May 2013

1. Lessons From Baseball
What we can take from the game
other than an adrenaline rush, cool new gear,
and junk food indigestion.

2. BadDaysHappen
1) No matter how well a player does in the field, if he
isn’t batting well, he gets benched. This even applies
to those with .250 averages. If they run into a string
of bad luck, they receive mandated thinking time or
regrouping time in the form of watching their fellow
players who are currently succeeding better.
Lesson: We all have
bad days/times.
Watching others do
well and applauding
their efforts can be
terribly helpful.

3. IgnoreTheDowners
2) If a player messes up a game with a simple error,
some fans will jump all over him. There are people
who expect perfection from others. Of course, fans
can rant and mumble all they want. It won’t change
the manager’s course. At the end of the day, it’s his
decision whether to keep the player in or give him
thinking time.
Lesson: The
naysayers don’t
make your career
decisions. None of us
are perfect, and good
bosses see the good
in us even when we
mess up.

4. GiveYourselfCredit
3) A .250 batting average means the player gets a hit
every four times he’s up to bat. That’s a good average
and that player will get plenty of play time. Take it up
to .300 or above and that’s a darn rockin’ average!
Even the pros don’t expect a hit every time they’re at
bat. They don’t even expect it half the time.
Lesson: Maybe we
should take it easier
on ourselves and be
glad if we get it right
even a quarter of the
time. That still puts
us above par.

5. PerseveranceMatters
4) My team currently has a 20 year losing streak
(meaning they won fewer than half their games for the
year). Last year, they jumped up close to a winning
season. This year, they’re coming out strong. They
don’t quit. They keep moving things around, trying
new strategies, rotating the lineup, and keep in mind
that yes, they can break it, and this could be the year.
Lesson: If something
isn’t working, don’t
quit. Change things
around and keep
trying until it does
work. Perseverance
makes winners.

6. SupportTheHomeTeam
5) I was told last year that I chose the wrong team to
support. I beg to differ. I support the team that’s in
my chosen home area. Winning or losing isn’t the
point. How they play the game matters. These players
look supportive and appreciative of each other, they
play the game fair, and they try their best to give fans
a good season every year. That matters to me.
Lesson: Supporting
the home team and
the team trying to
play fair matters, to
them and to you,
realize it or not.

7. AcknowledgeOthers
6) At the beginning of every game, all players on both
teams stand and salute the flag during the National
Anthem.
Lesson: Always
acknowledge there is
something bigger
than yourself and
what you’re trying to
accomplish.

8. HaveAGoodAttitude
7) The players I enjoy and support the most are not
the ones with the best average or the most skill. They
are the ones with the best attitudes. If I had a choice,
I would put those guys in over anyone else any day.
Even when they’re having bad streaks, I root for
them. When those with bad attitudes have bad
streaks, I gladly wish for them to be sent back to the
minors to regroup.
Lesson: Attitude
Matters! Be a good
team player and you
will have good team
support.

9. AllowTrueSuccess
8) The most successful players are those who work
hardest, dig deepest, and make lasting impressions.
They’re the ones memorialized with statues, on walls,
and in history books. All players matter, but those
who land on top are better remembered because we
do care about who wins, as long as they play the
game right. Those who cheat, we dismiss.
Lesson: Success is
admirable. Don’t let
anyone tell you
otherwise. But don’t
cheat. You only hurt
yourself while trying
to hurt others.

10. KeepYourHead
9) The players who succeed long term are the ones
who keep themselves in the game. They don’t let the
stress of competition overwhelm them. They don’t let
the fact that someone else is doing better throw them
into despair. And when they do reach the top or close
to the top, they don’t give into the fame and derail
themselves. They keep their heads in the game.
Lesson: Watch your
ego and keep it in
check. There are
always better
players. You can’t
stop that. Use it to
push yourself.

11. RespectTheTop
10) The starting pitcher is tagged for the game’s win
or loss, regardless of how well or badly the rest of the
team performs. This always struck me as unfair until
I realized that pitchers know this going in. They get
the limelight, but they also risk the fall due to others’
errors. A good, loyal team will help a pitcher have a
winning season, which works out well for all of them.
Lesson: This is true
in every part of life.
Be a leader and risk
the fall or be a team
player and help the
one trying to help
you.

12. LKHunsaker.com About the Author:
LK Hunsaker has a BS in Psychology with strong emphasis
in English and Art. She’s been a baseball fan since
childhood when she played every summer, then switched
to watching her husband and son play as she often kept
score. Since moving to the Pittsburgh area, Hunsaker has
become a devoted Pirates fan. Oh, she also writes novels
that actually get pretty good reviews. Yes, baseball is
sometimes included.
LKHunsaker.com
Photos were taken by the author at a
September 2011 game at PNC Park
between the Pirates and the Cardinals.
The slideshow was adapted from a blog
entry in May 2012.