Baseball doesn’t have a time clock…the game unwinds in an unhurried, meandering pace that is unique and beholden to no one...in its own time. The game progresses at times to appear like an eternity and yet frantic in its final moments…just like life.
Baseball is the hardest sport on the planet when one considers these simple facts for an 'average' Major League Fastball -
- 85 mph is the 'average' major league fastball - many pitchers throw much harder
- It takes 4/10 of a second for the pitch to go from the pitchers hand to the hitting zone
- A 'major league hitter' can get the head of the bat to the hitting zone in about 2/10 of a second
- Translation = a hitter has 2/10 of a second to decide if the pitch is a ball or strike, decide to swing and hit a round ball with a round ball...squarely...on an 'average' major league fastball
There is nothing harder than hitting a pitched ball...and there is nothing harder than life. The feeling of hitting a baseball on the sweet spot is effortless and beautiful...just like when life is going well and projects are coming together or job offers are rolling in. Conversely, when you are stuck in a slump the ball looks like a BB coming at you...impossibly small to hit. You feel powerless and lost as you flail at each pitch with less and less success. The doubts begin and you start looking for answers. You eat more or less chicken...you step on lines or don't step on lines...you carve words or symbols in the on-deck circle...you change the order of how you put your uniform on...you don't wash your stirrups...you get a different bat...you change what route you take to the ballpark. Struggling on a baseball diamond feels very similar to being lost at work...or lost in life...you feel powerless and like you are on an endless search for an answer.
Baseball doesn’t allow you to take more than it gives you. If you get an outside fastball and try to pull it…you will end up with a weak ground ball for an out. You can’t make something from nothing, and instead of struggling against this premise…you have to ‘go with the pitch’ and take what baseball gives you to be successful. Outside pitch means going the other way and hitting to the opposite field. Going with the pitch is taking what baseball gave you, and cooperating with it...and hopefully getting a base hit. When you cooperate with baseball...you have taken what baseball has given you and made something positive from it…just like life.
Baseball requires planning. Runner on first base who can run a bit…pitcher on the mound who has a good fastball…power hitter at the plate. The pitcher has to have a plan; throw a fastball to keep the runner from going and you risk the hitter going yard. Throw a curveball to try and throw the hitter off balance and risk the runner stealing second base. So the right answer is more complicated than that…and requires a pitch by pitch adjustment to the situation based on whether the pitcher is throwing a ball or strike. Get ahead in the count and you are in control...get behind in the count and your strategy becomes more conservative and defensive. Reminds me of salary negotiations...a time to ask for more and a time to be content with what you have...at least until the next proverbial pitch...which just might give you the temporary advantage…just like life.
Baseball is a team sport played by individuals. Within the larger, grander framework of a team competition…baseball still boils down to one-man’s battle against himself. His own skills on any given day that make up what a baseball player is...power hitter...hard thrower...good-field-no-hit and utility player are the 'tags' that define a baseball player. Throw the ball, field the ball and hit the ball…there is nothing else. Being on a strong team certainly influences your career, as you will score more runs with Ryan Howard hitting behind you than you. However, despite the support of a strong team...you stand alone at the plate or in the field and their strength cannot disguise or hide the deterioration of your skills. On a hot smash up the middle or a belt-high fastball on the inside corner, it is you alone who must make the play or turn on that pitch...and failing to do so exposes your individual shortcomings. Even when you stand on the filed as part of the team…you are ultimately alone…just like life.
Baseball is a game that allows intellect to prolong one’s career. Smart baseball players last longer because the find ways to adapt. Cal Ripken did not cover the most ground at shortstop, yet he consistently ranked at the top in put-outs and assists. Was he 'lucky' to have all those balls hit at him, or did he shade to the left or right depending upon a hitter's tendencies and the pitch count. Cal is smart and he studied tendencies and understood the game on a different level, and that's how smart players take their limitations and adjust pitch by pitch to what the game has given them. Baseball rewards the thinker in the long run…just like life.
Baseball’s dimensions are perfect. The fastest runner on the planet who hits a medium hard ground ball to the shortstop will get thrown out by a clean fielding shortstop. 90 feet between bases is the perfect distance between bases that allows a sure handed fielder to put out the fastest runner…provided he can execute flawlessly every time. It is the battle of lesser talent that can compete against superior athletic ability provided that the execution is flawless…just like life.
Baseball is the only sport where the defense has the ball. It’s the only game that relies upon the defense to start the offense. While sometimes the best defense is a strong offense…more often than not…a strong defensive position has been the difference between success and failure…just like life.
When I have a glove on my hand, spikes on my feet and a ball cap on my head…I am at home. A rocking chair is not as comfortable and familiar to me as the dirt of a good infield. A good ball player doesn’t ‘catch’ the ball…but rather re-directs it. As the ball settles into the pocket…it is effortlessly transferred to my throwing hand without thought…I am at peace. Hitting never felt the same way for me…
I love baseball because baseball is so similar to life…and I love life!
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