IMO: Why I Love Baseball

I feel a lot of hardcore baseball fans get asked a lot, "How do you enjoy baseball?" followed by the comment, "It's so slow and boring. I always fall asleep." Then the next comment that's made is "I don't even watch the game if I go to it, I just go to hang out. Well, to me, that just means you don't understand all that baseball brings into someone's life. You can never understand what baseball has done for me in my life, so I want to share that with you. Today I am going to share why I love baseball and what it has taught me and what I still learn from it today. Before we get into, I want to give a special shoutout to my friends over at Stash-It. The business is like AirBnB but for the self-storage industry. So people can rent out their garage or storage shed, and even their driveway for others to use. If you have space, list it on their website. It's completely free, and they only make money if you do. You set the price! You set the terms! Use the promo code "YOUNG" and use your storage space to make some easy money! Stashitselfstorage. The Memories Ever since I could remember, I loved sports. I loved all games, but when it came to baseball, I had a different connection. The way it made me feel was just like I was on cloud nine. I remember going to games ever since I was small. I am sure my first game was in the Kingdome in Seattle, and then I grew up and went to games in Safeco Field. Which is now T-Mobile Park. I was alive and watch so many games and special moments in Mariner's history. The magical 2001 season where they won 116 games. When "The Kid" came back home to end his career. When Felix played his first and last game for the Mariners. When Ichiro left and then came back. When Dan Wilson hung it up. When the words "MY Oh MY" were spoken for the last time. This is the best part of baseball, the memories it gives you. I can remember where I was for a lot of these moments and how I felt about them. I can remember the great moments and the sad ones as a Mariners fan. But baseball, man, it just gives you memories that you cherish forever. Where it Started As a kid, my grandpa raised me when I was 8, and that's right around the time I started playing baseball. The first team I was on was in PacWest little league in Burien, Washington. I played for the Cardinals. My coaches were Coach Randy, who was the head coach, and coach Billy. There was a 3rd coach, but I can't remember his name to save my life. I only remember this because of how much impact they had on me. I played with these coaches for the next 3 years or so until I moved. I started out as a Catcher, and just the other day, I found my 1 and only game ball I got from these 3 years. It was my 2nd year. We had been working on blocking the plate in practice that week. It was a night game, the bright lights were on. We were the Athletics, The game was close. I got the throw from Patrick the SS and caught iT, dropped down to my knees, blocked the plate, the could of dirt cleared, and the ump yells: OUT! I was lost, people screamed, and my teammates were so happy and running towards me, and I had just won the game for us. I wanted to share this moment with you to illustrate that the point of memories made in baseball never leaves us. The Small Details and Fundamentals Well, what else is there to learn from the game of baseball. Well, I didn't learn a lot of this until I got to the age I am noW. I got into playing adult league baseball and recording myself and figuring out what I am doing wrong. Baseball is about the little things, attention to detail, and patience—a lot of those. In baseball, especially for me as a pitcher- it was always about small tweaks. Holding the ball, arm angles, how a leg kick affects the swing, where the foot landed, how the whole body moves, and if it is fluid. When it came to hitting, I was never much of one for being a great hitter. But its the same. Is it fluid, how the body moves all at once. It's all about the detail in all things, its about fundamentals. Which you take into other parts of life, for me that's taking those lessons into work. Am I efficient with time, pace? Am I seeing detail or seeing the small things that will make a significant impact? That's one thing baseball teaches you. Big Picture The second to last thing I want to put into this the other big thing baseball still teaches me to this day. It's a big picture. Its long term. The baseball season is a long one. For professionals, it is from February-October. For the front office, its all 12 months of the year. Yes, we see some teams go win NOW. A lot of teams, like the Mariners, said their goal was to compete in 2021 possible 2022, and that was going into the 2019 season. It helped me learn to keep things in perspective because that's what its all about, now more than ever. It is about seeing this time as a small setback to the long term goal of winning a World Series in 3/5/7/ or even 10 years, possibly. Gratitude The last thing I want to talk about that I have learned from baseball is gratitude. I was always grateful for being able to go and play another game. There was a time in high school. I thought I would never play baseball or even softball again. I injured my throwing elbow at the end of my senior year in high school in the Championship game and cost us the game. Now I since healed played in several adult softball leagues and now in men's baseball leagues. I am so thankful that I can do so without throwing pain  But right now, my season has been pushed back if not canceled, and that sucks. Also, a lot of people have lost their jobs. Please use this time to create those goals and those plans to get to where you want yourself. Keep your perspective as gratitude oriented as possible. Be thankful for the wrong moves you made because they got you to where you are today. Be grateful that your vacation got canceled because now you are possibly safer and healthier because of it, or someone you love is. Be extremely thankful for your loved ones right now, especially, even though you might not be able to be with them. But grateful they are alive and not sick. Be thankful you have time to reconnect with your families. Be grateful for the time you have with your loved ones. Other people are losing that same time with their loved ones, and it hurts me to see because I have seen those I love also die from diseases. Keep it in perspective and keep your mindset big picture. We will get through this time, guys, and we will all be better for it, and please come out on the other side grateful for all that you still have at the end and teach your kids the same lessons of gratitude.