Thursday, June 28, 2012

Temper, temper...

"The ballplayer who loses his head, who can't keep his cool, is worse than no ballplayer at all." Lou Gehrig, NY Yankees

Anger management. The ability to control the reaction to undesirable circumstances, events or people. The ability to swallow your pride. The ability to move on and forget the past. To forget about the water under the bridge - quickly. Count to ten, take a walk, take a drive, call your wife, whatever your secret is use it to your advantage anddon't let it impact the rest of your day. Having a very short memory can be the most productive trait you can have if you are in a business or career that forces you to face constant rejection, criticism and failure. Baseball. Sales. Good luck.

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Up/Down

"Every season has its peaks and valleys. What you have to try to eliminate is the Grand Canyon." - Andy Van Slyke, St Louis Cardinals

The highs and the lows, the ups and the downs. Difficulty in tempering enthusiasm as well as disappointment helps maintain the even keel needed to be productive day in and day out. Difficult to do! A particular line I always remember is from Reggie Jackson: "I was reminded (by Jim Bouton) that when we lose and I strike out, a billion people in China don't care." Keep your personal triumphs and tragedies in perspective.

Monday, June 25, 2012

How do you break a "slump"?

"Most slumps are like the common cold. They last two weeks no matter what you do." Terry Kennedy, SD Padres Catcher

A slump. What is a slump? How do you break out of it? How do you avoid them altogether? What is it you do?

Friday, June 22, 2012

When do you cross the line - Confidence to Cockiness?

"If you say you're going to do it, and you go out and do it, it ain't braggin." Dizzy Dean, Hall of Fame pitcher

The confidence that a successful person displays is fun to watch. They are a shining star and you want to be like them, to have that air of invulnerability, to seem to be on top of everything. But the line they can cross, to overbearing cockiness, how does that happen? Where? When? None of us really like to deal with a braggart, but there is some sort of magnetic quality about someone with inner strength and courage that you can feel. But arrogance is most often a detriment to a relationship of anykind, business or personal and should be avoided.

Thursday, June 21, 2012

Thoughts to Provoke Action

"Prefer the errors of enthusiasm over the complacency of wisdom." Branch Rickey, Hall of Fame Executive

Perhaps the single greatest downfall for any successful person, complacency. Websters definition is "self-satisfaction especially when accompanied by unawareness of actual dangers or deficiencies" which is of course accurate, but not nearly as descriptive as I thought it would be. Complacency in the real world, in baseball, in business, in life, in love...what is your definition? I see not only the self-satisfaction, but the blindness that followsin seeing the further action one must take to maintain their level of competency. It seems it is human nature, once you get to a point of success, you feel it is no longer necessary to strive to hold that level.

But the truly successful, they never stop. Their attitude is relentless and it keeps them on top, always.

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Losing - Does it Drive you?

"If a tie is like kissing your sister, losing is like kissing yuor grandmother with her teeth out." George Brett, KC Royals 1986

How many of us accept losing without a fight? How many of us use the experience to learn? How many of us make every attempt to never lose in that way ever again? How many of usstudy and analyze the loss enough to know what went wrong, where, and when?

Winning is great, but losing can be a more valuable teacher.

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Winning - Not the Charlie Sheen variety.

"Winning isn't everything. It's second to breathing." George Steinbrenner

Sometimes I wonder if salespeople have the same drive that professional athletes do. I believe the successful ones must. One has to be smart about time and resource management, but I believe too many unsuccesful people do not succeed simply because they quit too early. Never say never, always try, fight fight fight, down to your last at bat - still swinging. As Yogi said "It ain't over till it's over."

Friday, June 15, 2012

"Most one run games are lost, not won."

"Most one run games are lost, not won." Gene Mauch

When you barely lose....was it because of what they did? Or was it because of what you did or didn't do?

Thursday, June 14, 2012

Victrix patientia Duris

"There are three secrets to managing. The first secret is have patience. The second is be patient. And the third most important secret is patience." Chuck Tanner, Piitsburgh Pirates Manager

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Leadership - Then vs. Now

"Learn to know every man under you, get under his skin, know his faults. Then cater to him — with kindness or roughness as his case may demand." John McGraw

"In playing or managing, the game of ball is only fun for me when I'm out in front and winning. I don't give a hill of beans for the rest of the game. The men who loses gracefully, loses easily. Sportsmanship and easygoing methods are all right, but once a team of mine is on the diamond, I want it to fight. Namby-pamby methods don't get much in results." - John McGraw in The Old Ball Game: How John McGraw, Christy Mathewson, and the New York Giants Created Modern Baseball (Frank DeFord, Grove Press Publishing, 03/02/2006, Page 51)


The manager of the New York Giants, Little Napolean was his nickname, a player from 1891-1906 and manager from 1899 to 1932.

His approach, would it work today?

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

What constitutes teamwork?

"The way a team plays as a whole determines its success. You may have the greatest bunch of individual stars in the world, but if they don't play together, the club won't be worth a dime." Babe Ruth

Friday, June 8, 2012

Is experience an advantage?

