Baseball Hardware vs Baseball Software

The 2014 MLB Amateur Draft has ended and hundreds of young men are probably thrilled beyond belief.  I know I was back in 1989.  When I got the call from the Twins organization that they had selected me, I hung up the phone after the conversation and just stood there in silence for a few minutes.  My only

thought was “Holy $#@%.  I’m a professional baseball player.”  I then went outside and took about 200 swings off my batting tee.

When I got around other pro players, I quickly noticed that every one of them had very good “hardware.”  Some were incredible physical specimens.  Some threw 95.  Some regularly hit the ball 400 feet.  Others could run like a deer.  I also saw pretty quickly that some of these “hardware” freaks on my team and others were lacking in the “software” department.  I saw the opposite as well – guys that lacked “hardware” but excelled in their “software.”  Although the players high in “software” were usually not the high round draft picks, they often played a larger role in winning games which is why some of them were labeled “overachievers” and stuck around in pro ball for quite a while.

Congratulations to all those guys who are about to follow their dreams in pro ball.  I had the time of my life and I hope they do too.  They need to understand, however, that their “hardware” may have gotten their foot in the door but for most it will be their “software” that ultimately determines how far they go.

Tomorrow’s Post:  Keep your hands strong