When a group of people organize, with time and energy towards a goal, a team emerges, and there are three calculations that can result:

1. (1 + 1 = 1) They can mesh and fuse their potential together so well that when they move they cannot be distinguished from one another. They become one.
2. (1 + 1 = 2) They can play as individuals who bring a unique and valued perspective to each play.
3. (1 + 1 = 3) They can elevate beyond the capabilities of the individuals and reach a sum that is greater than its parts.

Although, for one to become a valued member of the team they must expend time and energy towards personal goals in solitude, it cannot be denied, when one of those components is missing, you don't have a team anymore. 

If you enjoyed this new meditation on the deeper meaning of the game, you’ll love THE ART OF WAR AND BASEBALL!! Check it out here: www.theartofwarandbaseball.com

Records are a way we keep track of the extraordinary events in history. We use them to measure our greatness. And many records are on the basis of streaks: Ruth's consecutive over forty home run seasons, Cobb's twenty three straight seasons with over .300 batting average,  Ted Williams reaching base in eighty four games in a row, Cal Ripken Jr.'s 2,632 consecutive game streak, and the 1916 New York Giants twenty six game win streak are but only a few examples. But it turns out, when time is taken into account, most records, even beyond baseball, fall into the statistically reasonable category. That is to say, when the relative skill of athletes and the relative time of play is taken into account these records are within the bounds of the mathematical probability distribution (i.e. a team who wins 70% of their games will statistically win twenty six games in a row once in every eleven thousand games. And given a team like the Cubs has played over twenty thousand games we are within the reasonable amount of time-played for an event like that to occur without it being considered exceptional). It's not to say that these achievements aren't great, but it is saying that at the current level and time of play these achievements were bound to happen. In this sense, statistics can help to curb our sense of specialness. Our evolutionary superiority creates a tendency to look at the trends of our achievements myopically, within the bubble of but a few hundred or thousand years. But this excludes the fact that we humans have existed for but a blip in the billions of years of our world. True greatness includes the feats of certain strains of bacteria which have persisted for over three billion years on this planet or, at a larger scale, animals like jellyfish, who have been in our seas for over 500 million years. So are there really any sports achievements that are statistically improbable and therefore truly exceeds what seems humanly possible when the mathematics are taken into account? Turns out, yes, Joe DiMaggio's fifty six game hit streak. 

If you enjoyed this new meditation on the deeper meaning of the game, you’ll love THE ART OF WAR AND BASEBALL!! Check it out here: www.theartofwarandbaseball.com

Oddly enough, my first entry specifically on philosophy will likely be my most pragmatic. As I prepared for coaching this year, I spent some time meditating on my tactical coaching philosophy for my youth team. This information includes what I'm expecting of myself and the players (and parents). It is important to communicate expectations. This not only helps to set a strong foundation for the team, it minimizes false preconceived notions. I hope this helps other coaches as they prepare for whatever game they intend to lead.
 
Goals:

• The overall goal for the season is to develop players and for those players to have fun
• I consider developing the character of the person just as important as developing the skills of the player.

 
My Intentions:

• Continuously improve players towards mastery
• Empower players to grow them as leaders and decision makers
• Correct/discuss player performance in private
• Reward players for hard work and dedication

 
My Expectations:
Sportsmanship: is paramount and includes respect for coaches, officials and each other

• I ask players not to speak when a coach is speaking

• Players should listen to each other and treat each other kindly
• Never argue with an official - This goes for me as well - I am modeling respect for the role, the authority of the role and the training they’ve had. It’s a difficult job. It doesn’t mean that I don’t care about sticking up for our team, I am just more concerned with modeling respect. 

Care of equipment: gloves or any other equipment is always treated with the utmost respect - never thrown around
Enthusiasm: always express interest in reaching your full potential

• Our team theme this year: dig deep, work hard, play together
• When we move, we run

Control: always remain in control, even in crisis situations.

• We are not ruled by our circumstances and we choose how to behave in a given situation. Our behavior isn’t out of our control.

Persistence: I typically lean towards having players work through hard times, so that they learn how to dig deep
Safety: players are expected to be aware of their surroundings and thinking through the consequences of their actions before acting.
Accountability: There will be consequences for breaking our team values, whether that be reduced playing time or sprints. We all can’t reach our full potential without playing together.
 
Parent/Player Concerns:

• Any concerns during the season please address them with me directly, before going to the league (unless they are about me, then please feel free to go directly to the league)

If you enjoyed this new meditation on the deeper meaning of the game, you’ll love THE ART OF WAR AND BASEBALL!! Check it out here: www.theartofwarandbaseball.com

The past 'me' is a ghost. The large catalog of memory I have of myself can make me feel like the past me is who I am. But it is no more real than the future me, a fantasy. So why do I define myself by my past and future when the only real me is now! This me cannot be beaten. This me cannot be broken. This me makes the right decisions. This me is ready for whatever pitch comes my way. Businessmen that do not honor this reality can be tricked by topics such as sunk costs. In this case an investment in our past can overwhelm our current decision making ability, working against our best interest in the present. Therefore, experience each moment fully, as though it is all that there is, taking all things into consideration without being swayed by past ghosts or future fantasies, and your best self will emerge.

If you enjoyed this new meditation on the deeper meaning of the game, you’ll love THE ART OF WAR AND BASEBALL!! Check it out here: www.theartofwarandbaseball.com

Insanity, in the sense of mental instability, is something we tend to steer clear of at all costs. We do this because we are uneased by the unpredictable, especially when we feel it may cause us harm. Yet, insanity as an outrageous or amazingly unpredictable event is something we all gravitate towards. Because the mundane is not social media worthy. We want the shocking. That's what entertains us. The routine plays bore us, yet comfort tricks us into thinking it's all we want for our own lives. If greatness is your goal, be willing for people to think your dedication is insane. Most people are too scared to be obsessed. But in order to be extraordinary, you can't be ordinary.

​If you enjoyed this new meditation on the deeper meaning of the game, you’ll love THE ART OF WAR AND BASEBALL!! Check it out here: www.theartofwarandbaseball.com

I wrote The Art of War and Baseball because we are spiritual beings yet it takes common ground to soften the heart to the spirit's whisper. For what else is a baseball field but the connection point of all players? You can’t have a game without it. It is the same in life. We have a tendency to want to rely on science for the answers - I should know it's my profession. But when we trace science to its most fundamental structure what do we find? Oddly enough we find the field. The field emits from all things. It is the energy that radiates at the foundation of the physical. It is not understood, even by the greatest minds. It consists of invisible forces that influence what we perceive as real. And how different is it to spirit? One could make the case that they are one in the same.

If you enjoyed this new meditation on the deeper meaning of the game, you’ll love THE ART OF WAR AND BASEBALL!! Check it out here: www.theartofwarandbaseball.com