Scouting is hard. We, as an industry, simply haven’t figured out how to appropriately measure and value intangibles. We’re still learning, and I have no doubts that a clever individual will create a method to do so. Right now, quantifying those intangibles remains elusive.In 2007, the year before Clayton Kershaw would make 21 starts for the Los Angeles Dodgers in his rookie … [Read more…]

Attacking areas where you’re most vulnerable to failure and rejection is an exercise in confidence building. Who gives a damn if you lose a few battles en route to winning the war?Fear of embarrassment can be debilitating. It causes folks to live a passive, risk free life with little upside of richness and diversity of experience. At it’s extreme and in scientific circles, … [Read more…]

The greatest compliment you can receive from another in your clubhouse, locker room or office is being dubbed a great teammate.There are a plethora of ways we can demonstrate strong teammate behavior. We can provide an ear and not talk, but be present for a lockermate. We can offer words of encouragement. We can grab a man (or woman, though I’ve never played with one) by … [Read more…]

You may have read our posts about dietary supplements and already be familiar with our strong support of real, whole foods over pills. In previous writings, I advised moderation for folks who mine for shortcuts in the form of vitamins, bars and powders. Today, I read something that is causing me to make the same suggestion more emphatically. From sciencedaily.com: While … [Read more…]

We are perpetually molded by our ecosystems. We are not today who we will be in ten years.Baseball is a teacher. Among the many gifts our sport has provided me, country music stands out as perhaps the most unexpected. As I make my way to Nashville, I’m reminded that I never thought I’d have a genuine appreciation for the genre.I often ponder how baseball has shaped my … [Read more…]