THE WINNING PITCH-October, 1999

If you are a high school or college baseball team hopeful, use this checklist to get you through a baseball season:

1. Persistence is more important than talent.

2. There is a reason that the word STUDENT comes first in student/athlete.

3. Respect the game as much as you want to be respected.

4. Tuck your shirt in.

5. Don't wear your hat backwards.

6. Practice hard because you play the way you practice.

7. It doesn't take any talent to hustle.

8. Be a student of baseball.  Learn the game. Study the history of baseball.

9. Help your team win.  Whether you play or not.

10. Keep a daily diary of what you do at practice and keep notes of your
    observations.  This will help you see the progress you have made.

11. Never argue with an umpire.

12. Agree to let your coaches train you.

13. Don't cut class.

14. Maintain the grades that keep you eligible.

15. Set high standards along with knowing the steps to attain them.

16. Don't tell people what you are worth, prove it to them.

17. YOUR GIRLFRIEND IS NOT MORE IMPORTANT THAT YOUR CAREER CHOICE.

18. Your parents love you, but they don't know more than your coach
    about baseball.

19. Don't let anyone make an excuse for you.

20. Maintain eye contact with all adults when they talk to you. Practice
    on your friends.

21. It is your coaches opinion of you that counts.  He makes out the
    line up. Fail to understand this point and you will soon be out of the
    game.

22. Life is not fair. Regardless of what socialist politicians and
    teachers want you to think.

23. Be passionate about your teammates.

24. Love the game.

25. Players are not the only people in the game. There are coaches,
    trainers, announcers, umpires, broadcasters, and writers.  All those
    jobs are honorable professions as well as keeping you young.

26. The only thing that coaches owe you is HONESTY.

27. Body language screams. It never whispers.

28. Balance makes champions. If you focus on hitting and ignore the defensive
    part of your game you will never be a complete player.

29. Be as diligent on defense as you are on offense.

30. Defense wins more games than offense.

31. Pitching sets the tone.

32. Games are lost not won.  Mistakes lead to losses.

33. You can win a league with a few good pitchers.  Well developed
    pitching staffs win the tournaments.

34. Work on your game everyday of the year.  The guy who beat you out
    for the starting job did and the team that always beats you

35. Who you are today is a result of who you were in the past.  Fill
    your past with smart work and good deeds and you will maximize your
    potential.

36. You don't have to be a great athlete to be a good baseball player.

37. Show off your talent to your current coach and your future coach by
    doing the following:(ALL THE TIME)

 A. When you jog to warm up finish first.
 B. When you stretch do it best.
 C. When you play catch throw to a target and hit it every time.
 D. When you play catch, catch the ball or block the bad throw and keep it
    in front of you every time.
 E. When you are doing a drill, do it perfect, every time.
 F. Go hard all the time. Never walk on a baseball practice field.
 G. As a batter/runner run to first as though it matters that you are safe.
 H. Know the situation on defense and do the right thing.

38. Baseball reveals character it doesn't build it.

39. Character means doing the right thing when nobody's watching.