WEEKLY MOTIVATIONAL PIECE!

Greetings!

This week’s piece has two separate meanings. One, sports and life will always be about opportunity. How you face up to your situation tells the story. Some will prosper like, for example, Colin Kaepernick of the San Francisco 49ers, who, just a few weeks ago was called upon to fill in for the injured starter Alex Smith and performed brilliantly. Now there are debates whether he is the better player to lead the NFL club. Perhaps the most legendary sports story about opportunity occurred in the year 1925 when Wally Pipp of the New York Yankees excused himself from the lineup due to a headache and a young rookie by the name of Lou Gehrig was given the nod to play 1^st base … Gehrig never left the lineup thereafter and became one of the game’s greatest icons!

On the flip side to opportunity, each of you is born with a tremendous gift. A calling, if I may say, to play a game and to make a nice living as a result. Never take your skill and gift for granted or fail to truly maximize your potential. Over the Thanksgiving holiday break, I was watching ESPN’s ‘The Sporting Life’ and saw the story on Jacob Rainey, a high school football player from Virginia.  A gifted quarterback with definite pro potential. He was already being recruited by many major colleges. At 6-3, 215 pounds and timed at 4.61 seconds in the 40-yard dash, Rainey was equally feared as a runner and passer who could throw bullets down the field and had scouts everywhere drooling in anticipation of his future development.

During his junior school season in 2011, he suffered a knee injury during practice that changed his life forever and without warning. Doctors soon discovered that Rainey had severed the main artery in his leg and developed a rare condition called compartment syndrome. This condition cut off the blood flow to part of his leg which led to the death of muscle tissue and nerves. It was this condition that left “amputation” of part of his leg as the only option left for this athlete to survive.

Facing the daunting task that his dream to play professional football is now over? Rainey refused to spend time thinking about what he has lost. Instead, he inspired his school and community by attempting to return to the playing field for his senior season. Where most amputees would be learning to walk comfortably and slowly gaining trust in their new prosthetic -- Rainey has been working with a strength coach, running sprints by June of 2012, and fighting his way back to a football field. That was his goal … to return to his high school team for his senior year and play quarterback.  He actually reached his goal and was on the field to throw one pass for five yards during his school’s season opener last Sept. 7^th.  For the entire season, he completed 7 of 9 passes –two for touchdowns and 75 overall yards.

Rainey’s comeback was viewed as logic-defying, heartwarming and mind-blowing by all observers and medical experts.  Despite his athletic dreams to ultimately play at the professional level were shattered, his courage, strength of mind and engaging personality, will more than likely take him so much further in life and be an inspiration to millions of those debilitated by injuries. . "He's the same but he's not the same. He lost a leg but he didn't lose the heart, or the arm, or the athleticism," said Jeff Johnson, Rainey’s high school football team trainer.

Fellas – value the opportunity bestowed upon you to play this great game of baseball! Continue to work hard so that the uniform never comes off!

MY BEST FOR YOU ALWAYS!

Jim Loria

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SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS NL MVP BUSTER POSEY COMMENTING ON WHAT HIS DEVASTATING LEG INJURY IN 2011 DID FOR HIS LOVE OF THE GAME? “It increased it, no doubt about it. I’ve always loved baseball. After my injury I saw how quickly this game can be gone. Hopefully that thought can be something I carry with me the rest of my career. I just have a better understanding of how privileged I am to play the game”. 

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“People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are.  I don't believe in circumstances.  The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and, if they can't find them, make them” – stated by G.B. Shaw, Irish Playwright, 1893

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LYRICS FROM THE ARTIST “PINK” AND HER SONG “TRY”

… Where there is desire

… There is gonna be a flame
… Where there is a flame
… Someone's bound to get burned
… But just because it burns
… Doesn't mean you're gonna die
… You've gotta get up and try try try

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"So many of our dreams at first seem impossible, then they seem improbable, and then, when we summon the will, they soon become inevitable" - stated by an unknown author

 

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 “Most people have no idea of the giant capacity we can immediately command when we focus all of our resources on mastering a single area of our lives” – stated by Anthony Robbins, American self-help motivational speaker

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Jim Loria, Career Planning Expert for Sports Professionals Email address: loria@sfstampede.com

WEEKLY MOTIVATIONAL PIECE!

Greetings!

With this the week to celebrate not only Thanksgiving, but also it is a time to give “thanks” to your Mom & Dad, your past coaches and those that have taken your hand and helped guide you through these early stages of life and let them all know how much you appreciate their love and support!

