Ben Zobrist Quotes

In the minor leagues, previous to 2008, I took a lot of pitches. I prided myself on on-base percentage. I made sure that I made the pitcher work.

- Ben Zobrist

Sure, Took, Minor, Percentage

Wiffle ball was my first experience hitting left-handed.

- Ben Zobrist

Experience, Ball, Hitting, Left-Handed

My dad used to do it when we were little, and I tried it when we played around in the back yard. Eventually, I got a bat and a real ball and played around to see if I could hit left-handed.

- Ben Zobrist

Yard, Could, Dad, Left-Handed

You just have to keep grinding.

- Ben Zobrist

You, Just, Keep, Grinding

I was kind of a slap hitter, trying to get base hits, hit line drives, stay below a certain trajectory with my ball.

- Ben Zobrist

Kind, Line, Below, Trajectory

We know that as a Christian athlete, people are watching, and so we want to be the best example we can be and show that we are different - that Christ has changed our lives.

- Ben Zobrist

Athlete, Christ, Lives, Changed

You just want the highs to start once the playoffs start.

- Ben Zobrist

Start, Want, Once, Highs

You just go through highs and lows as an individual payer and as a team.

- Ben Zobrist

Go, Through, Individual, Highs

I'm not the most powerful. I'm not the fastest. I don't have the best arm. I don't have any of that, but put it all together and do the little details well, and you're going to be a very productive player.

- Ben Zobrist

Going, Very, Fastest, Arm

It was like a heavyweight fight, man. Just blow for blow, everybody playing their heart out. The Indians never gave up either, and I can't believe we're finally standing, after 108 years, finally able to hoist the trophy.

- Ben Zobrist

Everybody, Heavyweight, Blow

I had a chance to choose a couple different places and, well, I grew up - I was a small-town kid from Illinois, so No. 1, just trying to win a championship for my home state.

- Ben Zobrist

Couple, Different Places, Small-Town

If you're free of mechanical thoughts and free of knowing that your body and bat are going to be in the right position at the right time, you can freely focus on the ball. It's a great feeling.

- Ben Zobrist

Thoughts, Great Feeling, Right Time

My dad was a pastor, so we were in church all the time.

- Ben Zobrist

Church, Dad, Were, Pastor

You used to be taught to let the ball go as far as possible and then drop it on the runner, whereas now it might be even more advantageous to direct the ball in front of the bag and get the guy on the leg.

- Ben Zobrist

Drop, More, Might, Whereas

I have family and friends who are strong Cardinal fans, and they are having a tough time since I signed. They want to root for me, but rooting for the Cubs is next to a sin.

- Ben Zobrist

Strong, Next, Rooting, Cardinal

We've made a lot of strides over the years in making the game better for players to be able to stay healthy and showcase talent.

- Ben Zobrist

Game, Over, Making, Strides

Half the time, I have trouble following our own pitcher's sequence.

- Ben Zobrist

Following, Sequence, Half, Half The Time

One of my best friends, James Miller, managed to find the only Cubs hat that is all red.

- Ben Zobrist

Best, Friends, James, Cubs

When the ball was hit, my first reaction as a shortstop was always go in the direction of the ball. You can't do that at first base. You go too far in that direction, and it's hard to scurry back and be ready to pick the throw.

- Ben Zobrist

Go, Reaction, Always, Base

I love second base.

- Ben Zobrist

Love, I Love, Second, Base

I might have a great game hitting, but if I'm not having a great game fielding, if I feel like I let a guy get an extra base that I could have stopped, that's something I've got to do better, got to get better at.

- Ben Zobrist

Game, Stopped, Having, Base

The one thing is the more I play second base, the more I can work on the intricate movements of that position.

- Ben Zobrist

Work, Play, More, Base

I was so engrossed in my sport, I wasn't thinking about the future from God's standpoint. I was thinking about just my sporting future.

- Ben Zobrist

Future, Thinking, About, Standpoint

You want to be comfortable, but it's also good to stay on your toes, especially in the midst of a long season.

- Ben Zobrist

Want, Your, Also, Season

When you get moved around, it can be jarring, but it helps to fine-tune your focus in the middle of the season, when other guys are getting a little lackadaisical.

- Ben Zobrist

Middle, Other, Moved, Season

Sometimes, you just feel like you're just surviving for parts of the season.

- Ben Zobrist

Sometimes, Like, Surviving, Season

I didn't ever realize that my ceiling would be this high, that I would be able to play at the major-league level. But here I am. I've been doing it for a while now, so it's certainly a blast. It's something that I want to cherish and make the most of.

- Ben Zobrist

Play, Here, Been, Blast

I never even thought about playing professionally. I didn't think that was a possibility for a little kid from Illinois.

- Ben Zobrist

Thought, Think, Kid, Possibility

Occasionally, you have to make adjustments and try different things.

