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I'm a kid from the small Illinois town of Batavia, who grew up on the Chicago Cubs and made sports his life's work, although there's never been a day where it actually seemed like work.

I definitely wasn't the kid playing sports. I was super different.

As a youngster, I played in Little League, Pony League, and all sorts of amateur baseball programs growing up.

A little-known secret is that being a pro athlete is not that great. It's a pretty short lifespan. I know all these parents are out there driving their children to be professionals, but so many pros will tell you, 'No, you don't want to do this.'

I mean, I did plays in high school, but I was convinced you couldn't make a living doing it.

I knew what type of player I was: a free agent, a small kid who came from a small school.

I played Little League in junior high and high school.

Today's Little Leaguers, and there are millions of them each year, pick up how to hit and throw and field just by watching games on TV. By the time they're out of high school, the good ones are almost ready to play professional ball.

You could be a kid for as long as you want when you play baseball.

Part of my success was having a place to play as a kid.