---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If you had to point to one thing that…"
description: "\"If you had to point to one thing that made it less likely that the Red Sox would win the World Series, I would say it was those people that go to Fenwa..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/839/michael-lewis-705_baseball_if-you-had-to-point-to-one-thing-that-ma_2195569.png"
---

#  If you had to point to one thing that made it less likely…

![“If you had to point to one thing that made it less likely that the Red Sox would win the World Series, I would say it was those people that go to Fenway Park to watch the games. And then the media around it.” quote by Michael Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/839/michael-lewis-705_baseball_if-you-had-to-point-to-one-thing-that-ma_2195569.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/839/michael-lewis-705_baseball_if-you-had-to-point-to-one-thing-that-ma_2195569.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/839/michael-lewis-705_baseball_if-you-had-to-point-to-one-thing-that-ma_2195569.png)

> “If you had to point to one thing that made it less likely that the Red Sox would win the World Series, I would say it was those people that go to Fenway Park to watch the games. And then the media around it.”

[Michael Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-lewis/)

## About This Quote

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

The quote suggests that fan and media hype can create pressure and distraction, reducing a team's chances of success.

**In simple terms:** Fans and media can hinder a team's odds.

Key Takeaway

Limit hype, focus on performance.

Themes

sports media psychology team dynamics

Mood

critical analytical

Type

observational commentary

When to use this quote

- team meetings
- press conferences
- marketing strategy

Key Concepts

expectation management public perception performance pressure

Questions to Reflect On

- How does fan support affect player confidence?
- When does media attention become harmful?

A Different Perspective

Hype can also boost morale and revenue.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Baseball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/baseball/) [Fenway park](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fenway-park/) [Games](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/games/) [Made](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/made/) [Media](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/media/) [One thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/one-thing/) [Parks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parks/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [People Fenway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-fenway-2359500/) [Red](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/red/) [Red sox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/red-sox/) [Series](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/series/) [Series Say](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/series-say-3805870/) [Thing Likely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thing-likely-4800436/) [Watches](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/watches/) [Winning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/winning/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) [World series](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world-series/)

## Related quotes

> [I can play in front of 30,000 people at Fenway and not be nervous at all. But I get really nervous in front of kids.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/coy-bowles/i-can-play-in-front-of-30-000-people-at-fenway-and-not-be-nervous-at/)

[Coy Bowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/coy-bowles/)

> [All over the country, you ask anyone if they know T-Series, they will say yes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bhushan-kumar/all-over-the-country-you-ask-anyone-if-they-know-t-series-they-will/)

[Bhushan Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bhushan-kumar/)

> [“Why? Why should the bond between a people and their baseball team be so intense? Fenway Park is a part of it, offering a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-verducci/why-why-should-the-bond-between-a-people-and-their-baseball-team-be/)

[Tom Verducci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-verducci/)

> [I'm helplessly and permanently a Red Sox fan. It was like first love...You never forget. It's special. It's the first time I saw a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-schama/i-m-helplessly-and-permanently-a-red-sox-fan-it-was-like-first-love/)

[Simon Schama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-schama/)

> [“The ballpark is the star. In the age of Tris Speaker and Babe Ruth, the era of Jimmie Foxx and Ted Williams, through the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-ballpark-is-the-star-in-the-age-of-tris-speaker-and-babe-ruth-the/)

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

> [“Waiting for the Cardinals-Dodgers winner, the Red Sox decided to try to keep their edge by playing an exhibition series at Fenway Park against…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-bradlee-jr/waiting-for-the-cardinals-dodgers-winner-the-red-sox-decided-to-try/)

[Ben Bradlee Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-bradlee-jr/)

> [“If you're wondering what's wrong with Fenway Park in the first place, you're not the only one. Fenway is special precisely because it has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-demause/if-you-re-wondering-what-s-wrong-with-fenway-park-in-the-first-place/)

[Neil deMause](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-demause/)

> [Bart Giamatti did not grow up (as he had dreamed) to play second base for the Red Sox. He became a professor at Yale,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-halberstam/bart-giamatti-did-not-grow-up-as-he-had-dreamed-to-play-second-base/)

[David Halberstam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-halberstam/)

> [I grew up a Red Sox fan. I grew up going to Fenway Park and the Museum of Fine Arts and the Science Museum…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-spader/i-grew-up-a-red-sox-fan-i-grew-up-going-to-fenway-park-and-the-museum/)

[James Spader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-spader/)

> [The actual fund is called "THE JIMMY FUND" and THE REDSOX FOUNDATION IN BOSTON has gotten involved and people all over New England are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freddy-cannon/the-actual-fund-is-called-the-jimmy-fund-and-the-redsox-foundation-in/)

[Freddy Cannon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freddy-cannon/)

> [“As I grew up, I knew that as a building (Fenway Park) was on the level of Mount Olympus, the Pyramid at Giza, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bart-giamatti/as-i-grew-up-i-knew-that-as-a-building-fenway-park-was-on-the-level/)

[Bart Giamatti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bart-giamatti/)

> [“You can say, 'Well, if they tore down Fenway Park, we can build a new one.' But you wouldn’t build it right. It’s better…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-boswell/you-can-say-well-if-they-tore-down-fenway-park-we-can-build-a-new-one/)

[Tom Boswell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-boswell/)

