Page 8 - Fully Equipped Playbook

MINDSET
not only the positive experiences, but the negative ones as well. Determine what happened, why it happened, and how you can fix it so it doesn't happen again.
My 2009 minor league season was almost my last. I had jumped levels from Low-A ball to Double-A. 190 at- bats into the season I was hitting a whopping .190. I couldn't even hit my weight. I wasn't necessarily having bad at-bats, I just couldn't but a hit. I went from playing everyday, hoping I would dig out of this slump, to a
brand new position. Ready for this? I was soon asked by my Hall of Fame Manager Ryne Sandberg to coach first base on days I wasn't in the lineup. The picture to the left is proof. Yep, I had officially hit rock bottom. No longer getting regular playing time, I was instead high- fiving my teammates as they rounded first base. I was beside myself, thinking I didn't have what it took to make it to the big leagues. This was the hardest season of my career, and I remember thinking one day I’ll look back on this and be grateful for the lesson, but in the moment I was angry, upset, and felt like giving up. Shortly after my benching, I was demoted to High-A ball in Daytona, where I went off. The change of scenery and fresh start did me good. I hit .347 finishing with the highest average on the team.
I bring up this story because it shaped my entire career. I can't tell you how many times, as I moved up the ranks, that I reflected on this season. If I could finish strong after all the adversity I had been through, I could handle anything else that came my way. In my mind baseball was never going to be as bad as it was that year, I truly felt that way. So yes, 2009 could have been the end of my journey, but my mindset changed, as the scenery around me changed, and I was forever changed.
Failure is your best teacher and if utilized properly, will lead to success in the future. In baseball, if you fail 70% of the time, you’re still hitting .300 which is enough to get many players into the Hall of Fame. Your biggest growth will come from those 7 outs, not necessarily the 3 hits.
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