- Ben Zobrist

Try, Things, Occasionally, Different Things

I've been back to the Kansas City area a lot in the past. My sisters went to college in the area. My brother went to college in the area. I've got friends there, so there's some ties to the area.

- Ben Zobrist

College, In The Past, Area, Kansas

Out in the field, I feel like I'm flexible enough to where I'm comfortable at different positions, wherever they want to put me.

- Ben Zobrist

Want, Feel, Like, Wherever

You want to represent Christ well with doing you job, first and foremost, because that's what you're there to do.

- Ben Zobrist

Doing, Want, Christ, Represent

Hitting is not an exact science.

- Ben Zobrist

Science, Hitting, Exact

I didn't realize the ceiling that I had, and I don't think a lot of players understand what they're capable of. Some of them dream of what they're capable of, but you don't really understand until you get in the moment and you give it everything you got and see in the end where you can end up.

- Ben Zobrist

Capable, Some, Had, In The End

When I move to second after playing right field, I feel like my action has gotten too deliberate, and I have to switch back into that quicker, boom-boom infield mode.

- Ben Zobrist

Like, Move, Gotten, Switch

There are different angles you have to work with as a hitter. Figuring out with my body what helps me get into those angles... is a constant discovery.

- Ben Zobrist

Work, Angles, Constant, Figuring

I love baseball history, and Wrigley Field is as good as it gets when it comes to that.

- Ben Zobrist

Love, Wrigley, I Love, Baseball History

My favorite day is relaxing at home with family and friends.

- Ben Zobrist

Family, Relaxing, Favorite, Family And Friends

I'm consistently making adjustments. You're going to have to do that in the postseason, too.

- Ben Zobrist

Making, Going, Too, Adjustment

It really comes down to God opening the doors for me, and I'm trying to walk through them doing the best I can.

- Ben Zobrist

Doing, Through, Them, Opening

Knowing the opportunity to win a championship here in Chicago, right now, that's the main motivation for me.

- Ben Zobrist

Knowing, Here, Championship, Chicago

We've got to win a championship and bring a World Series trophy back to Chicago.

- Ben Zobrist

World, Championship, Series, Chicago

I'm not a cleanup hitter. I'm just batting fourth.

- Ben Zobrist

Batting, Just, Hitter, Fourth

One-hundred years from now, nobody's going to remember that I played for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays - nobody!

- Ben Zobrist

Devil, Going, Tampa, Bay

I felt like in Tampa Bay a lot of people thought we were overachieving.

- Ben Zobrist

Thought, Lot, Tampa, Bay

When I left Tampa Bay, I felt like if my career ended at that point, I'd be okay.

- Ben Zobrist

Career, Okay, Tampa, Bay

I played a lot of right field with Tampa.

- Ben Zobrist

Right, Field, Lot, Tampa

There have been nights I've stayed up late thinking about, 'What's wrong with my swing? What do I need to fix?'

- Ben Zobrist

Need, Been, About, Nights

I know what I need to do to prepare myself, and I try to do the best I can to take care of my body and prolong my peak years as a baseball player.

- Ben Zobrist

Myself, Prepare, Need, Baseball Player

I just try to be the player I am.

- Ben Zobrist

I Am, Try, Am, Player

I'm a manager's player, in a way, because he can use me in a lot of different ways, and I'm willing to do that.

- Ben Zobrist

Manager, Use, Willing, Player

There were always kids better than me. Because of that, I had to learn to be a role player and do my part.

- Ben Zobrist

Learn, Always, Role, Player

What I need as a player is just to get at-bats, I think.

- Ben Zobrist

Think, Need, I Think, Player

Anytime you put your mind on the results, you lose something in the moment.

- Ben Zobrist

Mind, Lose, Your, Anytime

For me, it's not so much about picking the right position; it's about the team.

- Ben Zobrist

Me, Right, About, Picking

We are perfect. According to God, we are perfect, yet we know that we are sinners. We believe in the fact that we are both saints and sinners at the same time as we live in this world.

- Ben Zobrist

Fact, Perfect, Same Time, Sinners

I can't take 200 hacks in the cage before the game. Not because I'll get tired, but because I'll hurt myself! I can't do that. I might get injured.

- Ben Zobrist

Game, Might, Before, Hurt

A lot of times, if you stay in the present and focus on getting the most out of yourself today, then things work out the way they're supposed to.

- Ben Zobrist

Work, Focus, Then, Present

You have to catch the breaks.

- Ben Zobrist

You, Breaks, Catch

I still have a lot to learn about what the love of Christ is like - that it's not just knowledge... but it's allowing the truth to change you - allowing Christ's message of grace and hope and love through the cross, that that message is the message that changes the way we look at everything in our lives.

- Ben Zobrist

Love, Through, About, Our Lives

The more I spend at one position, the more I can dive into those details.