None of us are invincible! You – and I – will continually need a support system around us the rest of our lives! Value the gifts you have been blessed with and for the opportunity that awaits you in the near future!

Next, I want to share a very special quote on baseball’s next generation of stars – Bryce Harper and Mike Trout. If you recall, I wrote you a few weeks back that Major League Baseball is now tapping their younger prospects at a much earlier age than ever before and giving (you) them a chance to play regularly! Work so hard this off-season to be ready for next year’s challenge and the doors that can be opening up for you!

“The best part about Harper and Trout -- and we've seen signs from (Jurickson) Profar and (Manny) Machado in their short time in the Major Leagues -- is the way they play baseball. They represent the game well by making all-out hustle COOL, which has made older players accountable for not running hard or giving away at-bats. The former too-cool-for-school body language around baseball has been replaced by Harper and Trout running out bouncers back to the mound as if their pants were on fire. Those guys just have fun and play. Trout has never not run a ball out -- ever. He's four seconds flat to first base or lower every time" – stated by a MLB Scout.

Said Eddie Bane, now a Boston Red Sox Special Assistant to Player Personnel (who was with the Angels last summer) "It would be great if Harper, Profar and Trout set the tone for how the game is played."

MORE THAN ANYTHING, FELLAS, SHOW THE WORLD THAT YOU ENJOY PLAYING THE GAME! BE THAT SPARK FOR YOUR TEAMMATES!

“BE THE ENERGY GIVER … NOT THE ENERGY TAKER ON YOUR CLUB!” (Those words come from Urban Meyer, Head Football Coach at Ohio State!)

Happy Thanksgiving Holiday Wishes for you and family!  Big CHEER enclosed for you!

Jim Loria

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“The best day of your life is the one on which you decide your life is your own. No apologies or excuses. No one to lean on, rely on, or blame. The gift is yours – it is an amazing journey – and you alone are responsible for the quality of it. This is the day your life really begins” - stated by Bob Moawad 

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“To the question of your life - you are the Answer; and to the problems of your life - you are the Solution”  - authored by Joe Cordare

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“When nobody believes in you, believe in yourself. When nobody acknowledges your value, value yourself.  Instead of awaiting validation from others, listen to your Inner Guidance. Stand tall, oozing enough self-confidence to push yourself through seemingly insurmountable obstacles” – stated by Nea Justice

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 “The 3 C’s of Life --  Choices, Chances, Changes. You must make a Choice to take a Chance or your life will never Change” – stated by Unknown Author

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“Four short words sum up what has lifted most successful individuals above the crowd: a little bit more. They did all that was expected of them and a little bit more” – stated by  A. Lou Vickery

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“Whoever you may be, Whatever life leads you, You are always a Mom’s Child, a Dad’s Dream, a Family’s Future and Someone’s Life. Be the Best of It” – stated by an Unknown Author

 

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Jim Loria
E-Mail: loria@sfstampede.com

WEEKLY MOTIVATIONAL PIECE!

Greetings!

When I wrote last week’s piece that featured the inspirational pre-game speech given by San Francisco Giants’ outfielder Hunter Pence, he signaled out teammate Ryan Vogelsong. I was intrigued by that and wondered why? What was so important about this one teammate? So I dug deeper and looked into Ryan’s background and came away stunned and with so much admiration for this player and his wife as well! Vogelsong’s story could easily become a “best seller” someday!

His career has spanned 14 years, 14 teams and three continents; from the majors back down to the minors and even trips to Japan and Venezuela to find himself, which makes his story hard to believe that he would eventually become an everyday shut-down starter in Major League Baseball let alone make an All-Star Team and capture a World Series ring? And all of this came at the ages of 33 and 34! Amazing perseverance!

How many MLB clubs do you think would have given a player a shot when they found out that this prospect went six years in-between major-league wins and was in his early 30’s? Growing up from little league to high school ball, Vogelsong never made an all-star team; in college, he was a walk-on at a Division II school.  Yet he was drafted by San Francisco in 1998 and he got to the majors within two years and pitched for the Giants in a limited capacity. His story could have stopped right there and I would have tipped my cap to this person for achieving a Dream that many sometimes can’t see through?

He was then traded to Pittsburgh in 2001. In his second start with the Pirates, he blew out his arm, requiring Tommy John surgery. By 2006, Pittsburgh released him. With no nibbles from any MLB team’s, Vogelsong opted to go to Japan in 2007, where he spent three seasons before Philadelphia called to offer him a minor-league contract.

