Most Valuable Player

Voltaire said, “Common sense is not so common.”  In baseball and in business too many of us take the path of least resistance and just accept things versus observing and researching to understand what is the right answer or the right way. Common sense tells us observation is the objective word here! So, spend a little time observing what works, and what doesn’t. Especially when the law of average is stated as a common sense observation?

With that said, isn’t the better question, “how many of us have common sense, yet we don’t take advantage of it?”  

May I suggest we all take time to observe, then combined Common Sense with knowledge and I believe it won’t be long before we will become intuitive about the task at hand. Increasing our chances to become a Winner. So, instead of wasting Common Sense, be like Henry and take advantage of it.

Henry Ford stated, “…Most people get ahead during the time that other’s waste.” So instead of wasting it, use your Common Sense and maybe you will be the next Johnny Damon!

Until next blog, use deodorant!

Al McCormick

Stan Musial originally signed with the Cardinals as a pitcher in 1938, brought up to the majors 3 years later after being converted to an outfielder. It only took two full seasons [e.g., 1943] for Major League Baseball to recognize and award Stan “The Man” Musial the first of his 3 MVP awards. A nickname he was given by his National League rival, the Brooklyn Dodger fans, who, on June 23, 1946 chanted, “Here comes the man!”  Baseball aside, these Americans recognized “The Man” who routinely destroyed Dodger pitching was patriotic enough to skip his 1945 baseball season and serve his country by joining the Navy?

Bob Costas stated, “All Musial represents is more than two decades of sustained excellence and complete decency as a human being.”

Stan “The Man” Musial was a First Ballot Hall of Famer in 1969 and is a member of the All Century Team.

 

But there is more.

In 1960 Stan requested and accepted a $20,000.00 reduction in pay due to what he termed as a mediocre performance in 1959 [e.g., Table 1 below] due to his poor physical and mental conditioning. Were they below his overall performance, yes, but what is sad we all know mediocre Major League baseball players today who selfishly negotiate and renegotiate contracts without consideration for the fans much less respect for the game.

Table 1. Stan Musial 1959 Statistics

AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	BA
341	37	87	13	2	14	44	60	25	.255

Again, “[a] complete decency as a human being,” who just happened to:

• Win 3 MVPs
• Hit 475 Homeruns
• Held a lifetime Batting Average of .331
• Have 3,630 Base Hits
• Win 7 Batting Titles

So the question we all have to ask…

Are we humble enough to serve your country, recognizing that is what gives you the freedom to play the game you loved?

Are we humble enough to change the position you play just to break the line-up?

Are we humble enough to not let the greed factor get in the way and recognize it’s the fans giving you this opportunity?

One thing is for sure, we know Stanislaw was!

Until next blog may I suggest you sign-up never miss another blog!

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Al McCormick

Having difficulty letting go and what to do must be described near the chapter on authorized Independence in the non-existing parent manual.

They just graduated from high school, gaining a form of independence, but the mental pictures of what that means to us as parents is quite different then how our kids view it. For a brief moment we convince ourselves we have prepared them with the knowledge it takes to be independent, yet the moment they grasp the diploma from the principal’s hand they see freedom from control, influence, support…Independence!

High school graduation is just the tip of the iceberg, because accepting parental independence gets worse the moment he door shuts and heads off to college.

Doctor Somov encourages you to, “proclaim your psychological independence …Self-help, self-care, self-awareness and self-acceptance are patriotic. Stop waging war on yourself: you are doing your best, nonstop, all the time. On some level you know it. Make it official.” Let him go, let him make a mistake, let him learn. If you are honest and think back, my guess your life was not error free either. How handle ourselves is the key.

We know we have got to let go, but we just don’t want to, so we create this world where are in complete control of them for the rest of their lives. That parental transition, okay a Panic feeling you get in the pit of your stomach the moment realize you are no longer in control and you  question everything; did you do enough? Is anyone going to question your parenting skills? I believe they call it freaking out.

Doctor Pavel Somov describes this inability to let go as the battle where we “compare [letting go] to the real world that exists [and say] I don’t want this actual world, I want that theoretical world.” You know he’s right even as you fight that temptation to turn-around and check on him as you view his college in your rear view mirror, so keep driving. I am feeling pretty independent, how about you?

So, I thought I would share. Share before my son’s get a chance to pipe in and share that yes, at times I was overly involved and yes, there were times I screwed up.  Not sure when, but it hit me and I realized my job as a parent had changed. I was no longer directing I was making him aware. Aware he is not alone.  Aware the decisions he makes from this day forward are his. Aware of the benefits he has in front of him. All that is left is to congratulate him; let him know how proud you are of what he has become.

Is it all Kumbyah, No.