- Ben Zobrist

More, Position, Spend, Details

I've always loved the infield, because I came up as an infielder.

- Ben Zobrist

Loved, Always, Came, I Came

The best things happen when you're not overthinking it.

- Ben Zobrist

Best, Happen, Things, Things Happen

As a ballplayer, there is no Christian way to swing a bat. There is no Christian way to swing or throw.

- Ben Zobrist

Christian, Swing, Throw, Bat

When I'm at the plate, I'm not thinking about what I'm trying to do with the bat - I'm thinking about what the pitcher is trying to do with the ball.

- Ben Zobrist

Trying, Ball, About, Bat

You are either good or you're not at whatever your job is. And it is more important that you understand the grace and love and peace you have in Christ, whether you are good or bad at whatever you are doing every day.

- Ben Zobrist

Love, Doing, Christ, Grace

We all need grace. We all need Christ.

- Ben Zobrist

Need, Christ, Grace

You just keep working and try to have quality at-bats.

- Ben Zobrist

Working, Try, Keep, Quality

I knew all the right Bible answers and the Sunday school answers.

- Ben Zobrist

Bible, School, Knew, Sunday

There are times when your mind isn't ready to go but your body is, and times when your body is ready to go but your mind isn't. You try to get the two in sync as much as possible.

- Ben Zobrist

Mind, Go, Your, Ready

Outfield to infield is the most jarring because in the outfield, you have much more time to throw.

- Ben Zobrist

More, Most, Outfield, Throw

I just try to focus on one step at a time, what I have to do or what the team has to do to get here.

- Ben Zobrist

Focus, Here, Get, Step

I did the utility thing at first out of necessity to find a place on the team.

- Ben Zobrist

Place, Find, Utility, Necessity

Like anybody else that goes and does their job, there's a way to do your job with excellence.

- Ben Zobrist

Excellence, Like, Anybody, Anybody Else

The most important thing is that we're impacting people for the Kingdom of Jesus Christ... that's why we're here.

- Ben Zobrist

The Most Important, Here, Kingdom

I didn't think I'd be getting a contract at 34. That wasn't in my mind.

- Ben Zobrist

Mind, Think, Getting, Contract

As I get older, I just need to continue to make sure I'm staying in peak shape and taking care of my body the best I can.

- Ben Zobrist

Need, Shape, Sure, Peak

We need to just stay in the moment and stay in our routine.

- Ben Zobrist

Need, Just, Our, Routine

We've got to do better at taking care of players and making sure the fans get the best of the players when they're showcasing their abilities.

- Ben Zobrist

Making, Players, Sure, Fans

We don't even think about it out there. We just focus on doing our job. The ball is the same baseball, the game is the same game. We're going to just keep trying to do our jobs.

- Ben Zobrist

Game, Doing, Think, Baseball

At the end of the day, you can't control the results; you can only control your effort level and your focus.

- Ben Zobrist

Focus, Only, Level, Results

I hit my knees and I went to him with that and I said God I want to do what you want. I don't want sports to be an idol in my life.

- Ben Zobrist

Sports, My Life, Knees, Hit

You're not going to hit a bunch of three-run homers every game.

- Ben Zobrist

Game, Going, Bunch, Hit

You don't get a chance to go to the playoffs and World Series very often, but to be able to experience it with the people you love most in the world is really fun.

- Ben Zobrist

Love, Chance, Very, Playoffs

I want to try and get better in every facet of the game.

- Ben Zobrist

Game, Better, Want, Facet

I can tell there are times when my body's getting tired and I just need to take a day here or there and make sure I'm healthy.

- Ben Zobrist

Need, Here, Sure, Healthy

I grew up in Illinois.

- Ben Zobrist

Up, Grew, Illinois

I spent so many years shuffled around. I'm used to it and can deal with it.

- Ben Zobrist

Deal, Used, Spent, So Many Years

Each new day has a different shape to it. You just roll with it.

- Ben Zobrist

New, Shape, Roll, Each

When you're hot, you try to ride it as long as you can.

- Ben Zobrist

Ride, Hot, You, Try

If we just focus on stats, we're gonna eventually not have them.

- Ben Zobrist

Focus, Them, Eventually, Gonna

I'm not the best athlete.

- Ben Zobrist

Best, Athlete

I was never the star of my team, not even in my small town.

- Ben Zobrist

Small, Never, Star, Small Town

It's important to set a tone and get some momentum.

- Ben Zobrist

Important, Some, Set, Tone

I'm just trying to create a working knowledge of my body. So it knows what to expect.

- Ben Zobrist

Trying, Working, Create, Expect

I am a student of the game.

- Ben Zobrist

I Am, Game, Am, Student

We are just so thankful that Christ does not measure us by what we do. God is not measuring us by that, He is measuring us by our faith in Christ.

- Ben Zobrist

Faith, Thankful, Measuring, Christ

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