Words of Wisdom from Baseball’s Biggest Stars

Characters from the world of baseball have given us countless memorable and humorous quotes. Among those figures known for their iconic lines are Babe Ruth and Yogi Berra, both of whom played for the New York Yankees during an era dominated by East Coast media coverage.

In today’s sports environment, where players are under constant scrutiny and receive direct criticism through social media, there are far fewer outrageous quotes. The modern era emphasizes professionalism, but baseball’s history is still filled with both humorous and inspirational quotes. For more baseball coverage, click here to find out about the best MLB players from each state.

To compile this list of famous baseball quotes, 24/7 Tempo consulted sports centered websites. These include MLB.com, JustBats, and ESPN.com.

• Who said this: Yogi Berra
• Most notable team: New York Yankees

Yogi Berra had some great one-liners, but none quite like this. He was being honored in St. Louis, his hometown. The play on words of needing to be smart to play baseball made him want to make a joke of the math behind the quote. Berra went on to have one of the greatest careers as a catcher, but is also known for his memorable quotes.

• Who said this: Babe Ruth
• Most notable team: New York Yankees

Nearly every baseball player wants to grow up and be like Babe Ruth. He's hit the third most home runs of all time, which is why seeing this quote is so inspirational. He reminds people that when it feels like something is going wrong, your next big moment could be right around the corner.

• Who said this: Tony Gwynn
• Most notable team: San Diego Padres

Arguably the most successful hitter in modern baseball is Tony Gwynn. He remembered the importance of having fun in all that you do in your life. If you play hard and have fun, you can expect good things to happen to you. If not, you're going to go through life feeling miserable and sad. His advice? Always smile and be happy, no matter what.

• Who said this: Yogi Berra
• Most notable team: New York Yankees

Another Yogi Berra quote for the books is this one. He knew the meaning of déjà vu, but wanted to put a fun twist on this quote. This has been used in different movies and television shows ever since the first time it was said. For clarity, déjà vu is a mental state when you feel like you're reliving a past moment.

• Who said this: Lou Gehrig
• Most notable team: New York Yankees

Lou Gehrig was ahead of his time. While he played in the 1930s, Gehrig still wanted everyone to experience playing baseball regardless of ethnicity. This was a controversial at the time, but it showed how open and accepting baseball players could be if they were like Gehrig. He didn't live long enough to see Jackie Robinson play in the MLB, but he likely would've been proud to see the game he loved grow.

• Who said this: Babe Ruth
• Most notable team: New York Yankees

Another Babe Ruth quote that rings true to everyone is, "Never allow the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game." People let their fear overwhelm them, but it shouldn't ever stop anyone from doing what they like. As long as you try, you'll likely still feel accomplished.

• Who said this: Reggie Jackson
• Most notable team: New York Yankees

The idea of having haters has been around forever. Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson reminds people to ignore the haters and what they say. Fans won't boo someone who won't be around for long in their respective industry. People generally only care about those who are succeeding and will continue to do so in the future.

• Who said this: Hank Aaron
• Most notable team: Atlanta Braves

During the off-season, one hobby many baseball players enjoy is playing golf. However, it's difficult to make sure their swing doesn't get messed up from golfing. A golf swing is downward, while a baseball swing should be parallel to the ground. Hank Aaron, who's hit the second most all-time home runs, once joked about how difficult hitting a golf ball is. He might be an excellent baseball player, but not a golfer.

• Who said this: Mickey Mantle
• Most notable team: New York Yankees

People think that just because they've been doing something their whole life they're an expert on it. Mickey Mantle cut right through this belief when he said, "It's unbelievable how much you don't know about the game you've been playing your whole life." Particularly in baseball, there are so many unique ways to get on base and play the game. Mantle still learned the best ways to play during his time as a professional.

• Who said this: Pete Rose
• Most notable team: Cincinnati Reds

While he's not in the Hall of Fame as the all-time hit leader, this particular Pete Rose quote will go down in infamy. Rose was accused of betting on the team he managed and was banned from baseball. This quote only confused people more, which was the goal for Rose. Since gambling has become more socially accepted, fans are excited to see if Rose will get into the Hall of Fame.