So, here are a couple insurance policies you may want to consider:

• Being a Parent: Make sure he knows he can call you for help at any time, anywhere.
• Helping with Academics: Let him know if he needs a tutor just call, you will take care of it, but ask him to do it before it becomes an issue.
• Helping with Laundry: Instead of worrying whether he will wash his clothes correct or not find a local laundry mat where he can take them weekly
• Drinking – Discuss it, it can be Life Altering – Set up the Uber App on his phone tied to your Credit Card
  • Make a Parent-Son Promise: Not condoning it, but if he does drink DON’T DRIVE.
  • Make a Parent-Son Promise: Again, not condoning it, but if he does drink DON’T RIDE with anyone else or give someone else [who swears they are okay to drive] the keys to his car. Crash where they are or use the Emergency Credit Card.
• Safety-Net: Provide him with an Emergency Credit Card. An additional card that you control, but tell him to use it when he needs too. Depending on whatever it is, assure him you may be upset, but you would rather be upset and have him alive then the alternative.
• Parent-Son Promise: Let him know he is welcome to call anytime, anywhere, but have an Agreed Once-a-Week date. Make the call enjoyable. Discuss is friends, what he is doing for fun…only discuss school if he brings it up.

Enjoy it, as time really does fly.

Until next Blog,

Al McCormick

This Quote from an Unknown Baseball Mom, truthfully does say it best and comes with a seal of approval from mothers around the world:

“I’m a

Mitt findin’

Uniform washin’

Gatorade gettin’

Picture takin’

Always cheerin”

As a coach, a parent, and as a son I have determined there is a direct correlation between the loudest mom at a baseball game and the kid at bat!

Truthfully I believe Mom’s have earned the right. In fact, Ms. Julian Huxley said, “The significance of an adaptation can only be understood in relation to the total biology of the species.”

I would even go on to state Mothers have been blessed with an innate multi-tasking ability in a male-dominated, unorganized environment we call Baseball.

Okay I can’t reference any specific study, but what I witnessed as a coach, the things my wife accomplished with our two boys, and as a son who played the game long before the invention of the iPad. Mothers are amazing. I do believe their are studies proving a mother’s ability to recognize their baby’s cry within hours after birth, which I argue lays the groundwork for what they will be dealing with over the next 20 years. [some believe longer, but…]

I first witnessed this phenomenon as early as Tee-Ball:

• The ability to Multi-task – Read, converse, keep and eye on the other children, then come to a complete STOP knowing their son is due up

• Critical Path Program Management techniques to ensure the uniform is clean and ready to go on game day

• Cryptogram savant – Ability to quickly decipher league and tournament schedules [e.g., translate the meaning of Team 6 versus Team 4 playing at Field 3] and have him their on time

A protective maternal instincts that is equipped with an attentiveness that extends well beyond the day-to-day tools of the game. Drawing on facts [e.g., equal number of innings, batting average, who struck out the most] as they question the decision take their son out of the game. Two to three innings into a baseball game and you will understand the birds-and-the-bees of where Mother’s Day Tournaments come from!

It is for this reason I wanted to say,

• Thank you Mom!

• Thank you to My Wife and mother of two wonderful sons, both who played baseball!

• And, a special thank-you to ALL the Moms who allowed me to coach their sons’ over the years.

I agree, now would be a good time to provide equal time to a real baseball mom. So I thought it would be appropriate to share Momumo’s blog, ‘The Life of a Baseball Player’s Mom,” to provide what many believe is a better sense of the pain and pleasure Moms endure.

Either way, enjoy!

http://momumo.blogspot.com/2007/03/life-of-baseball-players-mom.html

Until next Blog,

Happy Mother’s Day….Tournament!

Al McCormick

There’s two outs in the bottom half of the last inning. The winning runs are on second and third and all it takes is a single. Even though we really want to do well, failure takes center stage and seems so real at that moment.

We want to be the hero! We want to succeed. Honest, but…

Lets say you’re the positional player that is hoping the ball is NOT hit to you, or you’re the pitcher who is wondering which pitch to throw, second guessing yourself even if you pitched well to this point.

Now, flip the role and picture yourself as the hitter about to enter the batter’s box. You can’t help it, that thought of making the last out keeps echoing in your mind as you glance to the stands and see friends and family cheering.

It doesn’t get any worse…or…it doesn’t get any better than this!

Former Coach of the Year and Oklahoma Athletic Hall of Fame Coach, Glenn Moore stated confidence depends on a positive mental picture of ourselves and our mental picture is a [controlled by] all the things we say to “us about us.”

Worrying about ‘what may happen’ smudges your mental picture, not only creating a self-fulfilling prophecy, it limits your ability to learn from your mistakes. Yet, regardless of how positive the mental picture you form, you still may lose, but you have to believe this type of failure is the key ingredient to honing your skills and establishing the Future Knowledge you will use over and over again each time this opportunity presents itself.

