The Baseball Analogy

Play ball! With those words, all over the U.S., in one Canadian city and many in Japan, Abner Doubleday's whimsical past time will play itself out at the professional level. Countless baseball diamonds all around the world will play host to many more amateur games.

For the dyed-in-the-wool baseball/softball fan, the game that seems so simple can take a lifetime to understand its nuances. My late father, into his 90's would sit with me to watch "his Blue Jays" and complain to me that "The pitcher should not be throwing balls low and away to the right-handed batter with a runner on first as it pulls the first baseman out of position to field the potential ground ball." At that point I'd just look over to my dad and respond, "Dad, just watch the game!" Good thing one of us in the room was still sharp as a tack!

As I write this on 10/17/12, my pvr is humming away recording the NLCS (National |League Championship Series) game from St. Louis, MO where the hometown Cardinals are hosting the Giants from "the city by the bay" (aka San Francisco) with the best-of-seven series tied at one game apiece. Later today, I'll put my feet up and watch the Tigers of Detroit, MI hopefully (oh, did I say hopefully?) end the suffering of The Bronx Bombers (aka New York Yankees) as the Tigers enter into the contest leading 3-0 in the ALCS (American League Championship Series). The winners of course will meet to decide who captures The Commissioner's Trophy in what is more commonly known as The World Series\(Go Tigers, oops, just slipped).

All joking aside, it's baseball which has afforded me my best advice to put wins and losses into their proper perspective and I simply call it, "The Baseball Analogy".

Before the baseball season starts, even before that unmistakable sign of the vernal equinox, spring training, I can go to the worst team in baseball with the following statement. "Despite your ineptitude, inexperience, limited skill set (enter the negative quality of your choice here), you're going to win 50 of the 162 games you will play in the regular season schedule. Fifty!

I then can approach the best team in baseball with the following statement. "Despite your great talent, experience, motivation etc., you're going to lose 50 of your 162 games. Fifty!

Well, if the worst team in baseball, despite all their negative attributes, is going to win at least 50 games, so will every other team! And if the best team in baseball despite all their positive qualities are going to lose 50 games,well, so will every other team.

You see, your standing in the league is not based upon those 100 games, it's how you perform in the remaining sixty-two!

When you win, or lose a curling game, make sure whether it's in the group that no matter what you did, you were simply not destined to win that game, don't look for tall buildings from which to jump or sharp objects to do personal harm, just realize the result for what it is and move on. Also, when you come off the ice and you know very well that you didn't deserve to win that game, the curling gods were just smiling on you, accept the gift gracefully and move on.

But, if it's one of the 62, and you won, make sure you know why you won and if it's a loss, don't lose the lesson!

Bottom line? Know if it was a 50, 50 or 62!

Go Tigers Go (oops, did it again)!