--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I'm not a player who beats his own drum." description: "\"I'm not a player who beats his own drum.\" — Ken Griffey Jr" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c76/ken-griffey-jr-6592_beats_i-m-not-a-player-who-beats-his-own-drum_2800558.png" --- # I'm not a player who beats his own drum. ![“I'm not a player who beats his own drum.” quote by Ken Griffey Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c76/ken-griffey-jr-6592_beats_i-m-not-a-player-who-beats-his-own-drum_2800558.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c76/ken-griffey-jr-6592_beats_i-m-not-a-player-who-beats-his-own-drum_2800558.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c76/ken-griffey-jr-6592_beats_i-m-not-a-player-who-beats-his-own-drum_2800558.png) > “I'm not a player who beats his own drum.” [Ken Griffey Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-griffey-jr/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He refuses to act selfishly for personal gain, preferring teamwork over self‑promotion. **In simple terms:** Avoid selfishness; help others. Key Takeaway Prioritize teamwork over self‑promotion. Themes teamwork humility integrity Mood reflective inspirational Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - team sports - leadership - community projects - volunteer work Key Concepts self‑interest ego collaboration Questions to Reflect On - How can you support others without losing personal goals? - What does humility look like in your field? A Different Perspective May be misinterpreted as lack of ambition. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet ## Related quotes > [Portishead's production is just insane beats you would expect to be on a KRS-One album. But then there's this little white girl with an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anders-holm/portishead-s-production-is-just-insane-beats-you-would-expect-to-be/) [Anders Holm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anders-holm/) > [Ourchestra: So you haven't got a drum, just beat your belly. So I haven't got a horn-I'll play my nose. So we haven't any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shel-silverstein/ourchestra-so-you-haven-t-got-a-drum-just-beat-your-belly-so-i-haven/) [Shel Silverstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shel-silverstein/) > [It's interesting. I've known quite a few good athletes that can't begin to play a beat on the drum set. Most team sport is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-peart/it-s-interesting-i-ve-known-quite-a-few-good-athletes-that-can-t/) [Neil Peart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-peart/) > [I was the first artist, I think, to ever do an all-keyboard album. There were things that resembled it, like Stevie Wonder. A lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-wright/i-was-the-first-artist-i-think-to-ever-do-an-all-keyboard-album-there/) [Gary Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-wright/) > [A lot of amateurs are terrified of going up against a player who is clearly better than they are. They never play their best,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fuzzy-zoeller/a-lot-of-amateurs-are-terrified-of-going-up-against-a-player-who-is/) [Fuzzy Zoeller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fuzzy-zoeller/) > [Imagine if you were a drummer, and you accidentally picked up two magic wands instead of sticks. There you are, keeping the beat, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-hedberg/imagine-if-you-were-a-drummer-and-you-accidentally-picked-up-two/) [Mitch Hedberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-hedberg/) > [Mark my words, Michael Van Gerwen will knock Phil Taylor off his perch one day and be the best darts player on the planet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-bristow/mark-my-words-michael-van-gerwen-will-knock-phil-taylor-off-his-perch/) [Eric Bristow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-bristow/) > [I tell you one you straight off in Scotland - Nick de Luca. I don't see his name quoted, but I've played against Nick…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-o-driscoll/i-tell-you-one-you-straight-off-in-scotland-nick-de-luca-i-don-t-see/) [Brian O'Driscoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-o-driscoll/) > [I try to drum each day. It's therapeutic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-chippendale/i-try-to-drum-each-day-it-s-therapeutic/) [Brian Chippendale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-chippendale/) > [I can kind of play the piano and I've got a drum kit which I've been meaning to learn. And I am going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rhod-gilbert/i-can-kind-of-play-the-piano-and-i-ve-got-a-drum-kit-which-i-ve-been/) [Rhod Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rhod-gilbert/) > [“What I Will by Suheir Hammad I will not dance to your war drum. I will not lend my soul nor my bones to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suheir-hammad/what-i-will-by-suheir-hammad-i-will-not-dance-to-your-war-drum-i-will/) [Suheir Hammad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suheir-hammad/) > [The evocative power of the drum can be compared to the Trinity. The drum's frame comes from the trunk of a tree, and that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/babatunde-olatunji/the-evocative-power-of-the-drum-can-be-compared-to-the-trinity-the/) [Babatunde Olatunji](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/babatunde-olatunji/) > [I feel like, with drum programming, the way I used to do it, I'd think of how somebody would play these drum patterns and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tycho/i-feel-like-with-drum-programming-the-way-i-used-to-do-it-i-d-think/) [Tycho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tycho/) > [The great issue of life is to harness the drum major instinct.