--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I didn't fully realize it then, but that…" description: "\"I didn't fully realize it then, but that was the thing I was most trying to earn playing baseball. Not money. Not glory... Love.\" — Joe Pepitone" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2c7/joe-pepitone-86700_baseball_i-didn-t-fully-realize-it-then-but-that_1571602.jpg" --- # I didn't fully realize it then, but that was the thing I… ![“I didn't fully realize it then, but that was the thing I was most trying to earn playing baseball. Not money. Not glory... Love.” quote by Joe Pepitone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2c7/joe-pepitone-86700_baseball_i-didn-t-fully-realize-it-then-but-that_1571602.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2c7/joe-pepitone-86700_baseball_i-didn-t-fully-realize-it-then-but-that_1571602.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2c7/joe-pepitone-86700_baseball_i-didn-t-fully-realize-it-then-but-that_1571602.jpg) > “I didn't fully realize it then, but that was the thing I was most trying to earn playing baseball. Not money. Not glory... Love.” [Joe Pepitone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-pepitone/) ## 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 discovers that the true reward of playing baseball was love, not material or fame. **In simple terms:** Baseball taught him love was the real prize. Key Takeaway Seek love over fame. Themes love purpose sports self‑discovery Mood reflective inspired Type motivational philosophical When to use this quote - team dynamics - personal growth - coaching - community building Key Concepts intrinsic motivation identity emotional fulfillment Questions to Reflect On - What does love look like in your work? - How can you prioritize love over external rewards? A Different Perspective Love may be hard to measure and can be overlooked in competitive environments. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Baseball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/baseball/) [Baseball Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/baseball-money-2246128/) [Earn Playing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/earn-playing-4887840/) [Glory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/glory/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Money Glory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money-glory-2459689/) [Playing baseball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/playing-baseball/) [Realizing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/realizing/) [Trying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trying/) [Trying Earn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trying-earn-1384126/) ## Related quotes > [You earn playing time on the practice floor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-laettner/you-earn-playing-time-on-the-practice-floor/) [Christian Laettner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-laettner/) > [Be motivated by something beyond simply money or glory.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-manson/be-motivated-by-something-beyond-simply-money-or-glory/) [Mark Manson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-manson/) > [I don't play baseball for money; I play for love of the game.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chipper-jones/i-don-t-play-baseball-for-money-i-play-for-love-of-the-game/) [Chipper Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chipper-jones/) > [I have been poor and money doesn't make any importance to me. I won't let all the money and glory go to my head.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronaldo/i-have-been-poor-and-money-doesn-t-make-any-importance-to-me-i-won-t/) [Ronaldo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronaldo/) > [Baseball has all the money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brett-hull/baseball-has-all-the-money/) [Brett Hull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brett-hull/) > [To me, the way I look at every spring training and every time I'm out there, I'm trying to earn a job.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-acuna-jr/to-me-the-way-i-look-at-every-spring-training-and-every-time-i-m-out/) [Ronald Acuna Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-acuna-jr/) > [I'm trying to earn a living in the way that is most enjoyable to me. I love the world of literature, and I hope…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamaica-kincaid/i-m-trying-to-earn-a-living-in-the-way-that-is-most-enjoyable-to-me-i/) [Jamaica Kincaid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamaica-kincaid/) > [That's my mentality. I'm trying to earn my job, keep my job, whatever it is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-acuna-jr/that-s-my-mentality-i-m-trying-to-earn-my-job-keep-my-job-whatever-it/) [Ronald Acuna Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-acuna-jr/) > [The secret of my success is that I make other people money. And, never, ever, be ashamed about trying to earn as much as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-cowell/the-secret-of-my-success-is-that-i-make-other-people-money-and-never/) [Simon Cowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-cowell/) > [It's hard to take a stand. Most people are just trying to earn a living, take care of their families, give their kids a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dolmayan/it-s-hard-to-take-a-stand-most-people-are-just-trying-to-earn-a/) [John Dolmayan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dolmayan/) > [Modern man is frantically trying to earn enough to buy things he's too busy to enjoy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-a-clark/modern-man-is-frantically-trying-to-earn-enough-to-buy-things-he-s/) [Frank A. Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-a-clark/) > [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/) > [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/) > [Pro-rated at 500 at-bats a year that means that for two years out of the fourteen I played, I never even touched the ball.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norm-cash/pro-rated-at-500-at-bats-a-year-that-means-that-for-two-years-out-of/) [Norm Cash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norm-cash/) > [Back in East St. Louis, tennis wasn't the real thing. If you weren't playing baseball, basketball, football, you were kind of on the outside.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-connors/back-in-east-st-louis-tennis-wasn-t-the-real-thing-if-you-weren-t/) [Jimmy Connors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-connors/) ## More by Joe Pepitone > [I never refused autograph seekers, unless they were old enough to look like collection agents.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-pepitone/i-never-refused-autograph-seekers-unless-they-were-old-enough-to-look/) [Joe Pepitone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-pepitone/) > [Jesus Christ. If he can play, I got to play, too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-pepitone/jesus-christ-if-he-can-play-i-got-to-play-too/) [Joe Pepitone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-pepitone/) [Explore all 3 Joe Pepitone quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-pepitone/) ## 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 didn't fully realize it then, but that was the thing I was most trying to earn playing baseball. Not money. Not glory... 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