Baseball and Dadisms 2020
I miss baseball. I mean, what would it be like to go an entire summer without baseball? That's something I had never considered, but I'm afraid we just might find out. The thought makes me shutter.
Every year as Father's Day approaches, I miss my Dad, and because I have so many special memories of him regarding baseball, I think I miss him most this year. So it only seems fitting this year to offer my annual column on Dadisms as an honor to my Dad and the countless other Dads who taught us so much about life through the lens of baseball. (Certainly, there are lots of Moms who love baseball, too, but that's another column for another time).
In response to my requests, many of you sent in your favorite Dadisms over the last few weeks. I appreciated them all, and I also enjoyed the many stories you shared about your fathers, stepfathers, grandfathers, and other father figures. Your stories provided a context for what you shared, and that made them even more meaningful. Several of your stories, like mine, included special baseball memories with fathers and grandfathers.
So here is a baseball-themed version of my annual tribute to the wise sayings from the important men in our lives.
"There is no 'I' in the word 'team.'" While not unique to baseball, the wisdom of this saying reminds us that it is "not always about you." Sometimes being a good team player is graciously being willing to sit on the bench so that others can have their turn to pitch or swing the bat on any given day. I always have great respect for aging veterans who fully accept their role as no longer being everyday players, and instead focus on mentoring the players or players that will someday replace them.
"Know what you are going to do with the ball before it is hit to you."
This is excellent advice in baseball and in life. Applied to baseball, it means to know the situation--how many outs there are, what the score is, and how many runners are on base--before the ball is hit, so that there will be no hesitation as to what to do if the ball does come your way. Applied to life, it means we need to know our responses to both positive opportunities and potentially harmful situations before they arise. Parents can teach their children, particularly teens, to practice their responses and be prepared ahead of time for potential negative influences and temptations. This is excellent advice for adults as well.
"Wait for your pitch," and "Let the game come to you."
These two similar sayings remind us that patience is the key to making good decisions in all aspects of life. Knowing when not to swing at a pitch is as important as knowing when to swing. Take your time, weigh your options, and resist trying to force the game to come to you.
"Keep your eye on the ball."
This piece of wisdom was shared in an attempt to make a player a better hitter. The wisdom here is all about the importance of being focused, and of paying attention to what is right in front of you. In our work and personal lives, as with baseball, staying focused on what is most important is vital. "Keep the main thing, the main thing," is another way of saying this same thing.
"Look the ball into your glove."
This is a similar piece of wisdom but related to being a good fielder. The lesson here is, again, the importance of focus and concentration. Errors are easily made if a fielder is looking to where they are going to throw the ball, rather than focusing on watching the ball land into the glove. The parallel to this in terms of family wellness is the gift we offer another person when we are truly present to them--when our conversation with them is all that matters to us at that moment. We follow their words carefully, just like we follow the ball into the glove, never taking our eyes off of them. We need to avoid making the error of losing track of the ball in the crucial relationships of our lives, as well as on the field.
"Shake it off."
This is often said either after a tough loss, after making an error, or getting hit by a pitch. This is not only sound advice, but it sends a positive, hopeful message. Things don't always go as planned. We all experience defeat and loss on and off the field. These things don't have to define us though. When we are hurting--in life or in baseball-maintaining emotional and spiritual resiliency is the key to recovering and moving on.
"Know when and how to sacrifice."
In baseball, executing a skilled sacrifice involves advancing or scoring another player who is on base at the expense of giving yourself up for an out; it's a selfless act. This can be done by bunting or by hitting a deep fly ball to the outfield (or even hitting to the right side of the infield, if there is a runner on second). It may look easy, but being able to make a well-timed sacrifice consistently takes years of practice, as many dads know through sacrificing for their families over the years.
"2-4-6-8, who do we appreciate? Yay ....________!"
My baseball coaches always had our team recite this cheer after every game, win or lose, filling the blank in with the name of the team we had just played. Learn to be a humble and gracious loser, as well as a humble and kind winner.
And that seems like a great way to conclude this year's Dadisms column. "2-4-6-8, who do we appreciate? Yay.... fathers, grandfathers, and all the other influential men in our lives."
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