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/the-great-issue-of-life-is-to-harness-the-drum-major-instinct/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [There is no music unless the drum and the drummer are one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-e-cummings/there-is-no-music-unless-the-drum-and-the-drummer-are-one/) [e. e. cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-e-cummings/) ## More by Ken Griffey Jr > [I was just putting way too much pressure on myself. I was just trying to get that validation from my dad. It got so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-griffey-jr/i-was-just-putting-way-too-much-pressure-on-myself-i-was-just-trying/) [Ken Griffey Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-griffey-jr/) > [I get a little tired of people telling me what might have been. I think I've done OK. I don't dwell on what might…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-griffey-jr/i-get-a-little-tired-of-people-telling-me-what-might-have-been-i/) [Ken Griffey Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-griffey-jr/) > [There are more second-, third-, fourth-, fifth- and so on in the big leagues than first-round picks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-griffey-jr/there-are-more-second-third-fourth-fifth-and-so-on-in-the-big-leagues/) [Ken Griffey Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-griffey-jr/) > [Kids always think about being the MVP.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-griffey-jr/kids-always-think-about-being-the-mvp/) [Ken Griffey Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-griffey-jr/) > [I put up O.K. numbers - not Bugs Bunny-style numbers like some other guys - but O.K. numbers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-griffey-jr/i-put-up-o-k-numbers-not-bugs-bunny-style-numbers-like-some-other/) [Ken Griffey Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-griffey-jr/) > [If you hit .200 and you win or .300 and you win, it's all the same. Just so you win.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-griffey-jr/if-you-hit-200-and-you-win-or-300-and-you-win-it-s-all-the-same-just/) [Ken Griffey Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-griffey-jr/) > [I grew up in baseball, so I know how hard it is to not have a dad around to see sporting events and stuff…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-griffey-jr/i-grew-up-in-baseball-so-i-know-how-hard-it-is-to-not-have-a-dad/) [Ken Griffey Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-griffey-jr/) > [I didn't start playing golf until '94, when the strike cut the season short. Never having played as a kid definitely makes it a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-griffey-jr/i-didn-t-start-playing-golf-until-94-when-the-strike-cut-the-season/) [Ken Griffey Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-griffey-jr/) > [Out of my 22 years, I've learned that only one team will treat you the best, and that's your first team.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-griffey-jr/out-of-my-22-years-i-ve-learned-that-only-one-team-will-treat-you-the/) [Ken Griffey Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-griffey-jr/) > [I can't help it if I make things look easy that some people think are difficult.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-griffey-jr/i-can-t-help-it-if-i-make-things-look-easy-that-some-people-think-are/) [Ken Griffey Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-griffey-jr/) > [I think that it takes one person in the household to be a baseball fan for people to love baseball. And if you don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-griffey-jr/i-think-that-it-takes-one-person-in-the-household-to-be-a-baseball/) [Ken Griffey Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-griffey-jr/) > [The Hall of Fame is pretty good at preparation and getting you ready for what to expect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-griffey-jr/the-hall-of-fame-is-pretty-good-at-preparation-and-getting-you-ready/) [Ken Griffey Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-griffey-jr/) > [Just because I made it look easy doesn't mean that it was and you don't work hard and become a Hall of Famer without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-griffey-jr/just-because-i-made-it-look-easy-doesn-t-mean-that-it-was-and-you-don/) [Ken Griffey Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-griffey-jr/) > [The NFL and NBA has done a better job than we have in showing the fun side of the sport, having people talk about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-griffey-jr/the-nfl-and-nba-has-done-a-better-job-than-we-have-in-showing-the-fun/) [Ken Griffey Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-griffey-jr/) > [I'm in a Catch-22. If I don't go after a ball, I'm lazy, I'm not giving it 100 percent. If I do dive for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-griffey-jr/i-m-in-a-catch-22-if-i-don-t-go-after-a-ball-i-m-lazy-i-m-not-giving/) [Ken Griffey Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-griffey-jr/) [Explore all 98 Ken Griffey Jr quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-griffey-jr/) ## More Beats quotes > [Histories never conclude; they just pause their prose. Their stories are, if they are truthful, untidy affairs, resistant to windings-up and sortings-out. They beat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-schama/histories-never-conclude-they-just-pause-their-prose-their-stories/) [Simon