No more eating fish guts as he did to bond with his Japanese teammates.  Despite his struggles in Japan (posting an 11-14 W-L record), Vogelsong feels that his time spent in the Orient was extremely valuable. He said:  “I don’t think Japan had much to do with improving me baseball-wise. But what it did was make me grow up, made me mature a lot. Being away from home for that long and being in a different culture, it forces you to be a patient person, which is something I was never really good at. That part of Japan was a big part for me in my life.”

Returning to the states at the age of 32, his time spent with the Phillies’ AAA affiliate in Lehigh Valley came to an end in July of the 2010 season after he could only compile a 2-5 W-L record in 25 appearances.  He packed his gear and traveled west to Salt Lake City for another shot at recapturing his dreams to pitch in the Majors. Similar results: he went 1-3 in seven starts and was let go by the Los Angeles Angels’ organization.

By now, most players would have given retirement a serious thought especially one with Vogelsong’s resume? Add into the fact that Vogelsong’s wife, Nicole, just gave birth to the couple’s first child, a son name Ryder. “It's been hard on her. I mainly dragged her across the world," said Vogelsong. "She's the optimist and I'm the realist. I was ready to talk about (quitting). She wasn't. When we went to Japan, our biggest fights were because she thought I was selling myself short."

With the help and inspirational push from his wife, Vogelsong traveled to Venezuela in 2010 to play Winter Ball to possibly find that spark. He wanted to prove to the baseball world that he could still pitch. It was there that San Francisco Giants’ hitting coach, Hensley Meulens, saw him while coaching another team. “I’m not a scout,” said Meulens, “But I can tell when someone is pitching different than they used to. Ryan’s matured and learned how to pitch. He’s worked hard and figured it out.”

In 2011, the Giants’ baseball brass decided to invite Vogelsong to their spring training camp despite an age many considered past prime for a non proven player. Now 33, Ryan performed well at camp but was assigned to San Francisco’s AAA affiliate in Fresno, CA. Vogelsong, with a renewed sense of confidence from his Winter Ball play, dominated the PCL hitters in his first two starts – striking out 17 in 11 innings and winning both games.   

His sizzling start with Fresno combined with an injury to Giants’ veteran pitcher Barry Zito led to his call-up to the Big Leagues. His wife cried! Her husband’s Dreams and Prayers were finally answered!  Giants’ Manager Bruce Bochy gave Vogelsong the ball and after several wins back-to-back-to-back, he eventually locked in a rotation spot and was seen now as a solid, reliable performer. He went on to compile an impressive 13-7 W-L record and 2.71 ERA spread out over 28 starts.  His amazing performance led him to being selected to the 2011 National League All-Star Team! Who wants to be the author of the Ryan Vogelsong book now? Maybe scriptwriter for a movie?

Coming back in 2012 at age 34, Vogelsong added to the legend by remaining a mainstay in the Giants’ starting rotation. He compiled a 14-9 W-L record and 3.37 ERA in 31 outings. But it was his control and dependability during the recently concluded playoffs and World Series that just makes this a true Hollywood story. He won his two starts in the NLCS playoff series against St. Louis with a 1.29 ERA (13 K’s in 14 innings) and then pitched over five innings of shutout ball against Detroit during the Giants’ 2-0 win in Game #3 of the World Series. During the 2012 post-season, Vogelsong did not allow more than “one run” in any of his four starts for the Giants!

Who would have seen this all happening? Ryan Vogelsong recording a 27-16 W-L record in the last two years with almost 300 strikeouts in 368 innings to go with a World Series Ring and a Major League Baseball All-Star selection? To think, this all came after 2,412 consecutive days on a journey around the world to find someone to believe in him – other than his wife - and give him a chance to throw a baseball once more in the Big Leagues!

"When you're growing up and you envision you want to be a major league player, you imagine it one way, that you're having success. It's as simple as don't ever give up," Vogelsong said when reflecting back on his career ups and downs. "I came into this game and people told me that you don't stop playing until they kick you out and take your uniform. That's what I was going to do, and now here I sit."

Never give up on You no matter what lies ahead in your career! Perseverance with Belief with a Positive Mindset can take you anywhere in this world! Continue to pursue and capture your Dreams!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY WISHES TO YOU AND YOUR FAMILY!

All the best my friend!

