--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I was for a short time on the baseball…" description: "\"I was for a short time on the baseball team as shortstop, where I was no good.\" — Herbert Hoover" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/341/herbert-hoover-1115_baseball_i-was-for-a-short-time-on-the-baseball-t_1454731.jpg" --- # I was for a short time on the baseball team as shortstop… ![“I was for a short time on the baseball team as shortstop, where I was no good.” quote by Herbert Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/341/herbert-hoover-1115_baseball_i-was-for-a-short-time-on-the-baseball-t_1454731.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/341/herbert-hoover-1115_baseball_i-was-for-a-short-time-on-the-baseball-t_1454731.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/341/herbert-hoover-1115_baseball_i-was-for-a-short-time-on-the-baseball-t_1454731.jpg) > “I was for a short time on the baseball team as shortstop, where I was no good.” [Herbert Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-hoover/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He briefly played shortstop but lacked skill, highlighting a mismatch between role and ability. **In simple terms:** He was bad at shortstop. Key Takeaway Recognize when a role doesn't fit your strengths. Themes self-awareness humility career Mood reflective humorous Type personal anecdote lesson When to use this quote - sports team - career decisions - self-evaluation Key Concepts personal fit skill mismatch Questions to Reflect On - What role could better suit your talents? - How can you leverage this experience? A Different Perspective Even short attempts teach valuable lessons. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Baseball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/baseball/) [Baseball team](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/baseball-team/) [Shortstops](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shortstops/) [Team](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/team/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [I was for a short time on the baseball team as shortstop, where I was not so good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-hoover/i-was-for-a-short-time-on-the-baseball-team-as-shortstop-where-i-was/) [Herbert Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-hoover/) > [You should have seen Willie Wells play shortstop: as good as Ozzie Smith and a better hitter. How I wish people could have seen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monte-irvin/you-should-have-seen-willie-wells-play-shortstop-as-good-as-ozzie/) [Monte Irvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/monte-irvin/) > [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/) > [I always wanted to be a shortstop so I could play more often!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-abbott/i-always-wanted-to-be-a-shortstop-so-i-could-play-more-often/) [Jim Abbott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-abbott/) > [I liked playing with David Eckstein (former Angels shortstop). I'm not talking about players with top skills, I'm sure there were players with way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bengie-molina/i-liked-playing-with-david-eckstein-former-angels-shortstop-i-m-not/) [Bengie Molina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bengie-molina/) > [He can run, steal bases, throw, hit for average, and hit with power like I've never seen. Just don't put him at shortstop.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mickey-mantle/he-can-run-steal-bases-throw-hit-for-average-and-hit-with-power-like/) [Mickey Mantle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mickey-mantle/) > [You've just got to keep playing hard. You have to remember that you are not just playing for the Twins. There are other teams…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-bartlett/you-ve-just-got-to-keep-playing-hard-you-have-to-remember-that-you/) Jason Bartlett > [If the shortstop makes an error, I am responsible. I let the batter hit the ball.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pedro-martinez/if-the-shortstop-makes-an-error-i-am-responsible-i-let-the-batter-hit/) [Pedro Martinez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pedro-martinez/) > [You are recognized by your bat. If you are the best hitting shortstop out there, that's how you win a Gold Glove. That's the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-rollins/you-are-recognized-by-your-bat-if-you-are-the-best-hitting-shortstop/) [Jimmy Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-rollins/) > [The shortstop is a perfectly conditioned athlete. You're running out on relays all the time. You're covering second base. On every pitch, you're moving.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-boudreau/the-shortstop-is-a-perfectly-conditioned-athlete-you-re-running-out/) [Lou Boudreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-boudreau/) > [I feel a lot more comfortable at shortstop, but it's no problem, I'll move to make room.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-reyes/i-feel-a-lot-more-comfortable-at-shortstop-but-it-s-no-problem-i-ll/) [Jose Reyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-reyes/) > [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/) > [What is the top requirement for a second baseman? A fine shortstop. I am fortunate in having the greatest shortstop in baseball, Luis Aparicio.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nellie-fox/what-is-the-top-requirement-for-a-second-baseman-a-fine-shortstop-i/) [Nellie Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nellie-fox/) > [In my opinion, I've had the greatest job in the world. I got a chance to be the shortstop for the New York Yankees,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derek-jeter/in-my-opinion-i-ve-had-the-greatest-job-in-the-world-i-got-a-chance/) [Derek Jeter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derek-jeter/) > [Playing shortstop is 75 to 80 percent anticipation, knowing the hitter and the pitch being thrown.