-to-play-baseball-hones_1835196.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd7/chris-long-5847_baseball_actually-i-wanted-to-play-baseball-hones_1835196.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Actually, I wanted to play baseball. Honestly, I just think with a kid developing, playing a lot of sports…” — Chris Long",
                "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": "Chris Long",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-long/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Actually, I wanted to play baseball....",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-long/actually-i-wanted-to-play-baseball-honestly-i-just-think-with-a-kid/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-long/actually-i-wanted-to-play-baseball-honestly-i-just-think-with-a-kid/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