> [“Somewhat typical for Williams was his decision to give away the six tickets he was allotted for each of the three World Series games…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-bradlee-jr/somewhat-typical-for-williams-was-his-decision-to-give-away-the-six/)

[Ben Bradlee Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-bradlee-jr/)

> [“Mr. Normal stepped forward and offered him a Scotch bottle. "You look like you could use some." Yeah, you think? Butch took a swig.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-ward/mr-normal-stepped-forward-and-offered-him-a-scotch-bottle-you-look/)

[J.R. Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-ward/)

> [2004 was a great year for Boston! The Patriots won the Super Bowl! Boston hosted its first national political convention! And - the Red…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-menino/2004-was-a-great-year-for-boston-the-patriots-won-the-super-bowl/)

[Thomas Menino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-menino/)

## More by Michael Lewis

> [“Crucial decisions are made, today as thousands of years ago, in terms of the intuitive guesses and preferences of a few men in positions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-lewis/crucial-decisions-are-made-today-as-thousands-of-years-ago-in-terms/)

[Michael Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-lewis/)

> [“You saw someone who reminded you of you, and then you looked for the reasons why you liked him. The”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-lewis/you-saw-someone-who-reminded-you-of-you-and-then-you-looked-for-the/)

[Michael Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-lewis/)

> [“At other places management says, ‘Well, gee, fellas, do we really want to bet the ranch on this deal?’ Lewie was not only willing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-lewis/at-other-places-management-says-well-gee-fellas-do-we-really-want-to/)

[Michael Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-lewis/)

> [“BILLY WOULD SAY later that his wife left him because she was unnerved by his intensity—that she could even see it in his hands…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-lewis/billy-would-say-later-that-his-wife-left-him-because-she-was-unnerved/)

[Michael Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-lewis/)

> [“The great thing about baseball players, from the point of view of personal hygiene, is how seldom they break a sweat.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-lewis/the-great-thing-about-baseball-players-from-the-point-of-view-of/)

[Michael Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-lewis/)

> [There was but one question he left unasked, and it vibrated between his lines: if gross miscalculations of a person's value could occur on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-lewis/there-was-but-one-question-he-left-unasked-and-it-vibrated-between/)

[Michael Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-lewis/)

> [“The author refers to a player's affected nonchalance and comments he is, "too young to realize you are what you pretend to be.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-lewis/the-author-refers-to-a-player-s-affected-nonchalance-and-comments-he/)

[Michael Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-lewis/)

> [A banking system is an act of faith: it survives only for as long as people believe it will.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-lewis/a-banking-system-is-an-act-of-faith-it-survives-only-for-as-long-as/)

[Michael Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-lewis/)

> [Some coaches believed they could judge a player's performance simply by watching it. In this they were deeply mistaken. The naked eye was an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-lewis/some-coaches-believed-they-could-judge-a-player-s-performance-simply/)

[Michael Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-lewis/)

> [“No longer were the prices of ordinary mortgage bonds allowed to roam inefficiently, for they were now linked to the CMO market, in much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-lewis/no-longer-were-the-prices-of-ordinary-mortgage-bonds-allowed-to-roam/)

[Michael Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-lewis/)

> [“The difference between Strauss and Ranieri?” says one trader still at Salomon. “That’s easy. Strauss wouldn’t stoop to use the men’s room on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-lewis/the-difference-between-strauss-and-ranieri-says-one-trader-still-at/)

[Michael Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-lewis/)

> [“The only inexplicable aspect of the process was that economic theory (which is, after all, what economics students were supposed to know) served almost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-lewis/the-only-inexplicable-aspect-of-the-process-was-that-economic-theory/)

[Michael Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-lewis/)

> [“It's not easy to stand apart from mass hysteria - to believe that most of what's in the financial news is wrong, to believe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-lewis/it-s-not-easy-to-stand-apart-from-mass-hysteria-to-believe-that-most/)

[Michael Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-lewis/)

> [“Dont worry about where i am , i'll let you know when i get there .”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-lewis/dont-worry-about-where-i-am-i-ll-let-you-know-when-i-get-there/)

[Michael Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-lewis/)

> [“Someone out there was using the fact that stock market orders arrived at different times at different exchanges to front-run orders from one market…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-lewis/someone-out-there-was-using-the-fact-that-stock-market-orders-arrived/)

[Michael Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-lewis/)

[Explore all 398 Michael Lewis quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-lewis/)

## 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": "If you had to point to one thing that made it less likely that the Red Sox would win the World Series, I would say it was those people that go to Fenway Park to watch the games. And then the media around it.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Michael Lewis"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-lewis/if-you-had-to-point-to-one-thing-that-made-it-less-likely-that-the/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Baseball"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-lewis/if-you-had-to-point-to-one-thing-that-made-it-less-likely-that-the/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/839/michael-lewis-705_baseball_if-you-had-to-point-to-one-thing-that-ma_2195569.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/839/michael-lewis-705_baseball_if-you-had-to-point-to-one-thing-that-ma_2195569.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/839/michael-lewis-705_baseball_if-you-had-to-point-to-one-thing-that-ma_2195569.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“If you had to point to one thing that made it less likely that the Red Sox would win the World Series, I…” — Michael Lewis",
                "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": "Michael Lewis",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-lewis/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "If you had to point to...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-lewis/if-you-had-to-point-to-one-thing-that-made-it-less-likely-that-the/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-lewis/if-you-had-to-point-to-one-thing-that-made-it-less-likely-that-the/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
