The pitcher has got only a ball. I've got a bat. So the percentage in weapons is in my favor and I let the fellow with the ball do the fretting.
Hank AaronRead
Making the majors is not as hard as staying there, staying interested day after day. It's like being married. The hardest part is to stay married.
Interpretation
Maintaining interest and commitment in a long-term endeavor is challenging, much like in marriage.
Hank Aaron's quote emphasizes that while achieving a significant milestone, such as making it in the major leagues, is commendable, the true challenge lies in the ongoing dedication and passion required to sustain that success over time. It draws a parallel to marriage, which also requires continual effort and engagement to thrive, highlighting the importance of perseverance in both personal and professional realms.
In practice
During a motivational speech at a sports event, to highlight the importance of perseverance in achieving long-term goals.
The pitcher has got only a ball. I've got a bat. So the percentage in weapons is in my favor and I let the fellow with the ball do the fretting.
I don't feel right unless I have a sport to play or at least a way to work up a sweat.
In playing ball, and in life, a person occasionally gets the opportunity to do something great. When that time comes, only two things matter: being prepared to seize the moment and having the courage to take your best swing.
In baseball, there is something electrifying about the big leagues. I had read so much about Stan Musial, Ted Williams and Jackie Robinson. I had put those guys on a pedestal. They were something special. I really thought they put their pants on different, rather than one leg at a time.
It took me seventeen years to get three thousand hits in baseball. I did it in one afternoon on the golf course.
I'm hoping someday that some kid, black or white, will hit more home runs than myself. Whoever it is, I'd be pulling for him.
Men at most differ as Heaven and Earth, but women, worst and best, as Heaven and Hell.
We all have our prejudices, and we may or may not be aware of them. Sometimes people walk by me and give me a wider berth. It happens. I wear hoodies all the time because my head gets cold. Something innocuous can be misunderstood.
Try to understand men. If you understand each other you will be kind to each other. Knowing a man well never leads to hate and almost always leads to love.
Why do we, then, continue to treat women as if their emotions and comfort, and the postures they might want to assume while in labor, are against the rules?
Everyone has an invisible sign hanging from their neck saying, 'Make me feel important.' Never forget this message when working with people.
The Master said of Gong Yechang, βHe is marriageable. Although he was once imprisoned and branded as a criminal, he was in fact innocent of any crime.β The Master gave him his daughter in marriage. (Analects 5.1)
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