Keeping your glass half full! You have to believe, you have to try! Optimism is even defined as confidence about the future, a successful outcome of… So become an optimist because it has been proven they are more likely to succeed. Why, because they are not afraid of trying. They view success as the result of knowledge, working hard, and pure and simple, welcoming the opportunity to try.

So, let’s replay the beginning;

There’s two outs in the bottom half of the last inning. The winning runs are on second and third and all it takes is a single.

Still need confidence, check out this video!

Until next blog,

Al McCormick

Attentional Blinking is discussed on the ball field a lot more than you may think. It generally goes under the name of “quick-pitching,” but there is a bit more too it than that.

So lets discuss what happens, but first lets explain Attentional Blinking in simple terms;

• The phenomenon that the second of two targets [the baseball velocity] cannot be detected or identified when it appears close in time to the first is Attentional Blinking.

The hitter’s eyes focus and deal with lines and motion witnessed by the first pitch and our brain registers and interprets. A major league pitching coach who used this technique stated the velocity interpretation stays with a hitter approximately 12 seconds. So when an Attentional Blink occurs the hitter is mentally guessing the velocity of the second pitch based upon the visual input from the first.

Now I never placed a stopwatch on it, but we have all witnessed the hitter who cannot wait to swing again and I can honestly say it worked every time regardless of the hitter’s talent level!

One Example: Facing an aggressive, can’t wait to get into the batter’s box type hitter?

• Show him your fast ball just off the plate
• Catcher gets the ball back to the pitcher right away
• Pitcher toes the rubber immediately, ready to pitch
• When the batter steps in, throw a change right down the middle

Done correctly [e.g., ability to change of speeds] the hitter miss-hits the baseball and gets himself out.

Another Example: Hitter is right on your fastball, rips it 500 feet foul or straight back.

• He anxiously jumps back into the batter’s box raring to hit!
• If he is ready to hit within 10-12 seconds, oblige him!
• Throw a change-up, and let him miss-hit the baseball.

Look for this when calling a game! Especially Pitchers, Catchers and Coaches. It almost guarantees getting a hitter out on 2 pitches and done correctly certainly helps a Pitcher’s overall pitch count.

The combination of the hitter jumping right back into the batter’s box and distinct velocity difference is the prescription to helping a hitter go back to his dugout.

It works and my guess Mike Hargrove, The Human Rain Delay, was well aware of Attentional Blinking.

Until next Blog,

Al McCormick

After 7 years of research and 1000 interviews with successful people, Richard St. John, Nortel Networks Research and Development labs Engineer,  answers the question, “What Leads to Success?”

Not just in life, but in the game of baseball. That is when you eliminate the fallacies infiltrating today’s game, you know, those statements that sound right, but after you do them you realize it was more HOPE than reality [e.g., everything from showcases are the way to get a scholarship to you must play for a good team, that travels all over the place, to get better].

The difficulty is believing in yourself enough to recognize these baseball sounding, rumor mill misconceptions are not helping. There is NO MAGIC PILL. Truth be told, baseball is simpler than that. In fact, once you hear these 8 Secrets of Success,  I would expect you to tap your head and say, “of course,” then start doing them.

• Passion – Freeman Thomas, car designer, DaimlerChrysler said, “I am driven by my passion.”
• Work – Rupert Murdoch, Media Mogul said, “It’s all hard work. Nothing comes easily.”
• Good – Alex Garden, Game Developer said, “To be successful put your nose down in something and get damn good at it. There is no magic, it’s PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE!!!”
• Focus – Norman Jewison, filmmaker said, “I think it all has to do with focusing yourself to one thing.”
• Push – David Gallo, Marine Scientist said, “Push yourself. Physically, mentally, you ‘gotta’ push, push, push.”
• Serve – Sherwin Nuland professor of surgery, Yale said, “It was a privilege to serve as a doctor.” Serve others something of value.”
• Ideas – Bill Gates, Microsoft said, “I had an idea – founding the first micro-computer software company…”
• Persist – Joe Krause, co-founder, Excite said, “Persistence is the number one reason for our success.” You must persist through failure…

Simple words implementing simple actions which, when you consider the individuals who applied them and the success they received, why not:

• List on a Poster for your bedroom

• Write them in your ball cap

• Keep a DAILY Journal, stating what ACTION YOU performed associated to each one

Success is simpler than you think, you just have to do what it takes to get it!

Until next blog,

Al McCormick

Blaming the coach for any aspect of your game, even if it is true, is just a form of transferring blame. It certainly doesn’t fix things, and in the end, you must recognize you are wasting time on things you have zero control over. True, it may make for a great reality show, but blame is a lousy excuse when it comes to explaining why your never received a college scholarship, got drafted or why playing time was limited.