Schama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-schama/) > [So many things beat upon us in a lifetime that simply enduring may seem almost beyond us… But the test a loving God has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-b-eyring/so-many-things-beat-upon-us-in-a-lifetime-that-simply-enduring-may/) [Henry B. Eyring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-b-eyring/) > [The Beat Generation, that was a vision that we had, John Clellon Holmes and I, and Allen Ginsberg in an even wilder way, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/the-beat-generation-that-was-a-vision-that-we-had-john-clellon-holmes/) [Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/) > [Certainly these are not easy times. But history does not contain very many easy times. Years from now, we will look back at this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-ingraham/certainly-these-are-not-easy-times-but-history-does-not-contain-very/) [Laura Ingraham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-ingraham/) > [I usually write from the rhythm section...If a drummer got a funky beat on some things - like a half-shuffle or a shuffle or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miles-davis/i-usually-write-from-the-rhythm-section-if-a-drummer-got-a-funky-beat/) [Miles Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miles-davis/) > [If you don't like club beats take a HIT OF E and you will love the music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mccarty/if-you-don-t-like-club-beats-take-a-hit-of-e-and-you-will-love-the/) [Kevin McCarty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mccarty/) > [Every pitcher can beat you, it doesn't matter how good you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-bonds/every-pitcher-can-beat-you-it-doesn-t-matter-how-good-you-are/) [Barry Bonds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-bonds/) > [Only two to three per cent of an audience is interested in words and pays attention to lyrics; most of the rest of it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-stewart/only-two-to-three-per-cent-of-an-audience-is-interested-in-words-and/) [Al Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-stewart/) > [Joel Lane documents a life we don’t quite live, in a city we can’t quite find: half glimpsed and half imagined, we know it’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chaz-brenchley/joel-lane-documents-a-life-we-don-t-quite-live-in-a-city-we-can-t/) Chaz Brenchley > [Practice to beat the best.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-bennett/practice-to-beat-the-best/) [Dick Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-bennett/) > [I don't know about the rest of the world, but I know in our region everyone is gunning to beat us. We have a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/landon-donovan/i-don-t-know-about-the-rest-of-the-world-but-i-know-in-our-region/) [Landon Donovan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/landon-donovan/) > [Grand business plans are all very well, but nothing beats dipping your toe in the water.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baron-bilimoria-karan-bilimoria/grand-business-plans-are-all-very-well-but-nothing-beats-dipping-your/) Baron Bilimoria Karan Bilimoria > [Let a man who has to make his fortune in life remember this maxim: Attacking is the only secret. Dare and the world yields,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/let-a-man-who-has-to-make-his-fortune-in-life-remember-this-maxim/) [William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) > [Imagine if you were a drummer, and you accidentally picked up two magic wands instead of sticks. There you are, keeping the beat, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-hedberg/imagine-if-you-were-a-drummer-and-you-accidentally-picked-up-two/) [Mitch Hedberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-hedberg/) > [I don't like small birds. They hop around so merrily outside my window, looking so innocent. but I know that secretly, they're watching my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-don-t-like-small-birds-they-hop-around-so-merrily-outside-my-window/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) Browse all 3,311 Beats quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I'm not a player who beats his own drum.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ken Griffey Jr" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-griffey-jr/i-m-not-a-player-who-beats-his-own-drum/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Beats" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-griffey-jr/i-m-not-a-player-who-beats-his-own-drum/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c76/ken-griffey-jr-6592_beats_i-m-not-a-player-who-beats-his-own-drum_2800558.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c76/ken-griffey-jr-6592_beats_i-m-not-a-player-who-beats-his-own-drum_2800558.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c76/ken-griffey-jr-6592_beats_i-m-not-a-player-who-beats-his-own-drum_2800558.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I'm not a player who beats his own drum.” — Ken Griffey Jr", "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": "Ken Griffey Jr", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-griffey-jr/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I'm not a player who beats...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-griffey-jr/i-m-not-a-player-who-beats-his-own-drum/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-griffey-jr/i-m-not-a-player-who-beats-his-own-drum/#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 } } ] } ```