• Who said this: Willie Stargell
• Most notable team: Pittsburgh Pirates

Willie Stargell knew how lucky he was to play baseball professionally. He referenced that his job literally proclaimed to the players to "play" ball not "work" before the first pitch of every game. Stargell's mindset allowed him to enjoy his career and understand the big picture.

• Who said this: Jackie Robinson
• Most notable team: Brooklyn Dodgers

There's nothing like the high of winning, according to Jackie Robinson. When you're losing, you don't want to give up. Instead, you keep playing until you win. Robinson broke the color barrier in baseball, while also showing that everyone has the same mindset when it comes to baseball – and life.

• Who said this: Frank Robinson
• Most notable team: Baltimore Orioles

Another trailblazer in baseball was Frank Robinson. He was a manager and player known for his witty remarks. He made sure people knew that a play only matters if it's official – regardless of close plays that always occur in baseball. Robinson is credited for helping African-Americans become managers in the sport.

• Who said this: Chuck Tanner
• Most notable team: Pittsburgh Pirates

Some people take their everyday lives for granted. No matter what position you have in life, odds are there's someone in the world who would switch with you in a heartbeat. Chuck Tanner, a former manager and player, knew how lucky he was to work in baseball. Win or lose, Tanner came to the park every day with a smile on his face.

• Who said this: Leo Durocher
• Most notable team: New York Giants

Society lives with this idea that tomorrow is promised. Leo Durocher, a former player and manager, played the game like tomorrow wasn't promised to him. Baseball teams and managers like to think ahead, but Derocher said he'd rather win in the moment and figure out tomorrow when it got there.

• Who said this: Ted Williams
• Most notable team: Boston Red Sox

Failing 70% of the time would make most people go crazy. In baseball, you'd be considered one of the greats if that was your career average. This is part of the reason why baseball is so unique. You have to have the mental strength to fight through when it feels like constant failure.

• Who said this: Tommy Lasorda
• Most notable team: Los Angeles Dodgers

There's only one goal in baseball: To get as many runners across home plate as possible. Legendary manager Tommy Lasorda painted this picture to help those who might not understand. Sometimes in life, it's smart to break something down to its simplest form. Much like driving, as long as you get home safely, that's what matters.

• Who said this: Satchel Paige
• Most notable team: Kansas City Monarchs

If he played in the MLB for his entire career, Satchel Paige would be a more commonly known name in the baseball world. He is arguably the greatest pitcher ever and played the game professionally in his 50s. He was well aware of how lucky he was to play baseball for a living.

• Who said this: Jackie Robinson
• Most notable team: Brooklyn Dodgers

It's hard to find anyone who had a bigger impact on the future than Jackie Robinson. He understood his life wasn't going to just be about him. Instead, he helped minorities around the world have access to sports and he viewed as equal people. Without him, there's no telling how different society would be today.

• Who said this: Willie Stargell
• Most notable team: Pittsburgh Pirates

Willie Stargell had another great quote baseball players understand. He once said, "They give you a round bat, and they throw you a round ball, and then they tell you to hit it square." Squaring up a baseball is the goal, but it's ironic that the ball and bat are both round.

• Who said this: Derek Jeter
• Most notable team: New York Yankees

Being captain of the New York Yankees isn't a job that everyone would be able to handle. Derek Jeter led the team to five World Series titles, but he wanted to win more. If you're competitive and play sports, you hate losing at anything, no matter what it is. Jeter made sure those who are ultra competitive knew it was okay to be like that.

• Who said this: Tommy Lasorda
• Most notable team: Los Angeles Dodgers

This quote is applicable to all areas of life. Tommy Lasorda, who was the manager of the Dodgers, talked about how he noticed three different types of baseball players. You can either make it happen, watch it happen, or wonder how it happened. The goal should always be to show up as the person who makes it happen. If not, you're going to regret not doing everything you could to succeed for the rest of your life. For more baseball coverage, click here to uncover the greatest baseball player the year you were born.