Intensity v Consistency

Everyone has probably heard of the story of the Tortoise and the Hare.  Even though the turtle is much slower, he beats the rabbit in the race because he keeps a consistent pace over the course of the race.  The rabbit, on the

other hand, bursts into the lead but then tires quickly.

The baseball season is very much like this kind of race and players should try to become the turtle.  Some very talented players can dazzle fans with high bursts of intensity (4-4 games, 14 strikeout pitching performance, 4 stolen bases in a game, etc)  but those same players often cannot sustain that intensity.  They are great for a game or two and then fall off dramatically for a week or two after that.  These players can be very frustrating for coaches because coaches never know which player is going to show up that day. 

Consistent players are different.  They may not blow people away with incredible physical skills but they show up everyday with a predictable level of performance, attitude, and work ethic.  Coaches love these players because they know what they are getting on a day to day basis. 

The selfish, attention seeker of a player wants to be the rabbit.  Winners strive to be like the tortoise.

Which do you want to be?