The short story goes like this… Rob goes to see his beloved Washington Nationals play baseball and lightening strikes in the second inning. No, the Nats didn’t score – they rarely do. Lightening strikes by way of a screaming foul ball that travels fifty feet over Rob’s head, crashes off the stadium facing, whistles back over another 50 rows of seats, and on the fly sticks like glue into a shocked Rob’s right hand… and Rob is left handed!
26,716 fans at the game, and Rob gets to put a check mark on his bucket list next to “Catch foul ball at baseball game.” Pretty lucky, huh? It sure looks that way, but after a more careful examination, maybe it wasn’t quite as lucky as you would think.
1. Coincidently, when I was in fourth grade, I created a simple game of catch against my parent’s brick bedroom wall. Without anyone to play catch with, I would toss a ball against that wall for hours on end. To this day, I sometimes take a tennis ball outside and play a game of toss with myself, against the brick wall of my house. I guess you could say I am an expert at catching balls off of walls.
2. Coincidently, as a left-handed person, I actually catch with my right hand. I guess you could say I caught a break, having that ball slicing towards my right.
3. Coincidently, three years ago, I had my only other chance of catching a foul ball not end up so well. It was a much easier, lazy foul ball that sought me out as if it wanted to go home with me. Unfortunately, on that particular day, I wasn’t prepared to bring home a new baseball. As I rose to catch it, I made one, small tactical error: I forgot to put down my aluminum bottle of beer, and watched helplessly as the ball landed perfectly on top of my bottle and flew twenty rows behind me. At least I didn’t drop my bottle of beer. I have never forgotten, however, how ill prepared I was at that moment, and I vowed to make sure I would be ready if another chance ever presented itself. I guess you could say that I learned through my mistake.
Do you see a pattern here? What looked like a fluky situation wasn’t quite as fluky as it appeared. Many obstacles that face us, on a day-to-day basis, may appear to be controlled by chance. Yet, there are steps we can take to increase our chances for success. For instance:
1. Practice. It’s no secret that the more we practice, the better we perform in pressure situations. As a matter of fact, the more we practice, the greater the chances are that we will instinctively make the right moves under pressure. It was no coincidence that I had instinctively turned and was waiting for that ball to come back off that wall, while everyone else was watching the ball sail over their heads.
2. Preparation. I knew I had room to my left before that ball flew over my head because, in a way, I had scouted it out. It was no coincidence that I was able slide over while not taking my eyes off the ball.
3. Focus. I’d be lying if I didn’t tell you how deeply disappointed I was three years ago when I was caught unprepared. To this day, if I have a beer, a hot dog, or peanuts in my hands while the game is being played, I make sure that the food is in the bag, plate, or holder during pitches. It was no coincidence that although I really am a fun guy to go to the ballgame with, I’m also focused and aware of what’s going on in the game.
So, does practice, preparation, and focus guarantee you’ll be successful in all your endeavors? No, of course not. But it is also fair to say that these actions can certainly increase your chances for success. Was catching that foul ball a fluke occurrence? I guess so, but I’d like to think I did the best I could to increase my chances for success. Who knows when an odd moment of chance might come your way. Assuming it’s a meaningful moment, have you done the things you need to take advantage of it?
Rob, congrats on your souvenir. Always a thrill at a ballgame to catch a foul ball. The practice step is also talked about in Gladwell’s book when he talks about a group named The Beatles and a nerdy guy by the name of Bill Gates about their ‘practice’ habits. He is a firm believer in practicing close to 10,000 hours in order to craft one’s skills for success. Keep up the Friday AM blogs.
Excellent Blog, Rob! Did you get someone to autograph the ball afterwards! Like Ryan Zimmerman? Or Davey Johnson?
Let’s hope the ‘Nats’can finish the season at .500 or better! And maybe get in the playoffs next year with Stephen Strasburg!
John M.
Nice Rob and congratulations. When I was a Marine they made us practice pulling the trigger on our rifle hundreds of times, over and over, before we ever actually shot a live bullet. They had us ready so that when we actually went to the rifle range we had drilled the bullseye in our minds a thousand times. They call it “muscle memory”. Your body already knows what to do and is two steps ahead of your brain. I bet you saw the ball and then looked down and noticed it was in your hand, right? LOL.
Congratulations, Danny’s dad! One item to cross off the bucket list now! Really good blog. Thank you. I’m soaking in your wisdom and your great way of imparting it! Have fun on the beach with the family and regards to all. Wendy
Nice Blog Rob and well said. Congrats on your performance in front of the 27,000 plus screaming fans who showed up to witness this unlikly, or not, redemption. It is nice when preparation and hard work intersect with opportunity. With nothing left to chance, I still wonder what was in your left hand?
Rob,
I remember when I was a kid I was jealous when my neighbor got a hole in one at the miniature golf course. I bet him a hundred dollars that the next time we went, I too would get a hole in one.
I practiced for the next ten weeks, night and day in my back yard.
Later that summer, we went back to the miniature course.
At the first hole, I took careful aim and then hit the ball as hard as I could. I mean, I must have knocked it 450 yards off of the course. I never saw the ball again.
About ten years ago, I was walking on the beach in Ocean City and found a golf ball. Is it possible?
You’re the most prolific writer I know. And each BLArticle is more interesting than the last. Keep em coming.
Best, Steve