Jim Loria

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RYAN VOGELSONG’S FAVORITE MESSAGE GIVEN TO HIM BY HIS FATHER, HAROLD,  WHILE GROWING UP: "Don't fail because you didn't work at it. Never think it's because you didn't work hard enough."

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"Your living is determined not so much by what life brings you as by the attitude you bring to life; not so much by what happens to you as by the way your mind looks at what happens" – stated by Lewis L. Dunnington

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“The good Lord gave you a body that can stand most anything. It's your mind you have to convince” – stated by legendary NFL Hall of Fame coach Vince Lombardi

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“If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change” – stated by Dr Wayne Dyer

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“The highest reward for a person's toil is not what they get for it, but what they become by it” - stated by John Ruskin

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“When I wake up in the morning, I have to decide to either be an example or an excuse" – stated by an unknown author

 

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Jim Loria
E-Mail: loria@sfstampede.com

WEEKLY MOTIVATIONAL PIECE!

Greetings!

In the last few weeks, I think I’ve heard perhaps some of the best known SPEECHES ever in the history of sports. Lou Gehrig’s “Luckiest Man on Earth” message will never be topped but I will give props to Indianapolis NFL Head Coach Chuck Pagano, who’s post-game talk to his Colts’ players last Sunday was picked up by all national networks and was so moving and genuine. Pagano has been hospitalized for the past month undergoing chemo treatments for his battle against leukemia!

By now, most of you may be aware of the “speech” that helped spark the San Francisco Giants to their amazing comeback series win over Cincinnati in the opening round of the 2012 MLB Playoffs? After dropping their first two home games in the best-of-five series, Hunter Pence, a six-year big league veteran and newly acquired (in late July) from Philadelphia, delivered the surprising pep talk to his Giants’ teammates. Many players now say that it served as the spark that re-energized, re-focused and re-booted the mindsets of each – then and throughout the rest of their post-season run to the title!

After a typical manager’s speak to the players, Pence (out of nowhere) just stood up in front of Giants’ skipper Bruce Bochy and with such incredible emotion and passion, started yelling these words out to his teammates: 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    "Get "In here, everyone get in here . . . look into each other’s eyes . . . now! Look into each other’s eyes! I want one more day with you! This is the most fun and the best team I have ever been on and no matter what happens, we must not give in. We owe it to each other, to play for each other. I need one more day with you guys! I need to see what [Ryan] Theriot will wear tomorrow. I want to play defense behind [Ryan] Vogelsong because he's never been to the

playoffs . . . play for each other not yourself!”

When asked about the speech following the World Series Championship, Vogelsong said: “It really touched home. It wasn’t what Hunter said, it was the intensity of it. The truth of it.”

Fellas, keep in mind that spoken words can serve as motivation and be so uplifting when said at the right moment. Doesn’t matter by whom as you now see. You don’t have to be the leadoff man in the lineup or the top hitter. However, words can demoralize a team and even a fan base just as easy based on your body language and timing of such statement especially when everything is being shown and replayed millions of times on various television and social media sites all over. NFL players like Cam Newton, Michael Vick and Mark Sanchez – speaking in recent weeks - are perfect examples of interviewing styles not to imitate when a microphone is put before you.

Always remember that it’s WE when speaking vs. SELF. Take time after a game to allow the raw emotion you are feeling to settle down somewhat before speaking or for what you are about to author to the Twitter/Facebook world! 

All the best my friend!

Jim Loria

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“The words ‘I Am’ … are potent words; be careful what you hitch them to. The thing you’re claiming has a way of reaching back and claiming you” – stated by A.L. Kitselman, Author

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“The strength of the team is each individual member; the strength of each member is the team” – stated by NBA Hall of Fame Coach Phil Jackson

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"A true leader has the confidence to stand alone, the courage to make tough decisions, and the compassion to listen to the needs of others. He does not set out to be a leader, but becomes one by the quality of his actions and the integrity of his intent" – stated by Mike Jones

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A GREAT POEM THAT PLAY’S INTO TODAY’S MESSAGE ….

Before you speak, listen.

Before you write, think.

Before you spend, earn.

Before you invest, investigate.

Before you criticize, wait.

Before you quit, try.

Before you retire, save.

Before you die, give.

By: William Arthur Ward

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Jim Loria
E-Mail: loria@sfstampede.com

WEEKLY MOTIVATIONAL PIECE

Greetings!

