Out of the Park: Thinking Big
Spring training is a time of year when every baseball team in MLB is thinking big. Perennial favorites like the New York Yankees expect to win, while smaller market franchise rosters are filled with players who are equal parts ambition and optimism.
Going into the marathon 162-game season, every player believes their team has what it takes to win it all. But when it comes to actually accomplishing that feat, it takes talent, luck, good health and the right attitude.
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.
Owner John Sherman approved massive spending last off season when they signed veteran aces like Seth Lugo and Michael Wacha, giving Kansas City proven pitchers. Other moves included adding experienced role players like Hunter Renfroe and Adam Frazier to the roster, and they continued to add players throughout the season.
As Baltimore Manager Brandon Hyde told me in April, the Royals “Added some adults to the room.” What he meant was that Kansas City’s very young team benefitted from the calming presence of having some more experienced players on the team who had been there, done that.
Nearly six months after that conversation, the Royals will play Hyde’s Orioles in the first round of the postseason.
Second year Royals Manager Matt Quatraro preached a philosophy of today, not yesterday or tomorrow. His veteran team knew how to live by that mantra and didn’t worry about anything other than the moment they were in.
Add in the massive price of signing generational talent Bobby WItt Jr. to a long-term contract last winter, and the team rewarded Sherman, General Manager JJ Picollo and a starving fan base with an incredible Cinderella story.
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.
Stadium standout
PNC Park in Pittsburgh is a fan-favorite stadium that holds a top spot on my own list as well.
The home of the Pirates opened in 2001. It replaced Three Rivers Stadium, the predecessor built when multi-purpose stadiums were the norm in professional sports.
Even though PNC was a huge upgrade from the cookie cutter venue it replaced, it still lacks many of the bells and whistles many have come to expect. But when it comes to the view, architects and engineers were definitely thinking big.
If anyone tried to copy it today, they would need a downtown skyline, a beautiful bridge and a river filled with boats to recreate this gem of a stadium in Pittsburgh. Simply put, there is no better view in MLB than the one from PNC Park.
Some broadcasters complain about how high the booth is. I admit, it can be challenging to call a game when depth perception makes a pop up to second look like a home run. But seeing the Allegheny River crowned by the shining Clemente Bridge makes for a can’t miss baseball experience in the Steel City.
Local flavor
Pittsburgh is one of my favorite cities to work a baseball game and to explore. A recent off-day in the Steel City meant a chance to check out the Clemente Museum, located inside a firehouse that was built in 1896.
Talk about thinking big! Photographer Duane Reider bought the building when he wanted more space for his studio.
Around the same time, he became friends with the Clemente family. He was working on a calendar to honor the late Pirate superstar, who lost his life in a 1972 plane crash.
Reider helped them build an archive, and it eventually became his personal passion project.
When PNC Park hosted the MLB All-Star Game in 2006, Clemente’s widow Vera, who was visiting Pittsburgh from Puerto Rico, asked Reider to throw a party. He turned his studio into a Clemente-themed venue, leading Vera to comment that it looked like a museum.
The photographer enthusiastically embraced the notion. He began distributing flyers to every hotel concierge in town, encouraging baseball fans “to come see the Clemente Exhibit at Engine House 25.”
People began showing up, and The Clemente Museum was born.
Of all the museums I have seen, this is one of the most well done. It is primarily about Clemente, but also houses artifacts of other current and former stars of the game…even more than meet the eye.
Visits to the old firehouse are by appointment only, so be sure to check out the site before you go. And don’t forget to visit the winery in the basement.
Dugout dialogue
Friday night, the Royals clinched their first post-season berth in 9 years. A lot has happened since they were crowned World Champions in 2015, but the one constant has been Salvador Perez.
He’s the only member of the 2024 team who was also playing for the Royals the last time Kansas City enjoyed a “blue October.” Salvy’s smile, positive attitude and tendency to think big became a comforting source of encouragement since the Royals last playoff run. It’s fitting that El Capitan is the one now leading the team, and equally as fitting that he was the one to initiate the champagne celebration.
I’ve covered Salvy longer than any athlete in my career. We’re both older since the last time we shared one of these interviews, but the excitement is just as palpable. Click below to see for yourself.
It’s amazing what can be accomplished when you believe in something no one else thinks is possible. Some call it thinking big, others call it setting goals. Watch this month’s discussion with Chief of Staff KC’s Casey Wright for his perspective on why aiming for better leads to improved outcomes.
speaking engagements
Every October speaking activity starts to pick up just as the baseball season is winding down. This year is no exception, but thanks to a Royals post-season, the next few weeks are shaping up to be busy ones.
I’m thrilled to be speaking at three events next month:
TIAK: October 21 - Olathe, KS
Sweeper Summit: October 23 - Las Vegas, NV
In the Name of GRACE Charity Event: October 24 - Kansas City, MO
If you have a game changing event coming up, let’s play ball. To inquire about my keynote series, event moderation or custom video content, just click the link below. A member of my team will get back to you right away.
Rounding the bases rewind
September brought an incredible lineup of guests to the podcast whose backgrounds represented business, broadcast and baseball. Though the professions were different, each guest defined their careers by thinking big. One of them was Dan Hesse.
He reached the highest levels of leadership, first as the CEO of Sprint and now as Chairman of Akamai. No surprise, that laid the groundwork for an incredible discussion about the journey to becoming a leader, something he believes is always a work in progress. It’s definitely worth a listen, and you can listen here.
Of course, thank you again to each of the guests who rounded the bases with me this month:
Our schedule is already booked through the fall, but we are always looking for interesting guests with standout stories. Would you or someone you know make a great guest on Rounding the Bases?
To discuss sponsorship opportunities, please email my Executive Producer Ashleigh Sterr: ashleigh@joelgoldbergmedia.com.
Keeping the score
The September edition of my blog, Keeping the Score, looks back at a recent discussion with Stu Crum. He’s a former football hero once lauded as one of the best in the game. For years, his NFL dreams came just within reach…only to be taken away, time and time again.
Football never did become his career. But by thinking big and aiming high, he used the lessons it taught him to fuel his ascent from a Texaco trainee to esteemed corporate executive.
His perspective on success applies universally, no matter what motivates you most in life. All of his insights are valuable, but the Home Run really is, well, a home run. Click below to read for yourself.
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