Tag: baseball

The ABC’s of Baseball… and Life

For years, my son played travel baseball.

And during a few of those seasons, our travels took us to Aberdeen, Maryland.

What started as another stop on the travel-ball map turned into something much bigger. Not only did we face some seriously competitive baseball, but we also met a lot of great people along the way. One person, in particular, left a lasting impression on me, Billy Ripken.

Yes, that Ripken. Brother of Cal. But Billy wasn’t there to talk about stats, trophies, or highlight reels. He talked about something far more important: how to approach the game.

Billy introduced the players to what he called the ABC’s of Baseball… a simple framework, but one packed with lessons that went way beyond the diamond.

The ABC’s of Baseball

A – Abner Doubleday. The beginning. The game wouldn’t exist without him (1839).

B – Bunting. (1st learn how to hit)

C – Compete. Compete with yourself. Compete with teammates. Compete against the other team.

D – Drills. Do them right.

E – Errors. Make fewer errors than the other team and most of the time, you’ll win.

F – First pitch strike. Be ahead in the count.

G – Get better every day. Compete. Improve.

H – Hit… then hit some more.

I – Instincts. Pay attention. Learn the game.

J – Jump to the next level. Compete and get better—opportunity follows.

K – K’s. Don’t strike out. Stop swinging and missing.

L – Little things. Handle the little things and the big things take care of themselves.

M – Mistakes. Don’t make the same mistake twice. Learn from it.

N – Numbers. Play the game and have fun—don’t obsess over stats.

O – Outs. Make the routine outs.

P – Perfect practice makes perfect. Practice like a moron, you’ll play like one.

Q – Quick first step.

R – Runs. Score them or drive them in.

S – Simple. Keep it simple.

T – Thanks. Be thankful. You’re not entitled. Thank your parents, coaches, teachers.

U – Underhand flip.

V – Versatility. Learn as many positions as possible.

W – Walks. Be ready to hit, but take the bad pitches.

X – X-Factor. Give 100% honest effort. Work hard. Be thankful.

Y – Yell. Be loud. Communicate. Help your teammates.

Z – Zzzzz’s. Don’t fall asleep. Pay attention. Know what’s going on every inning.

During those long drives between tournaments, I’d go over these ABC’s with my son. Over and over. At the time, I thought I was helping him become a better baseball player.

What I didn’t realize was that these “rules” were teaching him how to be a complete competitor, on and off the field.

Then baseball ended.

High school wrapped up. Uniforms were hung up. And suddenly, real life was standing on the mound.

Fastballs came in the form of responsibility. Curveballs showed up as setbacks. And there was no coach calling time-out anymore.

But here’s the thing…

Just because baseball ends doesn’t mean the ABC’s stop applying.

Take a second look at Billy Ripken’s ABC’s, but this time, step out of the batter’s box and into the workforce. Into school. Into adulthood. Into life.

Compete.

Get better every day.

Do the little things right.

Be versatile.

Communicate.

Be thankful.

Give honest effort.

Don’t make the same mistake twice.

That’s how you earn a promotion.

That’s how you level up in school.

That’s how you grow as a person.

I relate these ABC’s to my life every single day. And my hope in sharing this is simple: maybe you take something from it. Maybe you apply it yourself. Or maybe you pass it on to someone who needs it.

Because after all—

life and baseball really do go hand in hand.

Game Over

It all started around the age of six. Hand-eye coordination was better than your typical child. The ability to throw a ball like a teen as a child, we got him started in T-Ball. One practice, and he was hitting without the tee. Coaches we’re amazed at his ability to play baseball at such a high level and his baseball IQ was top notch. The season ended and the coach pitch league asked if he would like to play with them for the playoffs. A chance to get better and more reps he was all in.

A young child at 2nd base prevailed and quickly proved he could play with anyone. The next season he moved to 3rd base where he fell in love with the position. Local recball proved to be a bad place for us. The dads who coached the teams played all the kids from their neighborhood and the kids whose parents all hung out together. I honestly believe they picked my son solely because I was a police officer in that town.

After the season, a bit discouraged, we were approached by a parent who suggested travel baseball. We found a tryout for a team about an hour away. First of all, wow! This tryout was like being at a professional combine. For a ten year old I’m not truly sure he could understand the scope of it all. After a few weeks, we receive an email and he was offered a spot on the team. This is where we made a home for the next six years.

Organized is an understatement. We were first brought in and fitted for uniforms. Three hats, home, away, and alternative. Same goes for the uniform. We were also given a Sunday practice uniform and a Wednesday pitchers only uniform. The practices were scheduled and after a dynamic workout to warm the bodies up, players broke down to different stations.

Always moving and always learning. This is where my son really learned the sport of baseball. Fundamentals were re-taught, lessons and drills were repeated to the point I was saying them in my sleep! So much structure and discipline, it was definitely an honor to be a part of this baseball organization and family!

At the high school age, he made the tough decision to walk away from his travel team and commit his time to just high school baseball. As a parent, I guide and help, but ultimately I had to let him make his own decision whether it was correct or not.

Moving forward, my son quickly relearned in high school what recball was like. Not the coaches kids, but the teachers kids got preference. My son still played his best and proved his worth at his position.

We came from organized and structured and neat and orderly. We came from a place where everyone had to be prompt and in uniform. We ended up in chaos! Players arrived to practice in shorts, khaki pants, and sweat pants. Some had hats, some did not. No dynamic warm up. They would just jump to it. This is how injuries happen, and injuries did happen!

Game day. One coach is in uniform, the other coach is in sweat pants and a pullover, neither had matching caps on. What is this bizarre world we are in? State of the art facility, beautiful brand new stadium, and players and coaches are a mess. I use coaches lightly, there wasn’t much coaching. Players not always sure what to do when they got the ball, no correction, no helping, no direction, and no guidance. It didn’t take long for my son to realize this was a bad decision and this isn’t the type of baseball he is used to playing or wants to play.

Fundamentals?? High school aged athletes making t-ball game blunders and looking just as confused as the beginner.

Starting into the junior year, I was informed by my son that he no longer will play baseball. I can’t blame him! From dugout fights to on the field embarrassments, he simply had enough and couldn’t envision playing at such a low level of undisciplined and under coached baseball.

A sad day for me and the family, we loved watching him play. We loved seeing the happiness in his eyes making that impossible play at 3rd or the bang bang double play to end an inning. It was the sight of pure jubilation we all got to see when he hit that first career grand slam!! Boy did he get all of that ball! Talk about a lottery winner! I caught the whole thing on video! Thankful for the videos and the pictures, because as of now, memories and the remnants of gear around the house is all we have. On to the next adventure and chapter, and no matter what, always supportive and ready to see what makes him return to that smile that he found on the diamond!