---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I've played for teams that were…"
description: "\"I've played for teams that were family-oriented organizations. They made you feel like family. The Yankees are strictly a business. Baseball is your li..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/684/gary-sheffield-22413_baseball_i-ve-played-for-teams-that-were-family-o_1458413.jpg"
---

#  I've played for teams that were family-oriented…

![“I've played for teams that were family-oriented organizations. They made you feel like family. The Yankees are strictly a business. Baseball is your life and everything else is secondary.” quote by Gary Sheffield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/684/gary-sheffield-22413_baseball_i-ve-played-for-teams-that-were-family-o_1458413.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/684/gary-sheffield-22413_baseball_i-ve-played-for-teams-that-were-family-o_1458413.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/684/gary-sheffield-22413_baseball_i-ve-played-for-teams-that-were-family-o_1458413.jpg)

> “I've played for teams that were family-oriented organizations. They made you feel like family. The Yankees are strictly a business. Baseball is your life and everything else is secondary.”

[Gary Sheffield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-sheffield/)

## About This Quote

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

Some baseball teams foster a family atmosphere, while others treat players as business assets, making personal life secondary.

**In simple terms:** Family‑like teams feel supportive; business‑like teams prioritize profit over personal life.

Key Takeaway

Seek environments that align with your values.

Themes

team culture family business personal fulfillment

Mood

reflective thoughtful

Type

career philosophical

When to use this quote

- team selection
- contract negotiations
- career planning
- leadership decisions

Key Concepts

organizational behavior sports management work‑life balance

Questions to Reflect On

- Do you thrive in a family or corporate setting?
- How can you maintain personal identity in a profit‑driven environment?

A Different Perspective

Business‑focused teams may neglect player well‑being.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Baseball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/baseball/) [Baseball life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/baseball-life/) [Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) [Business Baseball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business-baseball-576301/) [Else](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/else/) [Everything](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/everything/) [Family](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/family/) [Family Yankees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/family-yankees-5262004/) [Feel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feel/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Like](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like/) [Made](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/made/) [Organizations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/organizations/) [Played](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/played/) [Secondary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/secondary/) [Strictly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strictly/) [Teams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/teams/) [Teams Family](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/teams-family-3843893/) [Were](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/were/) [Yankees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/yankees/) [You](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/you/) [Your](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/your/)

## Related quotes

> [Black Market, like a lot of teams, is a family for me. Just guys that I grew up with that I trust and would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jd-era/black-market-like-a-lot-of-teams-is-a-family-for-me-just-guys-that-i/)

[JD Era](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jd-era/)

> [Not only do African students deserve excellent universities, they deserve good elementary and secondary schools, too - and then, to have access to ongoing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-attias/not-only-do-african-students-deserve-excellent-universities-they/)

[Richard Attias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-attias/)

> [I've got a wife, four kids, a business, and a baseball career.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/curt-schilling/i-ve-got-a-wife-four-kids-a-business-and-a-baseball-career/)

[Curt Schilling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/curt-schilling/)

> [In business, as in baseball, the prizes go most often to the organizations that pursue their objective hard and relentlessly every day of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-feather/in-business-as-in-baseball-the-prizes-go-most-often-to-the/)

[William Feather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-feather/)

> [No matter how much technology changes scouting, no matter how much free agency and big TV contracts change the business of baseball, I hope…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-gillick/no-matter-how-much-technology-changes-scouting-no-matter-how-much/)

[Pat Gillick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-gillick/)

> [I understand business and understand the ugly face of baseball, which is the business part of baseball.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pedro-martinez/i-understand-business-and-understand-the-ugly-face-of-baseball-which/)

[Pedro Martinez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pedro-martinez/)

> [Baseball is my life, the only thing I know and can talk about. My only interest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rogers-hornsby/baseball-is-my-life-the-only-thing-i-know-and-can-talk-about-my-only/)

[Rogers Hornsby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rogers-hornsby/)

> [It ain't like football. You can't make up no trick plays.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yogi-berra/it-ain-t-like-football-you-can-t-make-up-no-trick-plays/)

[Yogi Berra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yogi-berra/)

> [No, I've never played baseball in my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-hernandez/no-i-ve-never-played-baseball-in-my-life/)

[Jay Hernandez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-hernandez/)

> [Praise the name of baseball. The word will set captives free. The word will open the eyes of the blind. The word will raise…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-p-kinsella/praise-the-name-of-baseball-the-word-will-set-captives-free-the-word/)

[W. P. Kinsella](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-p-kinsella/)

> [The Atlanta Braves are really all that our children know about this crazy baseball life, and we are so thankful for this upbringing for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-hudson/the-atlanta-braves-are-really-all-that-our-children-know-about-this/)

[Tim Hudson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-hudson/)

> [Playing baseball is not real life. It's a fantasy world... It's a dream come true.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-murphy/playing-baseball-is-not-real-life-it-s-a-fantasy-world-it-s-a-dream/)

[Dale Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-murphy/)

> [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 always dreamed of making it in baseball, but life has moved pretty quickly for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-trout/i-always-dreamed-of-making-it-in-baseball-but-life-has-moved-pretty/)

[Mike Trout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-trout/)

