Close don't count in baseball. Close only counts in horseshoes and grenades.
Frank RobinsonRead
As a black, you find you have to be two or three times better than a white even to play. And when it comes to front-office jobs, management believes you'll never be as good.
Interpretation
The quote highlights the challenges faced by Black individuals in proving their worth in predominantly white spaces.
Frank Robinson's quote emphasizes the systemic discrimination Black individuals encounter, particularly in professional environments like sports and management. He suggests that to be recognized and judged equally, they must significantly outperform their white counterparts, which speaks to the broader issues of racial inequality and the persistent belief among some that they are inherently less capable for leadership roles.
In practice
During a discussion about diversity in the workplace, you could reference this quote to highlight racial challenges.
Close don't count in baseball. Close only counts in horseshoes and grenades.
It's nice to come into a town and be referred to as the manager of the Cleveland Indians instead of as the first black manager.
It was a breaking period for black people coming into baseball, and how many followed depended on Jackie's conduct. But that's not the case now. What and how I do doesn't mean nearly as much as what and how Jackie did.
The brave man is not only he who overcomes the enemy, but he who is stronger than pleasures.
Even so, one step from my grave, I believe that cruelty, spite, The powers of darkness will in time, Be crushed by the spirit of light.
Somehow the killing of the giant spider, all alone by himself in the dark without the help of the wizard or the dwarves or of anyone else, made a great difference to Mr. Baggins. He felt a different person, and much fiercer and bolder in spite of an empty stomach, as he wiped his sword on the grass and put it back into its sheath.
Remember, George, this is no time to go wobbly.
No people in history have ever survived who thought they could protect their freedom by making themselves inoffensive to their enemies.
I saw that streak in him when he told me, 'Get the hell out of here or I'll wipe you out., I got the hell out of there, Liston really scared me.
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