WEEKLY MOTIVATIONAL PIECE

Greetings!

Most all of you that I communicate with are between the ages of 16-22. This is an exciting time for you because Major League Baseball teams, more than I can ever recall, are now allowing their younger prospects to jump right into the starting lineup at a much younger age!

Take for example: Mike Trout, who began this past season at age 20 and just might snatch the American League MVP Award after doing things on the field no one thought possible for his age (.326 AVG., 30 HR, 49 SB and a host of over-the-wall catches). Then there’s Bryce Harper in Washington, who helped spark his team to a first-ever ride to the playoffs. At age 19, he became only the second teenager in the history of MLB to hit more than 20 home runs in his rookie season (22).

Because of their success, Baltimore recalled two of their prized young prospects this season – 20-year-old Manny Machado (who’s now anchoring third base during the Orioles’ pressure-packed playoff run) and 19-year-old pitching star Dylan Bundy, who is the first player (not yet 20) to wear an Orioles’ uniform in the last 45 years!

The Texas Rangers also recalled their top prospect - 19-year-old infielder Jurickson Profar - towards the end of the 2012 season. Just last Friday, Profar was asked to pinch hit in the bottom of the ninth with two outs and two on during the Rangers-Orioles wild card playoff game. First pitch – he drilled a base hit to left field. With their season on the line, the Rangers gave their keys to the teenager! And with so much pressure riding, he came through!

Through all my years of following Major League Baseball, clubs rarely wavered in their development of players. You moved up the farm system ladder based on performance and landed in the big leagues after a successful stint in AAA ball usually by the age of 23-24.

Fellas – work hard this off-season because now your opportunity to rise up has no barriers! Focus on your mindset development more than ever! The keys to the player’s you have read above is obviously ability but it takes so much mental toughness and confidence to perform at the highest level in your profession but there is a certain swagger you have to possess to show everyone that you belong!

Speaking of Confidence … look at Baltimore closer Jim Johnson. He was called on Sunday night against New York and gives up five runs in one-third of an inning that allowed the Yankees to win 7-2 in Game #1 of their AL Playoff Series. Johnson comes right back to the mound Monday night and 1-2-3’s New York in a pressure-packed ninth inning and K’s A-Rod to end the game!

YOU HAVE TO BELIEVE IN YOU ALWAYS! SAME WITH YOUR MINDSET! NOTHING CAN CLUTTER YOUR BRAIN OR ALLOW WORRY TO TAKE OVER!

All the best my friend!

Jim Loria

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THIS QUOTE PLAYS INTO THE REBOUND SUCCESS AND PERFORMANCE BY BALTIMORE’S JIM JOHNSON … “Each point I play is the NOW MOMENT! The last point means nothing; the next point means nothing” – stated by Billie Jean King, Women’s Tennis Legend and Hall of Fame member

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Self-pity is our worst enemy and if we yield to it, we can never do anything wise in this world” – stated by Helen Keller

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Don Baylor, Arizona Diamondbacks’ Hitting Coach, commenting on his talks with outfielder Justin Upton and his battle to become more consistent with his production at the plate: “I told him to clear his mind. He’s got to take all that junk out of the garage and clean it out” (which translated means – clean out all of the distractions from his mindset before his true talents will ever be unleashed).

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FELLAS – I WANT TO SHARE WITH YOU WHAT I READ ABOUT MICHAEL PHELPS SWIMMING COACH (BOB BOWMAN) WHO ACTUALLY TRAINED HIS OLYMPIC CHAMPION TO DEAL WITH CHAOS AND DISTRACTIONS:

Before certain swimming meets, the coach would hide his goggles so that Phelps had to swim without them. He would deliberately arrange late pickups so that Phelps would miss meals and swim with hunger. He cracked his swim goggles so they would fill up with water and obstruct Phelps’ vision in the pool. In the early days of training, Bowman created uncertainties for Phelps in lower-risk situations so that when it really mattered he had familiarity with the unexpected and a mental adaptability that gave him the best shot at winning. His past dealings with water-filled goggles came in handy during the 2008 Olympics in Beijing in the 200-meter butterfly. He won despite the goggle mishap, adding to his record gold medal streak.

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Written by: Jim Loria
E-Mail Address: loria@sfstampede.com