I often write about sports, especially baseball as that is typically where I spend most of my time. To me there are so many things about baseball and life that go hand and hand. I sent a quote recently, Life and baseball have so much in common, some days you get the fastball down the middle, you smile and swing for the fences. Some days you get a curveball, you swing and miss, it leaves you upset and confused. Learn from each, both will make you better.
There’s a perfect example of today’s title happening in MLB right now. Chris Davis, a DH and 1B for the Baltimore Orioles is 0-49, for those that don’t understand that stat. Davis has came to bat 49 consecutive times without getting a hit. This has set a MLB record. A few years ago he lead the league in Homeruns and finished 3rd in the MVP vote. Those numbers got him a contract valued at 6 years and $161 million dollars. He continues to work hard to try to get back to that level but continues to go hit-less. As a coach I really dive to far into everytime, I watch pitches, swings (both during at-bat, in between swings and preparation before the player steps into the box) The one thing that I have noticed with Davis is he continues to approach every AB the same. He’s hitting balls hard, he’s hustling out of the box, he is doing everything he can to help his team and himself. Unfortunately for him, the pitchers and defense continues to make more plays than him.
This is something that most kids and some parents struggle with. The adversity and failure of not only baseball but life. Our expectation many times is to be successful every time out. That’s not going to be the case, in baseball your failure rate is about 70%. Think about that for a second, you go to work everyday knowing that I’m going to give my best and your best is an average of 30%. Everybody wants to get a hit every time up, every one wants to catch the ball every time it comes to them. However, that’s not going to happen. Some will run from a team or a job because they failed and want to blame others instead of looking in the mirror.
How are you going to handle, When your good isn’t good enough? I see tears, I see shut-down and I see kids and parents walk away from things because they can’t accept failing. Often times it’s the coaches fault when something goes wrong. Managers are fired all to often because a team isn’t good enough. Guys have unbelievable contracts now, yet if they fail it’s not their fault. It’s because the coach / manager didn’t have them ready.
The first thing one should do is understand that my good isn’t always going to be good enough. I will fail. Sometimes, I will fail alot. It’s making adjustments, continuing to work hard, hustling and above all continuing to try to enjoy what you’re doing. That last one is the hardest. It’s not fun when you’re losing or struggling. Going back to Davis, his last game he just missed hitting a homerun, When the ball was caught at the wall, the camera panned to him and he just smiled, an 1/8 of an inch and that ball was in the stands. Sometimes that’s the difference from being successfully and failing.
My guys lost two games on Sunday. Not because the other team was better team than us, for that date and those two games they made more plays than us. For that date, yes they were a better team, I will take my guys hands down against them anyday. We made too many mistakes. Our good wasn’t good enough. After the second game we talked, the kids heads were down, saw some tears and blank stares. I asked what could we have done better, got multiple responses. I then asked what does losing this game mean for tomorrow. I got a couple of puzzled looks. I then told them nothing, tomorrow is still going to come, winning or losing this game doesn’t dictate that. Yes we want to win, but sometimes our good isn’t going to be good enough. We have to learn from the mistakes, try to make those less and continue to work hard and believe in the guy sitting beside you as well as yourself. Baseball is such a great thing, you compete against players, teams and above all yourself. Everyone has a goal of making a play, getting an out, hitting the ball, scoring a run.
When life throws you that curveball don’t change your swing. Be aggressive, be you and continuing to try and reach your goal. If the pitcher gets you, tip your hat and tell yourself you got me this time but my time is coming. I hope your good is good enough today, if not smile and know tomorrow will still come.
Enjoy your day.
TCB