Results tagged ‘ baseball ’

9 Things I learned About Life at a Baseball Game #3

This
is the third installment of a 9 part series of things I’ve learned over
the years about life whiling playing, coaching, watching or umpiring
baseball. You can find principle #1 here and principle #2 here.

Principle #1 is “Losers Make Excuses, Winners Make Changes”

Principle #2 is “Don’t Worry About What Just Happened; Focus On What is About To Happen”
   
Principle #3 is “Without the Will to Prepare, the Will to Win is Pointless. Nothing More Than Glorified Hubris.”
Baseball3
    Most
of the time baseball is a game that is won before the first pitch is
ever thrown so preparation is the key (Note: I only say most of the
time because I shudder at universal statements). Sure the walk off
Larry gets the most attention but how much preparation goes into that
moment? How many decisions over the course of the game lead to that
moment? Recently I watched a game end in a 2-0 shut out. The losing
pitcher gave up zero earned runs. He still lost. I wonder if the short
stop or the right fielder put in enough practice time to be confident
in that game situation.
    It always amazes me how people seem to
think that successful people just wake up one day as successful people.
It just doesn’t work that way. It takes hard work and preparation. The
will to win without the will to prepare to win is useless.
   
Success follows preparation, period. It’s true in baseball and it’s
true in life. I used to work in the food service business and nowhere
was this principle more evident to me than there. The difference
between successful servers and non-successful servers was the fact that
the successful ones prepared. The difference in a good shifts and bad
shifts was the level of preparation that went into each shift.
   
No one can step up to a plate and just hit successfully. No pitcher can
be successfully over the long haul if he doesn’t prepare. If he doesn’t
hone his skill and study his opponent he will not succeed on pure
talent alone. It’s in the preparation that we hone those skills. How
does a guy who can’t hit a curveball learn to hit it? You guessed it,
preparation. So baseball has taught me that preparation is the key to
success. Prepare, prepare, prepare. Study, study, study.
    Hone
your skills. If you try something and fail, study what you did. Look at
what went right, what went wrong. Schedule time in your day to look at
what you’re doing. Take time to prepare. Have a will to prepare, at the
end of the day that is far more important than your will to win.

Bloomburg on Melvin: “Here’s a baseball man moonlighting as a businessman. And failing miserably.”

Bloomberg.com has an interesting article concerning Doug Melvin. A discussion that I have been having for years regards the fact that many, if not most of the guy’s running the MLB teams have no idea what they are doing. They don’t know how to be competitive and successful. More of that later. Here are two of my favorite quotes from the article, which can be read in its entirety here:

[Melvin]…shows a complete lack of understanding of a
superior athlete’s desire to feel wanted and the business behind
baseball in the Bronx, especially at this moment in franchise
history.

and

Let’s hope the businessman explains the basics to the
baseball man.

6 Rules to Live By. (In Baseball and Life)

  1. Control your destiny or someone else will
  2. Face reality as it is, not as you wish it to be
  3. Be candid with everyone
  4. Don’t Manage, lead
  5. Change, before you have to
  6. If you don’t have a competitive advantage, don’t compete (You’re not competing, you’re losing).

Bob Costas Cries Too Much

Can I just say that I am sick and tired of hearing Bob Costas constantly cry about the Yankees payroll? Stop whining. It’s why his pathetic little book that posited MLB should pattern the league after the NBA. Yeah, because the NBA is so relevant today. Bob Costas proves that idiots can be successful in life.

