Passionate, heart-stirring quotes that let you feel the way of life of professional baseball players.

10 years as a kindergarten teacher / elementary school teacher / junior and senior high school teacher / childminderkepiko
Graduated from Kunitachi College of Music, Faculty of Music (now: Department of Music Culture and Education, Early Childhood Music Education major). In elementary school, my homeroom teacher was Jun Kusaba, a game researcher. After graduating from university, I worked as a kindergarten teacher for 10 years and as an after-school childcare instructor for 7 years, then took a position as a music teacher at an international school in Singapore. In addition to music education, I engaged in activities that introduced Japanese culture, traditional games, and recreational activities, working with many children. Later, through freelance writing, planning, and editing at Shogakukan, I met many delightful adults and experienced the joy of communicating and sharing. Drawing on the perspective cultivated in the field of education and my experience as an editor, I provide practical information with an emphasis on both input and output, mainly in areas related to music and children. My hobbies include instruments, singing, handicrafts, toys, drawing, traditional games, the outdoors, and books. My special skill is spinning-top tricks.

From Japan’s professional baseball leagues to MLB, the WBC, and the Olympics, countless memorable quotes have emerged from players who have shined on the biggest stages.

In this article, we highlight famous quotes from professional baseball players—both retired and active—who have excelled across many arenas.

Spoken to inspire themselves and their teams, these words will encourage not only those who dream of becoming pro baseball players, but also anyone who pours their effort into something every day.

Let these passionate words—tough yet full of heart—ignite your spirit!

Stirring, passionate quotes (1–10) that convey the way of life of professional baseball players

Proactive failures over passive successesTatsunori Hara

Mr.

Tatsunori Hara, who excelled as a player for the Yomiuri Giants, has also proven his abilities as a manager after his playing career.

This is a quote from a great player and great manager that conveys the importance of one’s attitude toward success and failure.

It expresses the idea that a proactive failure has greater value than a passive success and leads to future growth.

If we rephrase “failure” as “challenge,” we can clearly sense his managerial stance of acknowledging and encouraging players’ attempts.

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There’s a saying that practice doesn’t lie, but if you don’t practice thoughtfully, it’ll lie to you just fine.Yu Darvish

These words, which likely made many people sit up and take notice, come from Yu Darvish, who played for the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters before thriving in Major League Baseball and taking on crucial roles for Japan’s national team.

The message is that it’s not enough to just practice frantically; if you don’t think about why you’re doing a given practice and what you want to become through it, it loses its meaning.

Of course, it’s far better than doing nothing at all, but this is the kind of statement that can prompt you to raise the quality of your practice.

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Hane Keisuke

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There are mysterious victories, but no mysterious defeats.Katsuya Nomura

While his achievements as a player were remarkable, Katsuya Nomura also left a strong impression as the manager of the Hanshin Tigers and the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles.

His many unique remarks—often dubbed his “grumblings”—drew considerable attention as well.

Among Nomura’s words, there is a famous line that touches on the mystery contained in both victory and defeat.

Originally from a treatise on swordsmanship, it conveys the idea that there is always a reason for losing, and that even in victory one must not become conceited.

By thoroughly analyzing the reasons for defeat, one can turn them into future wins—a sentiment that reveals Nomura’s strategic side.

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Passionate, heart-stirring quotes (11–20) that embody the way of life of professional baseball players

Athletes who make a selling point of their practice by saying “I’m working hard” can’t be called first-rate.Shigeo Nagashima

Shigeo Nagashima contributed to the Yomiuri Giants’ V9 alongside Sadaharu Oh and later flourished as the team’s manager.

He is also known by the nickname “Mr.

Pro Baseball.” Here is a passionate quote from Nagashima about effort.

It is important to strive toward your dreams and goals, but flaunting that effort can, in a sense, be called effort for publicity.

The greatest stars work hard where no one can see and give us dreams and hope.

Effort is wonderful, but we should be careful not to misunderstand its meaning and role.

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sasashina

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A single autograph can be a huge turning point for those children—because that’s how I became a professional baseball player.Yasuaki Yamasaki

Yasuaki Yamasaki, who excelled as a pitcher for the Yokohama DeNA BayStars and also proved his abilities on the Japan national team, drew attention for his technical skills, such as his pitch selection and variation.

This is a quote about the moments that can change one’s life, which also reveals what inspired Yamasaki to pursue a career as a professional baseball player.

Just as Hichori Morimoto’s response motivated him to aim for pro baseball, it expresses how casual behavior can influence children’s lives.

These words also convey the ideal conduct of a professional and a desire to be the kind of player children look up to.

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kappamaki

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In this world, the one who takes even one more practice swing wins.Hiromitsu Ochiai

Hiromitsu Ochiai, who achieved the Triple Crown three times as a player and is regarded as one of the greatest right-handed hitters in NPB history, also excelled as the manager of the Chunichi Dragons.

Among his words, this quote directly expresses the importance of steady effort.

Using the number of practice swings as an example, he tells us that working harder than those around you leads to victory.

Precisely because these are the words of someone with a remarkable track record, they make us feel that consistent effort truly leads to success.

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A dream that comes true right away isn’t a real dream.Kyuji Fujikawa

After making his mark with the Hanshin Tigers, challenging himself in the Major Leagues, returning to Hanshin, and continuing to contribute even after retiring, Kyuji Fujikawa’s prowess as a pitcher is still talked about.

Here is a famous quote from Fujikawa that makes us reflect on the distance between ourselves and our dreams or goals.

He says it’s best to place your dream not nearby but far away—that distance becomes the driving force that keeps you working hard.

These words also convey a relentless mindset: never losing your desire to improve and always moving toward a big goal.

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kappamaki

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