📖 What I'm Reading: Heads-Up Baseball, Chapter 2: Responsibility
Ever had a bad call go against you?
A bad hop?
A coach who looked right past you?
Here's what most players do. They point.
At the ump. At the field. At the weather. At the coach.
The truth is... pointing feels good for about five seconds.
Then it costs you the next at-bat.
Chapter 2 of Heads-Up Baseball by Ken Ravizza and Tom Hanson breaks it down into one simple formula:
E + R = O
E = Event. The thing that happens. The strikeout. The error. The bad call.
R = Response. What YOU do next. Your thoughts. Your body language. Your next move.
O = Outcome. What you end up with.
Think of it like a GPS.
You can't control the traffic jam. That's the Event.
But you CAN choose your next turn. That's the Response.
And your next turn decides where you end up.
Here's the word I love most from this chapter:
Response-ABILITY.
It isn't blame. It isn't guilt.
It's your ability to choose your response.
You can't always pick the Event.
But you ALWAYS get to pick the R.
📍 Where I Am This Week
Real talk.
This month, I've done a number of hitting presentations for the Miami Marlins on players in their system.
Earlier this year, I was embedded with the Cleveland Guardians.
In a couple of weeks, I'll be a Game Coordinator for the Japan Winter League.
My resume looks like this:
Head Coach, Austrian Senior Men's National Team
Mental Skills Coach, MLB Development Center in China (2017 to 2022)
Bench Coach, Baseball Australia's Senior Women's National Team
Olympic Hitting Consultant for Australia's softball program
Mental performance mentor at the Japan Winter League
Baseball diplomacy missions with the U.S. State Department and PlayGlobal in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda
12 national championships, 25+ years of coaching, five continents, 1,000+ athletes in 15+ countries
And the paper:
M.S. in Physical Education
Certificate in Sports Psychology and Nutrition
Certified Mental Performance Coach (currently pursuing the CMPC)
Mental Skills Mastery (Brian Cain)
Driveline Hitting and Youth Coach
OnBaseU
Oxygen Advantage Functional Breathing Instructor
NBC-HWC (National Board Certified Health & Wellness Coach)
Certified Athletic Development Specialist
R90 Certified Sleep Coach
Mindfulness and Meditation Instructor
RYT-200 Yoga Instructor
So where am I this week?
In Linz. Sitting in a classroom.
Taking the ABF Instruktor Kurs, Teil 1. The entry-level course.
Why?
Because the leader has to do what he asks his players to do.
My federation needs coaches who walk the same path. So I'm walking it too. Notebook open. Mouth shut. Ears on.
That's E + R = O in real life.
The Event: a course I could easily "skip."
My Response: show up humble and learn something.
The Outcome? A stronger organization. And a better me.
No matter how much you know, there's always a classroom with your name on it.
⚾ Gamer Rep: The "Next Pitch" Reset
60 seconds.
You don't need a perfect game. You need a better RESPONSE.
Try this the next time something goes wrong:
Name it. Say it in your head. "That was a bad call." Done. Don't argue it.
Breathe. In through your nose for 4. Out slow for 6. Let the shoulders drop.
Grab a release. Wipe the dirt off your pants. Fix your batting gloves. Touch your hat. That's your "flush" button.
Pick your R. Ask one question: "What's my job on the NEXT pitch?"
Practice it 5 times this week. In practice, in school, even at home.
Here's why.
Gamers don't get fewer bad Events.
They just get faster at choosing a great Response.
👨👩👧 Parent Play
Parents, this one's for you.
The car ride home is an Event for your kid.
What happens in that car? That's YOUR response.
And it shapes their outcome more than you think.
Try this:
Wait. Give it 20 to 30 minutes before you talk about the game.
Lead with love. Start with "I loved watching you play." That's it.
Ask, don't tell. "What was one thing you'd do differently?" Let THEM own the answer.
Model it. Missed the exit? Spilled the coffee? Say out loud, "Okay, that happened. What's my next move?"
Kids don't learn responsibility from speeches.
They learn it by watching how you respond.
🏆 Gamer of the Week
My wife is a champion and a strong woman
This week, it's not a player.
It's my wife.
Think about it.
She let me go to Tanzania for a MONTH.
And now? She's sending me off to Japan.
Two kids. A busy house. Holding it all down while I chase this game around the globe.
That's a Gamer. Quiet. Steady. Shows up when it counts.
So on Saturday, we had a date night.
Great food. Great company. A few adult beverages.
And Sunday?
Let's just say... we were WRECKED. 😅
Two grown adults moving like a catcher in the 14th inning of a doubleheader.
E + R = O, right?
Event: a few drinks.
Response: a few more.
Outcome: a very slow Sunday.
Worth every second.
Behind every guy chasing the game is a Gamer holding down home plate.
📊 Quick Poll
When something goes wrong in a game, what's your FIRST response?
😤 Get mad and stay mad
🙈 Shut down and go quiet
🗣️ Blame the ump, the field, or a teammate
🔄 Reset and focus on the next pitch
Be honest. Nobody's grading this. 😉
🔜 What's Next
This week: I'm in Linz learning alongside future ABF coaches.
November 13: Team Austria's first-ever Japan tour kicks off. 13 games, live on DAZN Japan. Buckle up.
Next week's Boost Mode: We keep building your mental toolbox. Responsibility was just the first piece.
Until then, remember...
You don't control the Event.
You control the R. And the R controls everything.
Think. Play. Win.
Coach A/B ⚾