How rare is it for an athlete – who is statistically considered one of the best at his position so early in his career – and already viewed as an iconic figure in the Bay Area, that he would be banished from his starting rotation spot in a World Series of all times? A difficult time for many with such a demotion so publicly written or spoken about in every traditional media and social media outlet across America. Yes, Tim Lincecum sucked up his pride, ego and proved to be the difference maker for his teammates, shutting down Detroit during Games #1 and #3 last week.

Who would have predicted that Lincecum would become more valuable to San Francisco in middle relief than as a possible starter? How flawless was Lincecum during those two appearances? He now ranks right up there with Hall of Famer Goose Gossage and (soon-to-be-one in) Mariano Rivera, as one of the few pitchers to ever compile an ERA with a “O” before the first decimal point in World Series relief – 0.69 ERA in 13 innings with 17 K’s.

"It's not surprising at all," said Giants’ teammate Ryan Vogelsong. “But what sticks out the most to me - when the lights come on in the biggest stage, is that Tim showed everybody what he's truly about. And you've got to tip your hat to him, because he could have been upset about going to the bullpen, and not one second did you ever see that from him. He just went down there and came out firing BBs, and he's been really impressive."

No one could have seen this coming. A pitcher that has started 188 of his 189 Major League game appearances. If you judge this on salary? The Giants’ front office took an $18-million dollar roster spot out of the dugout and switched him to the bullpen. He went from the most dominant pitcher in the big leagues (2008-2010) by the age of 26 to back-to-back disappointing seasons (23-29 W-L record) in the last two years.  This past season, Lincecum was battered around for over five runs a game on average in his 33 starts for San Francisco.

If there was ever a modern-day athlete who is largely unencumbered by introspection and self-doubt, it would be Lincecum. He was recently chosen by the men’s GQ Magazine as one of the “Coolest Athletes of All Time!” He is a pitcher that welcomes his teammates to chat with him on game days he starts (says Tim: ”Most pitchers on game days are like, ‘Leave me alone, let me do my thing,’ but I’m like, ‘Guys, you can talk to me, we can listen to music. I mean, it’s supposed to be fun, right?’”) Yet, the 2012 season had even Lincecum wondering if he lost his mojo? “I never lost five games in a month, not at any level,” he said. “I started questioning my own self and what got me here?”

When August rolled into the dog days of last summer, it was evident that Lincecum was no longer himself when he lost his third start in a row. “He was losing for the first time in his life, and he was doing it on a national stage,” said Giants’ pitching coach Dave Righetti. As one disappointing outing led to another, Lincecum started to search for a solution. He started wearing his socks higher to change his delivery. He started running stadium steps to strengthen his leg muscles. More than anything, Lincecum had to come to terms with the fact he was struggling. “It’s about accepting it,” said Tim. “That’s hard to tell people, just because they’re like, ‘What the hell? He’s accepting that he sucks?’ No, it’s like, ‘I can’t do anything about the past. I’m going to get better from here, stop trying to reinvent myself, trust my stuff and move on.’ ”

Lincecum breezed through his early years in the Major Leagues. Dominating hitters. Winning multiple Cy Young Awards. He made a career of proving doubters wrong mostly because of his diminutive size (5-8, 130 pounds as a high school junior) and unorthodox mechanics. Now he was feeling a different kind of pressure to perform for the first time. “The fact that people were like, ‘Is he ever going to be the same Tim Lincecum?’ or whatever they were saying — it all crept up into my head. I started thinking about every aspect of my delivery as opposed to just doing it and trusting it.”

Fellas – the last quote above are words to remember. It’s why each week we keep discussing the importance of working on your mindset. You need to feed your mind with positive energy each day so that when the messages are translated to the body below, your true talents can be unleashed and allow you to perform at peak levels for a consistently longer period of time. If you waver on your thoughts, you can now see how quickly your talents can break down. Just use Tim Lincecum as your new template!

ALL THE BEST MY FRIEND!

Jim

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TIM LINCECUM COMMENTING ON GIANTS PITCHER BARRY ZITO, WHO ALSO BATTLED BACK FROM DISAPPOINTING SEASONS IN RECENT YEARS AND FROM BEING TAKEN OFF THE TEAM’S WORLD SERIES ROSTER IN 2010 TO BECOMING A KEY PLAYER IN THEIR 2012 TITLE RUN: “What can you say about a guy who’s gone about it the way he has professionally and still found a way to be positive about it. I mean, there’s so many ways to become negative after all those things — just from the experience I’m going through, just battling those negative thoughts — but Barry’s found a way to become confident and positive again. Obviously, that’s admirable for him to do that, and I look up to him. I look up to him like a big brother.”

