Section148's Manifesto-
This blog is focused on Major League Baseball. Even more, it is focused on the Detroit Tigers. Maybe "focused" is too strong of a word, we may go in other directions too- as long as I can make some nebulous link to the Tigers (or at least MLB)than anything is fair game.
I love baseball as a professional sport. In my eyes baseball has many of the same challenges as life:
For example- baseball shows that perfection is not necessary! A couple of weeks ago the New England Patriots came very close to achieving the goal of a perfect season, only losing the Super Bowl in the final seconds of the game. I don't know about where you work, but perfection like that is probably beyond our organization's abilities. In baseball, however, the best teams ever win 6 or 7 games out of 10 over the course of a season. To me such an accomplishment seems more like life. If our organizations/ businesses/ whatever succeed 6 days out of 10 then we are on a solid path and should feel good about it! That's 3 good days out of a normal work week if you break it down. How does that compare to your week?
People make the difference in baseball. Different people bring different skills to the game every day, and nothing is for sure on any day. Again the basis for success is pretty lifelike. A MLB batter is doing well if he can hit the ball 3 out of 10 times he is at the plate. Just making in on base happens only 4 out of 10 times for the best players in the game. Of course hitting a 3" ball thrown by a guy who gets paid millions of dollars to keep you from hitting it is why the batter also gets paid millions (if he can do it well.) But in the workforce we also have to deal with "fastballs" and "curveballs" being thrown at us many times, so the comparisons survive. Even on defense the Game mimics life. Placido Polanco committed no errors in 2007 in 683 plays, that is perfection! Brandon Inge committed 18 errors in 434 plays but is considered an extremely good 3rd baseman because he makes more attempts than many 3rd basemen. Sometimes the fact that you try means you'll drop the ball, but at least you tried! Maybe you kept a runner from going to 2nd or 3rd on a ball you dropped. That's what it is about.
So it is February in West Michigan. The thermometer has risen to 5 above zero today. The wind is at 13 mph and nobody wants to go outside, but in just 4 days the pitchers and catchers for the Detroit Tigers will be starting Spring Training in Lakeland, FL and preparing for another 162 games (and hopefully a few more in the Post-Season!). I plan to follow them very closely and keep this going a few times per week as the 2008 MLB Season goes on. The blog may get a little bumpy, but hopefully the Tigers' season will be less so. I also read the blogs of many other Tiger and baseball bloggers daily and will be linking to them frequently. Once I figure out how, I'll put links to them in sidebar of this page.
Next time a prediction for the American League and some other thoughts.
