# @playerstribune on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/DeH9tFhlyak
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/71186294-playerstribune-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/cf5f28a570.jpg
- **Posted:** 2026-10-05T19:30:28.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** The Players' Tribune (@PlayersTribune) — https://gondola.cc/PlayersTribune

## Caption

Playing professional baseball wasn’t always the plan for @cleguardians’ Steven Kwan (@skwanzaa): “You gotta understand: I’m a baseball lifer. What I’m doing now, playing ball … it’s literally all I’ve ever wanted to do. Growing up, I didn’t like school that much. I didn’t really have any hobbies. Baseball was my entire identity....

I wasn’t destined to be a major leaguer. Not by any stretch.

I mean, yeah, of course, as a kid I’d told everyone who’d listen that I’d be playing pro ball one day. But not a lot of people believed me. And the ones who said that they did … I’m pretty sure they were just humoring me.

Because they’d look at me and … basically, it didn’t compute.

I’ve always been pretty short. I don’t run particularly fast. I’m not someone who’s hitting bombs. I wasn’t, as they like to say, ‘projectable.’ If you see me now and think, Wait, this guy plays in the majors? This guy is an All-Star? … just imagine looking at me back when I was seven, or 12, or 15.

To say I had doubters would be a massive, massive understatement.

When I was a kid and dreaming about the big leagues, even my own mom was like … ‘Um, yeeeeeah. I don’t know, honey.’

Now look, don’t get me wrong, I love my mom dearly. She’s great. But she’s also like … how do I put this … she’s like what a lot of people think of when they picture a traditional Asian mom, or when you see that character on a TV show. Super realist, very pragmatic, direct. Not wanting to pump me up too much.

So when I told Mom that I wanted to be a pro ballplayer, she was basically like: ‘Well, you’re probably not going to be that … so let’s think of something else more realistic.’

In high school, when I was going to all these baseball showcases, and totally showing out, and still not getting recognized, I remember my mom being like: ‘It is what it is. You’re not the biggest person, you know. Let’s just try to find a college that will take you on so you can get your degree for free.’” (Quote continued in comments, full story available at the link in bio)

## Stats

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- **Likes:** 3
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## Credits

| Name | Username | Profile | Role |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| MLB LiveContentTeam | @MLBLiveContent | https://gondola.cc/MLBLiveContent | Sports Media Outlet |
| Michael Turner | @michaelscameralens | https://gondola.cc/michaelscameralens | Photographer |

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