Pitchers and catchers.  Ah, words to warm my winter-chilled heart.  Spring Training has begun, and my mind wistfully recalls the smell of the earth thawing in my backyard.  Can infield practice be far away?

What better time to segué into another baseball-themed post.  Today’s victim is Joe McCarthy, the one-time Yankees manager (not that other prick, the senator who hunted commies).  McCarthy had much success, and like most successful people, he had a list of “isms”.  Many can be applied not only to baseball, but to real life as well:

Nobody ever became a ballplayer by walking after a ball.

Pete Rose was a lousy gambler, but a terrific player, probably because he busted his ass on every play.  You’d never see old Charlie Hustle loaf after a fly ball.  If you don’t have the passion to do something, maybe you’re in the wrong line of work.  Find your bliss.  Then give it your all.

You will never become a .300 hitter unless you take the bat off your shoulder.

You may want to be successful, but you have to put yourself in a position to be successful.  That means preparation and execution.  Do you have the training to be the best in your field?  Good.  But reading books is just part of the equation.  You need to hone your craft by practicing it.

An outfielder who throws in back of a runner is locking the barn after the horse is stolen.

I hate to mention that overused word, but even McCarthy back in the day knew that you had to be proactive rather than reactive.  Get your head out of your ass, and anticipate what’s coming.

Keep your head up and you may not have to keep it down.

To me, this talks about being a good person.  Your character can be ruined in minutes.  When you’re at work, leave the booze, drugs, and gossip at home.

When you start to slide, SLIDE. He who changes his mind may have to change a good leg for a bad one.

Indecision.  People, fearing that they’ll make the wrong choice, make no choice at all.  The problem with this line of thinking is that your future is decided for you.  I like to be in control of my destiny.  It’s part of my shit-or-get-off-the-pot philosophy.  Once I decide on a well-thought out strategy, I follow it through to the end.

Do not alibi on bad hops. Anyone can field the good ones.

Everyone makes mistakes.  That’s how we grow as people.  But learn from your mistakes, so that when the same situation arises, you don’t make the same mistake twice.  A bad hop is a challenge.  Rise to the challenge.

Always run them out. You never can tell.

When the situation looks hopeless, it usually is.  Usually doesn’t mean 100% of the time.  I don’t believe in fate.  If I can find one small glimmer of hope, then I’m going for it.

Do not quit.

Quitting is the act of stopping work, of refusing to move forward.  I’m no quitter, which has pissed a lot of people off who expected me to follow the rest of the flock.  My cousin, a recovering alcoholic, had a drawing of a frog being eaten by a stork, or crane, or some other fucking long-necked bird.  The frog, in the process of being swallowed, starts strangling the bird.  The caption reads, “Don’t Quit”.  Don’t worry, cuz, I won’t.  Ever.

Try not to find too much fault with the umpires. You cannot expect them to be as perfect as you are.

People who blame others for their misfortunes have a victim’s mentality.  I’m no victim, so I don’t bitch.  Not too much, anyway.  Take responsibility.  Tough shit.  Life is unfair for everybody.

A pitcher who hasn’t control hasn’t anything.

You can have all of the advantages in life, like good looks, wealth, health, and smarts.  If you can’t control yourself, whether by spending more than you earn, or drinking in excess, then you’re wasting your gifts.  Partying hard is for college.  Get your shit together and be an adult.

Ah, smell that dirt…

• Getting Rich in America Book Review and Summary, Part 3 This is Part 3 of my review and chapter summary of Getting Rich in America: 8 Simple Rules for Building a Fortune and a Satisfying Life by Dwight R. Lee and Richard B. McKenzie. You can read the first two parts of this review by clicking the following links: Getting......
• Sun-Tzu Sunday, July 26, 2009 ** Maurice ** I decided to start a new feature for the summer on the Corporate Barbarian Blog: Sun-Tzu Sunday (can a Machiavelli Monday be far behind?).  Sun-Tzu was a military strategist of ancient China.   Each week, I'll present an excerpt from his treatise The Art of War. ......
• Blind Loyalty I had a dog when I was growing up, a sheperd/collie mix.  He was always loyal, even when I, being the little bastard that I could be at times, would mistreat him, like trying to ride on his back like Peter Griffin did to Brian (only Family Guy fans......

• Gratitude- The Key to Happiness In today's world there are many things that can get us down. The job market is tight, we are living in a recession, we seem to have more health problems, and many of us are having a hard time making ends meet. Given this situation, it is easy for......
• Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell Reviewed I don't read many books. In fact, I only read books when I'm on vacation. They are great for plane rides and relaxing by the beach. During the rest of the year, I prefer to read blogs and other information from the Internet. That is starting to change and it's......
• Car Loans For People With Bad Credit Recent economic struggles have lead to many consumers facing drastic financial situations, and too many people have given up hope on being able to finance a vehicle without having a good credit history. The good news is that it is quite possible to locate car loans for people with bad......