One has a booming voice. The other is losing hers. But both are loud in their impact.

That’s what makes Pawol’s debut so meaningful. She didn’t just break a barrier, she stepped in prepared and embraced.

This wasn’t just a whirlwind travel story. It was a window into how quickly someone can find their footing not just on the field, but in a new culture.

Baseball doesn’t pause for much. With so much going on before and after the recent All Star Break, sometimes you have to remind yourself to stop and look up. That’s what I did earlier this month, when I noticed all the still photographers walking onto the field in between innings, cameras aimed skyward. Charlie Riedel of the AP caught me in the foreground of his shot and it’s one I will carry with me as a reminder that even in the chaos, there’s still something wonderful to be found. The challenge is pausing long enough to experience it, inside and Out of the Park. 

I’ve been a sports broadcaster for decades, and have watched hundreds of players step into pressure-packed situations. Bases loaded, full count, crowd roaring…even high-stakes World Series games with and championships on the line. But I’ve also come to realize that many of those moments are actually defined before the play.  Over the recent All Star Break, I was joined on my podcast by a guest who reframed growth not as a constant climb, but a process that requires pause as much as it does push.

I watched baseball history earlier this week at historic Wrigley Field in Chicago and I can’t stop thinking about it.

Nothing ever goes exactly according to plan. Not in life, not in baseball, and definitely not on live TV. But when you’re ready for the moment, those unexpected curveballs become easier to hit. This month’s newsletter is all about being ready for the moment. Not those we planned perfectly, but the ones we were steady enough to deliver on anyway. It’s what happens when you show up prepared to take on whatever comes your way, inside and Out of the Park.

I’ve spent more than 25 years with a microphone in my hand. Whether it’s baseball or business, if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that you can’t control the timing of your opportunity…only your preparation. In a recent episode of my podcast Rounding the Bases, I sat down with a guest who doesn’t just talk about change, she’s at the forefront of disruption. And her readiness to adapt to the unexpected things that come her way has been the key to her massive success.

Baseball may be built on numbers, but the soul of the game lives in the people. That’s why investing in relationships is such an important part of what I do. You don’t always know when or how the returns will come. But when you invest in people the right way - with curiosity, consistency and care - it always does. It’s a reminder I carry with me always, inside and Out of the Park.

Business and baseball are all about metrics. From batting averages and ERAs to profit margins and ROIs, we live in a world where numbers rule. But here’s a thought. What if the most important number you’re not measuring is your return on relationships? It’s an asset that compounds over time, often yielding dividends that no spreadsheet can fully capture, and one recent podcast guest illustrated just how powerful they can be. 

Baseball is a game of moments, but more often it's the small ball that swings a season. Game after game, the real story stays the same: the little things always matter. If April taught us anything, it's that details can always change the outcome. Whether you are in the dugout or watching from home, that is a reminder worth carrying with you, inside and Out of the Park.

Small ball is about the little things that add up to big results. In concept, it originated on the diamond but in practice, the impact goes well beyond. And one recent guest found a way to leverage the little things for even bigger results. 

Every year I look forward to the month of February. Spring training signals a return to the ballpark (and behind the scenes content), which is one of the unique privileges of my work. But this year I received one of the highest honors of my career when I was appointed to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum’s Board of Directors. This month from the history book has been one for my record book, inside and Out of the Park.

How do you find your purpose? It’s such a deep question that really has no right or wrong. But because it shows up in so many ways in my life, it’s a topic I can’t help but return to often. In a recent episode of my podcast Rounding the Bases, I was joined by a guest who found her purpose helping others, especially women, let go of the things holding them back from discovering their own. 

Every year I look forward to the month of February. Spring training signals a return to the ballpark (and behind the scenes content), which is one of the unique privileges of my work. But this year I received one of the highest honors of my career when I was appointed to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum’s Board of Directors. This month from the history book has been one for my record book, inside and Out of the Park.

No sport inspires storytelling quite like baseball. Every year over the course of a 162-game schedule, lessons unfold that are rich in lessons that transcend the game itself. With a new season just weeks away it’s easy to get excited about whatever new history will be made in the coming months. But even more important is continuing to honor the history that has already made. 

Happy New Year! I hope it’s off to a strong, productive start as we wrap up the first month of 2025. While I’m not typically one for resolutions, something I am a fan of is setting intentions. I also believe it’s something you can begin to practice anytime, whether at the start of the calendar year or the beginning of a new journey.  Whatever your intention may be, something I know for sure is that it’s never too late to set one, inside and Out of the Park.

As an entrepreneur, curiosity is a practice I began years ago. It has shaped my business and help it grow in ways I never could have imagined. Some might say that my willingness to explore different perspectives is central to who I am as a person, and I would absolutely agree. It’s what I do every day during the baseball season as a Royals broadcaster, after all. But helping someone tell their story and using it to rewrite your own are two entirely different things. 

How can it possibly be 2025 already? As we all set our focus on the fresh slate of a new calendar, I can’t help but look back on everything that has been done, learned and accomplished in the past twelve months. It’s a perfect time to remember the past is not what defines you. It’s what you decide to do going forward…inside and Out of the Park.

Trust has been an important theme in 2024. As I look back incredulous that another year has already come and gone, it is also more clear to me than ever before what a tremendous role trust plays in every situation.