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LINCECUM ON WHEN BEING TOLD BY THE GIANTS’ BRASS OF HIS NEW ROLE AS A RELIEF PITCHER FOR THE WORLD SERIES: “If it means being a good teammate or being in the 'pen, I don't care, I just want to win."

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“All winning teams are goal oriented. Teams like these win consistently because everyone connected with them concentrates on specific objectives. They go about their business with blinders on; nothing will distract them from achieving their aims” – stated by Lou Holtz, Hall of Fame College Football Coach and ESPN TV Analyst

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“Repeated actions are stored as habits. If the repeated actions aren’t fundamentally sound, then what comes out in a game can’t be sound. What comes out will be bad habits” – stated by Chuck Knox, former NFL Head Coach

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Jim Loria
E-Mail: loria@sfstampede.com

WEEKLY MOTIVATIONAL PIECE

Greetings!

“Your existence has many doors, and each serves a purpose that ultimately helps define who you are. Sometimes it is hard to open these doors. Often you would think it just won’t work. It takes patience and perseverance, but you must believe that you already have every key for each door you encounter” – stated by an unknown author.

Take Marco Scutaro as another example for perseverance. Here is a player that was tucked away in the minor leagues for seven years searching for a break and wondering if it will ever come. He’s been traded three times during his 11-year Major League Baseball career and shuffled around between the Mets, A’s, Red Sox, Blue Jays, Rockies and Giants. Every step of the way he’s always been a serviceable player. Versatile and scrappy. Someone who knows his role in the game and the reputation he brought with him to each city was one of being a ‘great teammate!’

He played in 95 games for Colorado earlier in this 2012 season and was batting a respectable .271 before being dealt to the Giants at the trading deadline. For all the years pent up in him playing the role of a utility man, Scutaro went on an immediate offensive tear in San Francisco that continued through the end of the season and into the playoffs. He batted a Tony Gwynn-like .362 in 61 games and became the team’s inspirational sparkplug on-and-off the field! To think, that the Rockies actually paid (cash in the deal to have) the Giants take Scutaro off their hands!

Scutaro’s baseball portfolio rose to even greater heights during the current post-season. He just tied a MLB Playoff League Championship Series record (against St. Louis) by pounding out 14 hits and captured the NLCS MVP Award all the while surviving one of the most talked about collisions in baseball memory (when Matt Holliday of St. Louis barreled over Scutaro at second base in a double play attempt back in the first inning of Game #2). Suffering a strained left hip, Scutaro showed his true grit and perseverance by never missing an at bat and put together an impressive 9-for-19 run at the plate following the incident. The 36-year-old Venezuela-born Scutaro has finally found a place where fans in San Francisco and elsewhere around the baseball world will now know his name for years to come!

Giants’ pitcher Sergio Romo said it best on what effect Marco Scutaro had on the team and the locker room: "That was the blockbuster trade we made to get that guy. He's been the bridge between the English and Spanish teammates, let alone an unbelievable leader by example on the field. Without him, we definitely wouldn't be in this position, and he's up there for team MVP, right beside Buster (Posey)."

Fellas – as we’ve said many times in past readings, it doesn’t matter where you’re drafted, how old you are, your place in the batting lineup or status in the pitching rotation, you have to be mentally ready when opportunity comes knocking! You have to believe that you can be the difference maker when the call comes to take the mound or step up to the plate!  Just check out the names of Cody Ross, David Freese … and now Marco Scutaro. Heroes and Careers are born every year and they come in all ages and sizes!

All the best my friend!

Jim Loria

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“The only thing that counts is your dedication to the game. You run on your own fuel; it comes from, within you” – stated by Paul Brown, Hall of Fame NFL Coach

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Speaking of up and down times on the field, Arizona Diamondbacks’ Manager Kirk Gibson was very frank in a recent interview about his own career. Said he battled through countless slumps during his 17-year playing career. He would lash out at the media and lost his temper in front of the public as a result.  After a terrible year at the plate with Detroit in 1983 (4th year in the AL and batted .227), he decided to enroll at the corporate mind-building Pacific Institute in Seattle, where he learned to think positively, work on his mindset and visualize himself in successful situations. “I had to do that stuff because I was a lunatic.”

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MLB Baseball Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson’s favorite saying: “Get Out of Your Own Way! Don’t Get in the Way of Your Ability!”