One thing is certain, time is not standing still, so spend it trying to Be GOOD. As Michael Jordan wrote in, “I Can’t Accept Not Trying,” “Not everyone can be the greatest … [baseball] player, but you can still be considered one of the best, and you can still be considered a success.”

You must know a Recruiter or a Scout is unlikely to turn away a talented player.

Michael Jordan went onto say, “If I was only given a particular opportunity or if only the coach … liked me better I could have accomplished this or that. Nothing but excuses.”  A sugar-coating we often use when justifying the ‘why’ to others, but in many cases, blinds us and prevents us from reaching the GOALS we set for ourselves. Excuses Dr. David J. Schwartz [The Magic of Thinking Big author] states, we use to destroy what we want the most;

“…we murder it…committing success-suicide.”

The “would-a, could-a, should-a” note would read, I’m wasting my time, he doesn’t like me, I will just accept not playing or just give up.

Start today realizing the simple fact a coach does not dictate where you end up, you do! Where you end up is determined by You, and You Alone. Controlling whether you reach your GOAL or not; that something YOU want and YOU are trying to do or achieve. So, instead of worrying about others and what they think, worry about yourself and Make it happen!

Ask the question; Am I spending time improving or am I spending time blaming others?

Until next blog,

Al McCormick

Change is a simple word, but too many players find it easier to explain as a Noun then to implement change as a Verb!

CHANGE as a Noun: The instance of making or becoming different. Too many players find comfort in describing and/or planning what they are going to do to improve. Most are not even sure if what they are doing will make the change they are looking for. It just sounds good when they say it.

Google CHANGE, and you will find over 21 Million generic ways to describe CHANGE [e.g., it’s inevitable, its unavoidable], but identifying it doesn’t make you do one thing. Alfred A. Montapert described going through the motions better than most. He said, “Do not confuse motion and progress. A rocking horse keeps moving but does not make any progress.”

Recognize taking batting practice will not make you a better hitter or throwing bull pens will not make you a better pitcher.

CHANGE as a Verb: Make or become different. The key to making a change is first understanding the RIGHT WAY to do something. Without specific knowledge of what you are trying to improve, then you are nothing more than a rocking horse.

• Want to improve as a hitter, find out what it takes to hit the ball correctly.
• Want to improve as a pitcher, find out what it takes to pitch the ball correctly.

The first step to making a change is recognizing the fact improvement has nothing to do with batting average or win-loss record. It has everything to do with the proper mechanics! So, are you doing those things correctly, “Yes” or “No?” Because when it comes to Baseball, the answer is a simple. If not, then continually make the CHANGES until you do. Results when focused on the right way to Hit or Pitch is simpler than you think.

Carol Burnett said it best, “Only I can change my life. No one can do it for me.”

Make the CHANGES, then continually APPLY them!

Until next blog, ask yourself, am I a rocking horse when it comes to the game of baseball?

Al McCormick

“Amazing” is the response I often hear from a college coach when I pass on information about a player who is the right fit. Certainly I am overjoyed for the player, but the fact too many players have NO-IDEA of what it takes to be unique is…quite frankly, sad!

Instead, we are often better at laying blame, “I would have been good, but my high school team, my summer team or my coach was…,” then knowing what it takes to be unique. We spend too much time trying to dissect why we are not good enough and not enough time trying to figure out what it takes too be good.

Which is probably why so many coaches are amazed when they see a good player. He truly is UNIQUE. They see too many players looking for the magic pill, the right team, or the easy way to get there versus doing something about it.

Often they are better at taking batting practice, tossing a bull-pen, or fielding the ball versus playing the game. That is why so much money is wasted on College Showcases versus spending it on the sole purpose of making himself a better, stronger, faster player and understanding HOW to play the game.

So if the recipe to play college baseball or beyond is to BE GOOD, then what is the secret sauce behind the Unique Player? It is as simple as, Wanting It! In fact they are Passionate about it.

Are You? Do you truly have a strong feeling of enthusiasm or excitement for baseball. So strong, you study every aspect about the game and try to make it your own. Are you Passionate?

The moment you become passionate about the game of baseball, is the instant you will realize that YOU, and YOU Alone determine how far YOU will go. So learn every aspect [e.g., hitting, pitching, offense, defense] of the game; learn your position as well every other position and understand the subtle differences in Winning and Loosing.

Then APPLY IT!

Then WORK AT IT!

Then YOU will become GOOD, and you too, will become UNIQUE!

As David J. Schwartz, PH.D said, “A goal is more than a dream; it’s a dream being acted upon.”

Instead of a showcase I recommend you watch the following video, then be honest with yourself, “How Bad Do You Want It?”

https://youtu.be/8sLope9LA-8

So, until next blog, act on your dream and be Good,

Al McCormick