--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The more success I had growing up, the…" description: "\"The more success I had growing up, the more I heard about Sandy Koufax in the Jewish community. Growing up in Los Angeles and being left-handed, eventu..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/297/max-fried-6017_community_the-more-success-i-had-growing-up-the-mo_1266828.jpg" --- # The more success I had growing up, the more I heard about… ![“The more success I had growing up, the more I heard about Sandy Koufax in the Jewish community. Growing up in Los Angeles and being left-handed, eventually I started idolizing him. Obviously, he was before my time. But I always strived to follow him.” quote by Max Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/297/max-fried-6017_community_the-more-success-i-had-growing-up-the-mo_1266828.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/297/max-fried-6017_community_the-more-success-i-had-growing-up-the-mo_1266828.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/297/max-fried-6017_community_the-more-success-i-had-growing-up-the-mo_1266828.jpg) > “The more success I had growing up, the more I heard about Sandy Koufax in the Jewish community. Growing up in Los Angeles and being left-handed, eventually I started idolizing him. Obviously, he was before my time. But I always strived to follow him.” [Max Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-fried/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Idolizing past greats can inspire personal ambition, especially when shared traits create a relatable role model. **In simple terms:** Idolizing greats fuels ambition. Key Takeaway Find role models with similar traits to inspire you. Themes inspiration role models ambition identity sports Mood motivational reflective Type sports personal development When to use this quote - athletic training - personal goal setting - community mentorship Key Concepts psychology motivation career development Questions to Reflect On - Who can you emulate realistically? - How do you balance admiration with personal authenticity? A Different Perspective Over‑identifying may cause unrealistic expectations. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Community](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/community/) [Los angeles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/los-angeles/) [Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [In my opinion, nothing is going to break as much as Sandy Koufax's curveball. Out of his hand, it seemed just like a fastball…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-fried/in-my-opinion-nothing-is-going-to-break-as-much-as-sandy-koufax-s/) [Max Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-fried/) > [He (Sandy Koufax) throws a 'radio ball,' a pitch you hear, but you don't see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-mauch/he-sandy-koufax-throws-a-radio-ball-a-pitch-you-hear-but-you-don-t-see/) [Gene Mauch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-mauch/) > [Trying to hit Sandy Koufax was like trying to drink coffee with a fork.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-stargell/trying-to-hit-sandy-koufax-was-like-trying-to-drink-coffee-with-a-fork/) [Willie Stargell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-stargell/) > [We need just two players to be a contender. Babe Ruth and Sandy Koufax.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whitey-herzog/we-need-just-two-players-to-be-a-contender-babe-ruth-and-sandy-koufax/) [Whitey Herzog](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whitey-herzog/) > [“On my desk is an appeal from the National Museum of American Jewish History in Philadelphia. It asks me to become a sponsor and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/on-my-desk-is-an-appeal-from-the-national-museum-of-american-jewish/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [It is hard to compare the eras, but Joe Jackson and Ty Cobb from the past, Sandy Koufax and Roger Clements from the present.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-p-kinsella/it-is-hard-to-compare-the-eras-but-joe-jackson-and-ty-cobb-from-the/) [W. P. Kinsella](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-p-kinsella/) > [It's kind of glorious to say, "Oh man, this guy had his career cut short." I'm not calling myself Sandy Koufax by any means.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prince-fielder/it-s-kind-of-glorious-to-say-oh-man-this-guy-had-his-career-cut-short/) [Prince Fielder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prince-fielder/) > [Sandy Koufax went to the same school as me. I graduated two years ahead of Sandy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-king/sandy-koufax-went-to-the-same-school-as-me-i-graduated-two-years/) [Larry King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-king/) > [I come from a very athletic family. But I didn't have the typical Jewish sports heroes. I mean, like lots of Jewish kids I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-goldberg/i-come-from-a-very-athletic-family-but-i-didn-t-have-the-typical/) [Bill Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-goldberg/) > [After I won 21 games, I said, "This isn't that hard actually. I can do this every year for maybe 10, 15 years." To…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-bouton/after-i-won-21-games-i-said-this-isn-t-that-hard-actually-i-can-do/) [Jim Bouton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-bouton/) > [Sandy Koufax is a great teacher. He just talks about competitiveness and being aggressive - about stride length, power, how to spin the breaking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clayton-kershaw/sandy-koufax-is-a-great-teacher-he-just-talks-about-competitiveness/) [Clayton Kershaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clayton-kershaw/) > [Career highlights? I had two - I got an intentional walk from Sandy Koufax and I got out of a rundown against the Mets.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-uecker/career-highlights-i-had-two-i-got-an-intentional-walk-from-sandy/) [Bob Uecker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-uecker/) > [The day I got a hit off (Sandy) Koufax was when he knew it was all over.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sparky-anderson/the-day-i-got-a-hit-off-sandy-koufax-was-when-he-knew-it-was-all-over/) [Sparky Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sparky-anderson/) > [I can see how he (Sandy Koufax) won twenty-five games. What I don't understand is how he lost five.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yogi-berra/i-can-see-how-he-sandy-koufax-won-twenty-five-games-what-i-don-t/) [Yogi Berra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yogi-berra/) > [We need just two players to be a contender. Just Babe Ruth and Sandy Koufax.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whitey-herzog/we-need-just-two-players-to-be-a-contender-just-babe-ruth-and-sandy/) [Whitey Herzog](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whitey-herzog/) ## More by Max Fried > [I've been told that my biggest enemy is me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-fried/i-ve-been-told-that-my-biggest-enemy-is-me/) [Max Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-fried/) > [I love nothing more than going out there and competing. And baseball's my outlet to do that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-fried/i-love-nothing-more-than-going-out-there-and-competing-and-baseball-s/) [Max Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-fried/) > [I'm excited about being able to put the pinstripes on in Yankee Stadium, for the Yankees. 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You can feel it every time you watch a game or play there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-fried/it-s-always-fun-going-to-wrigley-there-s-so-much-history-there-you/) [Max Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-fried/) [Explore all 100 Max Fried quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-fried/) ## More Community quotes > [Race is the idea that a human being is more superior than another human being, race in society grants illusional rights to mistreat each…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-limn/race-is-the-idea-that-a-human-being-is-more-superior-than-another/) [Jeremy Limn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-limn/) > [But we are convinced that if we are to play a meaningful role nationally, and in the community of nations, we must be second…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikram-sarabhai/but-we-are-convinced-that-if-we-are-to-play-a-meaningful-role/) [Vikram Sarabhai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikram-sarabhai/) > [In the hearing world, I'm constantly having to lip-read and trying to understand what's going on. 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