World Series
Prince Fielder and the Tigers
Pursuing goals can be overrated.
Sometime they’re the wrong goals. And other times the way in which they’re being pursued is the wrong way.
In the case of Prince Fielder and the Detroit Tigers, the second case could be true. Fielder and the Tigers just agreed on a nine-year, $214 million deal, because team owner Mike Ilitch [...]
A Wish for 2012
Years ago, there was a young musician in the Bay Area who made a living giving banjo lessons. Each of his students came on a certain day of the week.
One evening, however, the teacher was waiting and waiting for someone to show up for a lesson. No one did. This puzzled the teacher, who couldn’t [...]
Changing Beliefs
You gotta believe! That’s what the New York Mets said in 1973 when they went from last place all the way to the World Series. That’s what the Detroit Red Wings are saying as they try to rebounded from a 3-0 Stanley Cup deficit to defeat the San Jose Sharks.
But what is real belief? What [...]
Where Do Unlikely Heroes Come From?
Beware the player who performs best when either far behind or far ahead.
Someone gave me that advice years ago, and it comes to mind as the season unfolds for New Jersey Devils forward Ilya Kovalchuk.
A high-scoring winger acquired last year, Kovalchuk thrived when his team seemed to be out of contention. Then, with his help, [...]
The 14 Killer Words
It’s one thing to WANT to win.
It’s another thing to HAVE to win.
And the New York Yankees think they HAVE to win.
With spring training barely underway, team co-chairman Hank Steinbrenner has already reminded the clubhouse about the goal. He took a swipe at shortstop Derek Jeter’s new mansion as a symbol of comfort, and he [...]
Adversity Training
Thousands of high school and college athletes will soon be playing in tournaments. All these athletes have one thing in common: They will face some sort of adversity.
Perhaps it will be an injury, maybe a bad call by an official. They will go into a slump, or fall behind in a game. Some sort of [...]
Sparky Anderson’s Secret
Sparky Anderson, who managed three World Series champions in a Hall of Fame career, has died. The secret to his success?
”He understood people better than anyone I ever met. His players loved him, he loved his players, and he loved the game of baseball,” said Pete Rose, one of the stars who flourished under Anderson.
Many [...]
Hating the Yankees for Their Money
Every time a fan rises to cheer the Yankees, you can bet there’s someone somewhere who doesn’t feel the love.
Yankee-hating goes to another level in these tough economic times, when multi-millionaires win the World Series as millions of people look for work.
Dr. John Tauer, a psychologist blogging for Psychology Today, examines Yankee-hating, using his normally [...]
Victory and Adversity
By the time we see them, players in the World Series are already wearing the trappings of a big-leaguer.
But it wasn’t always that way for them. David Eckstein, named the Most Valuable Player of the 2006 Fall Classic, was a college walk-on who earned his scholarship only through persistent work. Cole Hamels, who won the [...]
Loving the Big Moment
In a game filled with fun moments last night, the best came in the last four seconds of the Giants-Cowboys contest.
Lawrence Tynes was waiting to make a kick that would either give the Giants a last-second victory or leave them one point short. The Cowboys were trying to mess with his mind. And Tynes just [...]