"Experience is a hard teacher because she gives the test first, and the lesson afterwards." Vernon Law, Pittsburgh Pirates Pitcher

Thursday, June 7, 2012

How do you help others?

"Life is precious and time is a key element. Let's make every moment count and help those who have a greater need than our own." - Harmon Killebrew

Life, business, sales, relationships, marriages....Helping is the greatest gift of all....I always remember my two year old daughter being taught the Help sign in sign language and how her face would look when she would use it and really want my help. From our first days here on earth, the need for assistance, for support both physical and emotional, for touch, for love, for aid, for comfort - the need is as basic to our survival as food and water.

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

What are your 3 keys to success?

"They key to winning baseball games is pitching, fundamentals and three-run homers." - Earl Weaver, Baltimore Orioles Manager

Ask another manager in the National League, you may get a different answer. Perhaps speed, defense and situational hitting.

No matter your endeavor...baseball, life, sales, archery, or being a successful husband...force yourself to focus on three specific items. You may be surprised at the results if your clarity improves on these how all the other activities (your life, your job, your career) all seem to come together as well.

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

"Luck is the residue of design." - Branch Rickey, St. Louis Cardinals General Manager

"Luck is the residue of design." - Branch Rickey, St. Louis Cardinals General Manager

The design of your day, your approach, your overall strategy to do what it is you do. Whether sales, management, process, quality control or lawyer, having this in place every day creates the focus you need. Often at the end of the day those who had the best plans and the boldness and dedication to act.....those people seem just a bit luckier than the rest.

Monday, June 4, 2012

Visualize to Win.


"Two things help me be a winner. One is I try to stay on an even keel. I don't get too high or too low. Two is I do a lot of visualization. I never see a bad pitch. I always see a good one."
Ila Borders, first woman starting pitcher in a men's professional baseball.

Friday, June 1, 2012

Casey at the Bat

Casey at the Bat
by Ernest Lawrence Thayer ©

Published: The Examiner (06-03-1888)



The Outlook wasn't brilliant for the Mudville nine that day:
The score stood four to two, with but one inning more to play.
And then when Cooney died at first, and Barrows did the same,
A sickly silence fell upon the patrons of the game.

A straggling few got up to go in deep despair. The rest
Clung to that hope which springs eternal in the human breast;
They thought, if only Casey could get but a whack at that -
We'd put up even money, now, with Casey at the bat.

But Flynn preceded Casey, as did also Jimmy Blake,
And the former was a lulu and the latter was a cake;
So upon that stricken multitude grim melancholy sat,
For there seemed but little chance of Casey's getting to the bat.

But Flynn let drive a single, to the wonderment of all,
And Blake, the much despis-ed, tore the cover off the ball;
And when the dust had lifted, and the men saw what had occurred,
There was Jimmy safe at second and Flynn a-hugging third.

Then from 5,000 throats and more there rose a lusty yell;
It rumbled through the valley, it rattled in the dell;
It knocked upon the mountain and recoiled upon the flat,
For Casey, mighty Casey, was advancing to the bat.

There was ease in Casey's manner as he stepped into his place;
There was pride in Casey's bearing and a smile on Casey's face.
And when, responding to the cheers, he lightly doffed his hat,
No stranger in the crowd could doubt 'twas Casey at the bat.

Ten thousand eyes were on him as he rubbed his hands with dirt;
Five thousand tongues applauded when he wiped them on his shirt.
Then while the writhing pitcher ground the ball into his hip,
Defiance gleamed in Casey's eye, a sneer curled Casey's lip.

And now the leather-covered sphere came hurtling through the air,
And Casey stood a-watching it in haughty grandeur there.
Close by the sturdy batsman the ball unheeded sped-
"That ain't my style," said Casey. "Strike one," the umpire said.

From the benches, black with people, there went up a muffled roar,
Like the beating of the storm-waves on a stern and distant shore.
"Kill him! Kill the umpire!" shouted someone on the stand;
And its likely they'd a-killed him had not Casey raised his hand.

With a smile of Christian charity great Casey's visage shone;
He stilled the rising tumult; he bade the game go on;
He signaled to the pitcher, and once more the spheroid flew;
But Casey still ignored it, and the umpire said, "Strike two."

"Fraud!" cried the maddened thousands, and echo answered fraud;
But one scornful look from Casey and the audience was awed.
They saw his face grow stern and cold, they saw his muscles strain,
And they knew that Casey wouldn't let that ball go by again.

The sneer is gone from Casey's lip, his teeth are clenched in hate;
He pounds with cruel violence his bat upon the plate.
And now the pitcher holds the ball, and now he lets it go,
And now the air is shattered by the force of Casey's blow.

Oh, somewhere in this favored land the sun is shining bright;
The band is playing somewhere, and somewhere hearts are light,
And somewhere men are laughing, and somewhere children shout;
But there is no joy in Mudville - mighty Casey has struck out.