Ethical Business Questions....

July 5 1947 - Larry Doby of the Cleveland Indians becomes the first black to play in the American League. So sad it took that long.


Lou Gehrig said right many years earlier: "There is no room in baseball for discrimination. It is our national pastime and a game for all."

I will do business with most anyone, and there are some customers out there who just rub you the wrong way. But as they say, their money is still good. But racism, well, that is another story. I have a hard time stomaching any racist comments from anyone and find it near impossible to do business with them. Does doubling their price make it better or acceptable? What would Jackie Robinson say?

"He led America by example. He reminded our people of what was right and he reminded them of what was wrong. I think it can be safely said today that Jackie Robinson made the United States a better nation." - American League President Gene Budig

I am guessing he would disagree with me.

Today is your lucky day.

"Fans, for the past two weeks you have been reading about a bad break I got. Yet today, I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth. I have been in ballparks for seventeen years and I have never received anything but kindness and encouragement from you fans. Look at these grand men. Which of you wouldn't consider it the highlight of his career just to associate with them for even one day? Sure I'm lucky. Who wouldn't have considered it an honor to have known Jacob Ruppert? Also, the builder of baseball's greatest empire, Ed Barrows? To have spent six years with that wonderful little fellow, Miller Huggins? Then to have spent the next nine years with that outstanding leader, that smart student of psychology, the best manager in baseball today, Joe McCarthy? Sure, I'm lucky. When the New York Giants, a team you would give your right arm to beat and vice versa, sends you a gift, that's something. When everybody down to the groundskeeper and those boys in white coats remember you with trophies, that's something. When you have a father and mother work all their lives so that you can have an education and build your body, it's a blessing. When you have a wife who has been a tower of strength and shown more courage than you dreamed existed, that's the finest I know. I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the Earth. And I might have been given a bad break, but I've got an awful lot to live for." - July 4, 1939 at Yankee Stadium on Lou Gehrig Appreciation Day

One of the best men ever. If only we could all live life the way he did.

How flexible are you?

"Pitchers, like poets, are born not made." Cy Young, Hall of Fame Pitcher.

Cy Young played from 1890 to 1911, totalling a record 511 Wins in an amazing Hall of Fame career. He also holds the record for the most losses in a career with 316.

Longevity and consistency, keys to success in any industry, business or relationship. He examplified the ability to adapt, change and progress as his industry evolved around him. As the most successful pitcher of all time, he straddled the bridge between the old era and the new era of baseball. When he first played, balls were being thrown underhand, fouls were not counted as strikes, the pitchers mound location was different and he did not even wear a glove until his sixth season!

How do you adjust your style, your approach, your techniques? Are you flexible in your delivery, are you able to modify your mannerisms, your voice inflection, your speed of speech? Are you able to recognize the need for such changes, or do you blunder on ahead with the same everything all the time?

Effort & Empathy - What does it get you?

"I want to be remembered as a ballplayer who gave all he had to give." Roberto Clemente - Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder, 1972.

Roberto Clemente collected his 3000th hit of his career on t he last game of the 1972 season. He was killed in a plane crash the following New Years Eve when transporting emergency supplies to earthquake victims in Nicaragua.

I have recently witnessed death first hand of people who were in the middle of their extraordinary lives, helping others, building families, and then to be taken suddenly. I wonder how mmany of us give all that we can, to our spouses, children, co-workers, customers...all the people in our lives that we meet on a day to day basis. Are we good to them? Or are we just good enough to get what we want out the relationship? Do we help them and offer our support, our assistance, our empathy? Do we care enough to show them that we care about them as people? Do we care to know enough about their problems so that we can help, or just listen? Or are we all too focused on ourselves to possibly give to others.

I think most of us know the answers, and somehow we keep forgetting the questions.

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.

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.

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?