New Look MLBLOGS

    OK, I’m hoping that a little more control comes to the layout as they work the bugs out but I like the new look.
Tomorrow I’ll put up my season predictions. As if anyone other than me cares. :)

What I Like About The Fight: As a Fan

    Last year, I often thought the Yankees would have benefited more if Torre had a little more fire in him defending his guys. I’ve never understood how the Red Sox seem to get a pass for all the batters they hit and all the fights they get in but when the Yankees do, Chicken Little and all of his cousins come running out of the woodwork to cast the spell of death upon them. Self proclaimed princes shriek about bully’s and Girardi’s “questionable” past.  Heck, even I gave Girardi some grief over what I thought was his over-reaction. Last year the Yankees had 2 people in the top ten beaned batters. 3 in the top 15. That is too many.
    As a fan of the Yankees I have often thought they needed a little more “fight” in them. I thought quite a few times last year that Torre needed to get out there and argue a little with the umpires. I think that this was a bit of an over-reaction but I like that Girardi is going to get a little lippy–have a little edge to him . I like that they’re willing to get their jerseys a little bloodied. I know all the prognosticators are saying how weak the Yankees are and how they don’t have a chance to win the division this year or even make the play-offs. I hear and read how the Blue Jays, Red Sox and maybe even the Orioles are better and I do not care. Here’s the thing, this team is just a little of good chemistry away from maybe being able to put together a heck of a season.
    As a Yankee fan I’ve been hearing all the experts talk about how this will be the year the Yankees finally don’t make the playoffs. I guess sooner or later someone has to be right, I mean now one makes the playoffs every year, right? But even if they don’t make the playoffs, I don’t think being willing to mix it up on the field is such a big deal.

It’s Time for Girardi and The Umps to Take Responsibility For “Spring Gate”

    I’m not even going to touch the disparity of the suspensions. It’s time we take a much closer look at the umpires who were working the game between the Yankees and Rays that lead to “Spring Gate.”  The pitch that “hit” Evan Longoria barely touched him. If the kid had moved at all, it would have missed him completely. Let’s be honest, the Yankees pitcher wasn’t exactly a picture of control up to that point but supposedly he magically had pinpoint accuracy? Come on. That’s just silly.
    Now, let’s talk about Duncan’s slide. Yes, his leg is up. But he didn’t even touch the guy. His leg is up and not extended. HE DIDN’T EVEN MAKE CONTACT WITH HIS FOOT.   For someone to say that he was trying to send a message with that slide must mean that they saw a different game than I did or that they think Duncan has the physical co-ordination of a second grader. Maybe they just don’t like the Yankees.
    This whole thing is greatly overblown because of Girardi’s dumb comments. If he doesn’t act like the silly spoiled rich kid who’s upset his AA player got hurt and keeps his diarrhetic mouth shut Duncan makes his slide and nothing happens. A few jaws might would have been exercised.
    This ‘story” best illustrates the responsibility of leadership. For this game, both Girardi and the umpires blew it.

It Would Appear That Players Are Not The Only One’s Doing Drugs

Come on! Is this guy nuts? Sponsors? [make Mora Face] SPONSORS!!! $20!!! Get to 10 posts.
Here’s his exact pitch:

Information comes at the expense of time. And time, these days,requires money. For Dan Weisman to continue bringing the best of
baseball to your eyes (ears, throat, etc.) sponsorships are key. Future
plans call for special sponsorship perks TBA as well as tax deductible
501(C) status. But for now, please help Dan Weisman help you…At least
where it comes to unique postings and insights about our great game of
baseball. A suggested sponsorship amount of $20, or more, sent to Dan
Weisman at P.O. Box 8402, Rancho Santa Fe, Ca. 92067, would be greatly
appreciated and keep this Blog alive!!!

Public Enemy #1

By now, you’ve probably seen this video but if not, take a look at one nasty curve ball. In a few days let’s talk about whether or not Joe Torre actually makes the Dodgers significantly better. What’s his greatest weakness?

Fantasy Frenzy

Drafted my second team tonight. Offense, points only league.
Scoring is as follows:
AB, R, H, S, RBI, SF, SB, BB, TB = 1 point
2B= 2 points
3B= 3 points
HR = 4 points
Somehow I drafted 5th again. Here’s my line up.
C-Posada
1b-Giambi
2b-Uggla
3b-Blaylock
SS-Hanley Ramirez
OF-Vlad
OF-Fukodome
OF-Abreau
Ut-Geo Soto
Ut-Carlos Delgado
Bench
Willy Taveras
Evan Longoria
Freddy Sanchez
Corey Patterson
Willy Mo’ Pena

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