> [There are three things in my life which I really love: God, my family, and baseball. The only problem - once baseball season starts,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/there-are-three-things-in-my-life-which-i-really-love-god-my-family/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

## More by Gary Sheffield

> [I don't trust that many people. Just my mother and my wife and a couple of friends. When I trust people, it doesn't end…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-sheffield/i-don-t-trust-that-many-people-just-my-mother-and-my-wife-and-a/)

[Gary Sheffield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-sheffield/)

> [If you're equally good as this Latin player, guess who's going to get sent home? I know a lot of players that are home…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-sheffield/if-you-re-equally-good-as-this-latin-player-guess-who-s-going-to-get/)

[Gary Sheffield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-sheffield/)

> [When you challenge me, I like my chances in a fistfight. On the field, I use the same approach. I'm going to win. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-sheffield/when-you-challenge-me-i-like-my-chances-in-a-fistfight-on-the-field-i/)

[Gary Sheffield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-sheffield/)

> [“Interestingly, relatively few of my correspondents were of the variety familiar to most authors, the users of block capitals and red ink.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-sheffield/interestingly-relatively-few-of-my-correspondents-were-of-the-variety/)

[Gary Sheffield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-sheffield/)

> [If I'm coming in at 4:00 in the morning and my kids have been in bed since 8:00, 9:00, that's not setting a good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-sheffield/if-i-m-coming-in-at-4-00-in-the-morning-and-my-kids-have-been-in-bed/)

[Gary Sheffield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-sheffield/)

> [In L.A., wives can fly on the plane; with the Yankees, they can't. With other teams, the wives always have functions to bring them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-sheffield/in-l-a-wives-can-fly-on-the-plane-with-the-yankees-they-can-t-with/)

[Gary Sheffield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-sheffield/)

> [The owners have the right to pay you whatever they want to. They don't have to pay you if they don't want to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-sheffield/the-owners-have-the-right-to-pay-you-whatever-they-want-to-they-don-t/)

[Gary Sheffield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-sheffield/)

> [I had no interest in steroids. I didn't need them, and I didn't want them. I never wanted them. From the get-go, I've frequently…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-sheffield/i-had-no-interest-in-steroids-i-didn-t-need-them-and-i-didn-t-want/)

[Gary Sheffield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-sheffield/)

> [I wanted to retire after I played for the Mets. My family said wait one year, that there was no need to rush it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-sheffield/i-wanted-to-retire-after-i-played-for-the-mets-my-family-said-wait/)

[Gary Sheffield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-sheffield/)

> [“with the centenary of 1914 rapidly approaching it is high time to stop regarding the first world war as current affairs and douglas haig…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-sheffield/with-the-centenary-of-1914-rapidly-approaching-it-is-high-time-to/)

[Gary Sheffield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-sheffield/)

> [Regardless of what you're searching, you ain't gonna find it until you include God. Because, if you have a problem with women, drugs, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-sheffield/regardless-of-what-you-re-searching-you-ain-t-gonna-find-it-until-you/)

[Gary Sheffield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-sheffield/)

> [I tell myself every offseason I'm not going to say anything crazy. I'm just going to have a peaceful season... Can't do it. I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-sheffield/i-tell-myself-every-offseason-i-m-not-going-to-say-anything-crazy-i-m/)

[Gary Sheffield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-sheffield/)

> [I am sure it will be mentioned and debated but from my standpoint I know who is in the Hall of Fame. A lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-sheffield/i-am-sure-it-will-be-mentioned-and-debated-but-from-my-standpoint-i/)

[Gary Sheffield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-sheffield/)

> [Well, everybody is trying to make this a money thing. If you send me to another team, let's see what I ask for. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-sheffield/well-everybody-is-trying-to-make-this-a-money-thing-if-you-send-me-to/)

[Gary Sheffield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-sheffield/)

> [I thought I knew there was a God. I always acknowledged that, but at the same time, I didn't live by those laws.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-sheffield/i-thought-i-knew-there-was-a-god-i-always-acknowledged-that-but-at/)

[Gary Sheffield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-sheffield/)

[Explore all 27 Gary Sheffield quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-sheffield/)

## 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": "I've played for teams that were family-oriented organizations. They made you feel like family. The Yankees are strictly a business. Baseball is your life and everything else is secondary.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Gary Sheffield"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-sheffield/i-ve-played-for-teams-that-were-family-oriented-organizations-they/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Baseball"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-sheffield/i-ve-played-for-teams-that-were-family-oriented-organizations-they/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/684/gary-sheffield-22413_baseball_i-ve-played-for-teams-that-were-family-o_1458413.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/684/gary-sheffield-22413_baseball_i-ve-played-for-teams-that-were-family-o_1458413.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/684/gary-sheffield-22413_baseball_i-ve-played-for-teams-that-were-family-o_1458413.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I've played for teams that were family-oriented organizations. They made you feel like family. The Yankees…” — Gary Sheffield",
                "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": "Gary Sheffield",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-sheffield/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I've played for teams that were...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-sheffield/i-ve-played-for-teams-that-were-family-oriented-organizations-they/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-sheffield/i-ve-played-for-teams-that-were-family-oriented-organizations-they/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