ON HIS SUCCESS IN THE BIG MOMENTS, JACKSON SAYS: “I had a Relaxed sense of Calmness at the Plate in that Moment!”

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FELLAS ALWAYS REMEMBER … “The reputation of a thousand years may be determined by the conduct of one hour” – Japanese Proverb

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Jim Loria
E-Mail: loria@sfstampede.com

WEEKLY MOTIVATIONAL PIECE

What you are about to read is a true life experience shared with me by a very dear friend - a 19-year-old college baseball player who spent the majority of this past summer working at an orphanage in Ethiopia. His name is Benton Moss. He is entering his sophomore year at the University of North Carolina. I consider Benton to be one of the most amazing, mature, dedicated and giving human beings I’ve ever known! Normally I try to inspire others through my writings. This week, I am proud to step aside for Benton and let you read his words …. Jim Loria

“For six-and-a-half weeks during the recent summer months, I was blessed to be able to serve as a volunteer in Ethiopia, working full time in an orphanage that consisted of 175 kids. The children – paired in eights – would each share and live in (what I would view to be) a tin shack for a home. They all go to school during the day (although it is not anything like the education system in America). Their big meal is a cultural dish called ‘injera’ and ‘wot’ (looks like sourdough bread and stew). They don’t have the luxury to eat beef or chicken because it is very rare in Ethiopia.

Traveling to Africa was the most life changing experience I have had in all of my 19 years. It has been a month since returning from the cradle of humanity, and I’ve had ample time to reflect on how different I am as a direct result of my experiences living in Ethiopia. It is no secret that this country is poverty-stricken and disease-riddled that features dilapidated living environments, homeless children and bad drinking water. It may as well be the antithesis of America: while America is the beacon of liberty and freedom and prosperity. We are not nearly as affected by these diseases as the third world countries. So, after viewing people suffering from a combination of these problems, I found myself angry, full of rage, and crying out daily to the One who crafted this universe to do something.

After a month or so of reverse cultural shock with my return to America, I felt guilty about eating certain things. I was angry at every material extravagance around me, and furious about the indifference of American’s in general to the problems faced by the rest of the world. The average American (myself included) consumes hundreds more than the average Ethiopian. People in the U.S. let 'things' control their lives, they pursue them, they hoard them, they're stingy with them, and then they throw them away... only to do it all over again.

Whereas, most of the orphans that I sweated with, got dirty with, and lived with, for a better part of each day wore the same pair of clothes day-in and day-out because it was an unstated fact that they had one simple outfit; here in the U.S., one might be thought of as a fashion idiot if he wears the wrong colors together. In Ethiopia, the small amount of material things they did have always came second to their relationships among one another. So, because of this strong sense of community inherent in the Ethiopian culture, whether it is kinship or friendship, the result is that each member of the community looks out for the next, sharing with those who have none, and helping those who are struggling. Honestly, it is really the poor helping the extremely poor because there are no real rich in Ethiopia.

I believe that this same sense of community was present at the very beginning of America during the Founding Fathers’ lives at the time of this great nation’s humble beginnings, and I believe that it has been replaced by a rugged materialistic individualism that exalts the individual pursuits above the common good. Often we stuff our lives full of possessions only to find that they drive away all the happiness we knew before we had them and replace it with an ambition for more and more. We attain material desires only to watch those desires multiply. Now, I’m an ambitious person, I’ll admit this. But I’m not merely talking about ambition. I’m talking specifically about life.

I found unconditional love in Ethiopia, and after returning to the U.S., I can see that America is truly the nation in need. Ethiopians may be poor in wealth but they are rich in relationships. It is my greatest prayer that in America, we would see our current circumstances changed: that our material blessings would be leveraged as investments in relationships, that they would be shared to increase the sense of community among fellow brethren and that they would not simply serve to increase our own happiness and personal satisfaction. If they are merely used for our satisfaction, their usefulness fades away after consumption. I left on this trip as a college student in search of something profound, and I found it in the simplicity of God’s unreserved love illustrated every day by the hospitality and community of the people in Ethiopia.”

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INSPIRATIONAL QUOTES …

“I shall pass through this life but once. Any good therefore that I can do, let me do it now. Let me not defer or neglect it. For I shall never pass this way again” - stated by Etienne de Grellet, prominent French Quaker Missionary.

