If you take a hard look at baseball you will see that it’s really a complex game. Continue following the game and you will see where physical ability meets psychology and strategy. Baseball even goes as far as defying the laws of physics.
Consistency is equal to change.
What does this really mean? If something changes then how can it be constant? You have to look at the life span of a professional baseball player. As any young player knows you first need to be strong to play the game. You have to be able to hit, run and throw a ball farther then most people. This young baseball player hits the weights and strengthens his body to become physically able to play the game at a high level. Once he reaches the point where he is physically ready, he still needs the skill to out-perform the competition and thus hours and countless hours of hitting a ball in the batting cages, taking ground balls, throwing drills, running drills, sliding drills and all drills in between consume the life of the young player. Only then can he be selected out of thousands of hard working baseball players just like him to hopefully make it to the major leagues.
The years of hard work have paid off for the excited baseball player. He joins a team in the major leagues and makes an instant impact. The team, and fans alike are in awe of his ability. He hits a home run with an easy swing of the bat. Steals a base with lightning speed. Throws out runners who dare attempt to challenge the strength of his arm.
Years pass by and awards now fill the shelves in his brand new home. He joined his team for spring training as he did many times before but this year it was different. What was constant for so many years began to change. The ball he hit last year for a home run was now being caught on the warning track. He kept trying to steal second but was once again called out. The runner who tagged up made it home with ease as the ball trailed far behind. For the baseball player who worked so hard to make it to the major leagues, made an instant impact on the field and had a shelf full of awards was getting old.
The owners of the team start to take notice and rumors are all around. The fans who all bought his jersey were now taking them off. It was then when the now old player looked back to when he first started playing for his team. He was always proud of his team. In fact, it was the team he rooted for when he was a kid and it’s who his favorite player played for. He never met his favorite player as a fan but he did meet him when he joined the team as a hot young rookie. He showed his favorite player and now teammate how far he could hit the ball, how fast he could run and how hard he throw a baseball and eventually took his place in the starting line-up. It was the only season they played together as his favorite player was traded away and soon after retired.
He realized that he was now that old ball player and the rookies were poised to take over his spot on the team. In order for the team to be successful, they needed to be consistent with him as they were with many star players before him and with one simple change that could be done. He was traded and like his favorite player before him, he retired from baseball.
Every team in baseball tries to be constant by winning games and that can only be accomplished by changing. Every professional player understands that one day his time will come to hang up his bat and glove and another young star will take his place on the field. It’s a vicious cycle of out with the old and in with the new but it’s that change that keeps baseball constant.
