The Pivotal Point
Everyone always talks about the concept of being in different seasons of your life - right now it's a winning season, or right now it's just a tough stretch of L's - it's even easier for a baseball player to identify with that concept, because his life is both literally and figuratively broken up/down into different seasons. There are different seasons of a baseball players' career, some good and some bad - if he's lucky and one of the chosen few, he'll get to experience a lot of seasons throughout his career.
Statistically, a player could be hitting .260 with limited power numbers and run production - that could be deemed as 'dumpy', or 'average' if that player chose to look at it that way.
But if that's you and your numbers - and you put in the time, work & effort to hit .260 and grinded to get there.. Would you choose to look at it as a dumpy season, or a failure?
Is that choice yours, or do the statistics determine the outcome and the emotion tied to it?
In 2017 I won the Mariners Minor League Player of the year, and received the Ken Griffey Jr. at Safeco Field. Absolutely balled out, hit over .300 across AA and AAA and stole a bunch of bases. 2018 rolls around, and I struggle to get the ball out of the infield in my 2nd season in AAA - it felt like I was a little boy playing amongst men, and statistically I put together my worst season in my professional career.
After the 2018 season comes to a close - I'm elected to represent the Seattle Mariners in the Arizona Fall League. I get there, and I'm the older guy in the league - and the lowest prospect on the totem pole. But for whatever reason, I was there - and I made the most of it. Won the AFL Championship, held his own among some of the games' future stars - and gained some exposure playing in front of other teams/organizations.
After I win an AFL Championship - the next week I catch a flight to Hermosillo, MX to play for Culiacan in the Mexican Winter League. February to January of straight baseball - non-stop, 3 different teams, all top level baseball.
Statistically, it wasn't my best year all around - but I played the highest level of baseball I had available to me, and I continued to build, and grow. The icing on the cake was being able to make a couple bucks over in Mexico, and prove my worth on a foreign field.
I decided that even though 2018 wasn't my best showing, statistically - I solidified myself as a Major League Baseball player in the near future because I withstood the storm, I didn't crumble - I decided that, nobody else got to do that for me. I was about to face a pivotal point in my career - THE pivotal point in my career.
I return from Mexico with long hair, and the nickname 'La Flama Blanca' - inspired by Kenny Powers - and an invitation to minor league spring training.
Here I am - I'm going to turn 27 years old during the first week of camp - the oldest fuckin' dude in minor league spring training. Surrounded by 18-23 year olds with poor attitudes and weak mindsets. I'm even older than some of the minor league staff that are running the workouts...
You have the ability to view every situation as a positive.
You have the ability to view every shortcoming as a learning/building moment.
You have the ability to influence your circumstances with your beliefs & thought processes.
That dude that was the oldest afterthought in minor league spring training was in the Big Leagues 6-7 months later. Experiencing the type of shit they make movies about.