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“Humanity is the keystone that holds nations together. When that collapses, the whole structure crumbles. This is as true of baseball teams as any other pursuit in life” – stated by Connie Mack, Hall of Fame Baseball Manager

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“It's the most breathtakingly ironic things about living: the fact that we are all...alone. Singular. And yet what we seek - what saves us - is our connection to others” – stated by Wally Lamb, Author

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“I don't want to come to the end of my life and find that I have just lived the length of it. I want to have lived the width of it as well” – stated by Diane Ackerman, Author and Poet

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“Sometimes you need to realize that there are different experiences in the world, other than just playing your sport. There are different people who have different types of struggles. You just have to be a part of that, and it gives you a better understanding and appreciation, and makes you understand how lucky and blessed you really are” – stated by Chris Duhon, Duke Graduate and NBA player for the Orlando Magic

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Jim Loria
E-Mail: loria@sfstampede.com

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

WEEKLY MOTIVATIONAL PIECE!

Greetings!

Sometimes we can get caught up in wealth and material things and never consider the value of one’s legacy when your athletic career comes to an end. What did you leave behind? What was your impact – both on the field but even more importantly, away from the sidelines?

Like USC QB Matt Barkley, Notre Dame’s all-everything linebacker Manti Te’o, also turned away the riches of the NFL to return for his senior season in college football. Both are considered Heisman Trophy candidates in 2012. Each is embedded as one can get in their university culture and like the Olympic Torch, their “flame” will never dim in the eyes of their school’s legions of followers and alumni.

“The NFL is my goal, not my dream,” said Te’o. “My dream is to have an impact on people. I think I'm doing that, and I'm not finished yet. People all around need to see that there's more to life than dollar bills, there's more to life than just money signs. It's education, it's relationships with people, it's honoring people, honoring where you come from. That's what I hoped to portray with my decision to return to Notre Dame because those things are important to me."

A humbled athlete who often can be seen in-and-around the Golden Dome, shaking hands and greeting strangers. Eating along in the dining hall, more than likely, Te’o is known to invite the person over to his table. If there’s a need for a player to visit sick children at the local pediatric hospital or with kids left homeless at a shelter, Te’o is as automatic as it gets to lend a hand and a smile.

On the field, Te’o has inspired his Fighting Irish teammates to lofty heights thus far with a 4-0 start and Top 10 ranking in the BCS Polls for the first time since 2006 – all this despite playing with a heavy heart that would rock the core for any person.

During the week leading up to Notre Dame’s showdown match with Michigan State on Sept. 15th, the senior captain received news from his family in Hawaii that his Grandmother had passed away. Six hours later while standing at his football locker, Te’o received word that his girlfriend from back home also died after battling a long fight with leukemia.

While he decided to play, over 80,000 fans piled into the Notre Dame stadium to pay tribute to their team and community leader and shower him with a level of adulation befit of a hero not seen in South Bend since the likes of Rudy Ruettiger (who’s story of courage and determination on the field at Notre Dame in the 1970’s inspired the award-winning movie RUDY). At this game, the thousands of fans each wore a Hawaiian Lei and promoted the Michigan State game as a “Wear a Lei for Manti” in honor of his heritage.

After the game as Te’o reflected back on the memories of those that he lost, he recalled one of his girlfriend’s favorite sayings: “Send roses while they can still smell them, tell people you love them while they can still hear!”

I’s not too late to start writing the first chapter of your own legacy! Always remember that baseball bats can break. Seams of a Baseball can rip. Wood will rot. Your life’s legacy that gets left behind will go on and on for always. Make sure your family and your own (future) family will have something to be Proud of when your name is written about”

MY BEST FOR YOU!

Jim Loria

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“If you have a chance to accomplish something that will make things better for people coming behind you and you don’t do that, you are wasting your time on this Earth” – stated by Roberto Clemente, the great humanitarian and legendary Hall of Fame Baseball player, who died in a plane crash while taking supplies to survivors of an earthquake in Nicaragua a year after leading the Pittsburgh Pirates to a World Series in 1971

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“WHEN I PASS AWAY, IF ALL I’M KNOWN FOR IS A ‘FOOTBALL PLAYER’, THEN I FAILED IN LIFE” – stated by Reggie White, an NFL Hall of Famer and one of the greatest pass rushers ever seen in pro football

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"It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly...who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who have never known neither victory nor defeat" – stated by Teddy Roosevelt, 26th U.S. President (1901)

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“Don't cheat the world of your contribution. Give it what you've got” – stated by Steven Pressfield, American Author of historical fiction

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