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.

Gratitude is meaningful 365 days every year. Even though it's something I try to always practice, I find myself being especially mindful during the month of November. As it comes to a close, I’m grateful to have played even a small part in some good that is so much bigger than any one person. From my family to yours, we wish each of you a Thanksgiving that is abundant with gratitude…inside and Out of the Park.

Practicing gratitude isn’t something that has a season. Yet still, every November I find myself becoming more intentional than usual about giving thanks for the abundant blessings in my life. With the holidays just around the corner, there could not have been a better time to welcome a team of holistic wellness professionals to my podcast, who practice gratitude at the highest level every single day. 

What a validating season for the Kansas City Royals. There was excitement, growth and lessons to be learned. Not to mention, they made history as the first baseball team to lose 106 games in one season and make it to the playoffs the next. Seeing them return to the postseason for the first time since 2015 was special. They may have lost in the second round to the New York Yankees, but a packed Kauffman Stadium and playoff ball at “The K” was true validation for fans and players alike, inside and Out of the Park.

Validation in entrepreneurship can be a hard thing to come by, especially when so many on that path take such indirect ways of getting there. In some instances, whatever it is a person is doing now simply didn’t use to exist. Other times, people realize that the thing they thought the wanted wasn’t it after all. Miriam Schulman is a little bit of both.

This season, the Kansas City Royals shocked the baseball world by becoming the first team ever in MLB history to make the playoffs a year after losing 106 games. The champagne celebration in Atlanta may have signified the end of a nine-year playoff drought for the Royals. But it was also a testament to everything you can achieve by thinking big…inside and Out of the Park. 

Have you ever noticed how the big picture of sports is always about more than a game? Whether you played sports or not, they teach lessons like nothing else can. Stu Crum was a recent guest on my podcast, a dynamic leader and former college football pro who aimed high to achieve soaring international success.