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-boudreau/playing-shortstop-is-75-to-80-percent-anticipation-knowing-the-hitter/) [Lou Boudreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-boudreau/) ## More by Herbert Hoover > [While the crash only took place six months ago, I am convinced we have now passed the worst, and with continued unity of effort,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-hoover/while-the-crash-only-took-place-six-months-ago-i-am-convinced-we-have/) [Herbert Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-hoover/) > [Fishing is a constant reminder of the democracy of life, of humility, and of human frailty. The forces of nature discriminate for no man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-hoover/fishing-is-a-constant-reminder-of-the-democracy-of-life-of-humility/) [Herbert Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-hoover/) > [It is a great profession. There is the fascination of watching a figment of the imagination emerge through the aid of science to a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-hoover/it-is-a-great-profession-there-is-the-fascination-of-watching-a/) [Herbert Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-hoover/) > [The human animal originally came from out-of-doors. When spring begins to move in his bones, he just must get out again. Moreover, as civilization,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-hoover/the-human-animal-originally-came-from-out-of-doors-when-spring-begins/) [Herbert Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-hoover/) > [“No one ever listened themselves out of a job.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-hoover/no-one-ever-listened-themselves-out-of-a-job/) [Herbert Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-hoover/) > [Somebody has inquired as to whether I will be going to the opening baseball game. I hope to have that pleasure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-hoover/somebody-has-inquired-as-to-whether-i-will-be-going-to-the-opening/) [Herbert Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-hoover/) > [It is always possible that occasional individuals may have overstepped the law and humanity in treatment of criminals and those charged with crime, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-hoover/it-is-always-possible-that-occasional-individuals-may-have/) [Herbert Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-hoover/) > [One of the primary necessities of the world for the maintenance of peace is the elimination of the frictions which arise from competitive armament.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-hoover/one-of-the-primary-necessities-of-the-world-for-the-maintenance-of/) [Herbert Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-hoover/) > [Man is still by instinct a predatory animal given to devilish aggression. The discoveries of science have immensely increased productivity of material things. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-hoover/man-is-still-by-instinct-a-predatory-animal-given-to-devilish/) [Herbert Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-hoover/) > [You convey too great a compliment when you say that I have earned the right to the presidential nomination. No man can establish such…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-hoover/you-convey-too-great-a-compliment-when-you-say-that-i-have-earned-the/) [Herbert Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-hoover/) > [“Leadership cannot be created synthetically. Men must be what they were made by the Almighty or the American people will find them out in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-hoover/leadership-cannot-be-created-synthetically-men-must-be-what-they-were/) [Herbert Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-hoover/) > [When we are sick, we want an uncommon doctor; when we have a construction job to do, we want an uncommon engineer, and when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-hoover/when-we-are-sick-we-want-an-uncommon-doctor-when-we-have-a/) [Herbert Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-hoover/) > [My boyhood ambition was to be able to earn my own living, without the help of anybody, anywhere,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-hoover/my-boyhood-ambition-was-to-be-able-to-earn-my-own-living-without-the/) [Herbert Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-hoover/) > [If America is to be run by the people, it is the people who must think. And we do not need to put on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-hoover/if-america-is-to-be-run-by-the-people-it-is-the-people-who-must-think/) [Herbert Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-hoover/) > [The New Deal repudiation of democracy has left the Republican Party alone the guardian of the Ark of the Covenant with its charter of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-hoover/the-new-deal-repudiation-of-democracy-has-left-the-republican-party/) [Herbert Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-hoover/) [Explore all 290 Herbert Hoover quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-hoover/) ## 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 & 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 was for a short time on the baseball team as shortstop, where I was no good.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Herbert Hoover" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-hoover/i-was-for-a-short-time-on-the-baseball-team-as-shortstop-where-i-was-2/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Baseball" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-hoover/i-was-for-a-short-time-on-the-baseball-team-as-shortstop-where-i-was-2/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/341/herbert-hoover-1115_baseball_i-was-for-a-short-time-on-the-baseball-t_1454731.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/341/herbert-hoover-1115_baseball_i-was-for-a-short-time-on-the-baseball-t_1454731.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/341/herbert-hoover-1115_baseball_i-was-for-a-short-time-on-the-baseball-t_1454731.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I was for a short time on the baseball team as shortstop, where I was no good.” — Herbert Hoover", "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": "Herbert Hoover", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-hoover/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I was for a short time...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-hoover/i-was-for-a-short-time-on-the-baseball-team-as-shortstop-where-i-was-2/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-hoover/i-was-for-a-short-time-on-the-baseball-team-as-shortstop-where-i-was-2/#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 } } ] } ```