With all this bad weather all over the country, the good news is that Spring Training is underway, and that means that warmer temperatures and outdoor activities are right around the corner.
And speaking of that, a story out of the Washington Nationals’ Spring Training camp captured my attention this week. Former Detroit Tiger and Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer has always had some interesting pre-game rituals. And in sports, it’s not that odd for superstitious players to go through entire routines to ensure consistency, leading to good luck and a great outcome.
But in Scherzer’s case, his prep regimen is actually amazing, although on the surface it may sound a bit quirky. It turns out that in actual games in which he pitches, Max uses the playing of “The Star Spangled Banner” as an opportunity to collect himself before he takes the mound to hopefully dominate the opposing team.
So earlier this week, Scherzer was getting ready to pitch batting practice, and felt the need to repeat that ritual. But of course, there was no singer or band or quartet to play the National Anthem. So Scherzer turned to his manager, Matt Williams, who didn’t think twice. He hummed “The Star Spangled Banner” while Max got himself prepared to pitch BP.
Batting practice. And he still goes through the routine. Why?
“You’ve got to simulate it like it’s a real game,” Scherzer told the Associated Press. “It’s always about the little things.”
The baseball season is insanely long. Everyone starts in February at spring training with optimism and the highest of hopes. The goal is to still be one of the two teams on the field in November for the World Series. That’s more than nine months of baseball, and for Scherzer, getting batting practice right in the pre-season is what can help you be strong enough to make it to the Fall Classic.
The little things. They’re the minor details that can get away from you, and they often lead to bigger issues, gaps, and yes, errors.
And that’s why whether you’re a program director, a sales manager, or you’re on the air, it’s those “little things” that can end up creating problems or helping you reach your goals.
When I programmed WRIF in the early ‘80s – pre-music scheduling – the traffic manager walked the log down to me every night before she left the station. It gave me a chance to get a view of tomorrow – the spot load, particular advertisers, as well as a chance to hand write in the promotions I wanted to be sure my airstaff executed at precisely the right moment in each hour of the day.
Logs are like 24 mini-paintings. It’s not about necessarily making them perfect, but it is about making them great. Whether you’re executing your music position to a “T,” or you’re building in what WPLJ programmer Larry Berger used to call “logged spontaneity,” that 30 minute period of preparation with tomorrow’s blog was my “Star Spangled Banner.”
Everyone on the staff can benefit from these types of “Scherzerisms” – seemingly small gestures that can lead all of us to a position of excellence.
One of my favorite songs by Bruce Springsteen is “From Small Things (Big Things One Day Come)” – 2:43 of joy and a reminder that it’s the little routines, preparation rituals, and devotion to details that can make career differences.
>Email Recipients: Click here for Bruce Springsteen’s “From Small Things (Big Things One Day Come)”<
Play ball!
Jacobs Media has consistently walked the walk in the digital space, providing insights and guidance through its well-read national Techsurveys.
In 2008, jacapps was launched - a mobile apps company that has designed and built more than 1,300 apps for both the Apple and Android platforms. In 2013, the DASH Conference was created - a mashup of radio and automotive, designed to foster better understanding of the "connected car" and its impact.
Along with providing the creative and intellectual direction for the company, Fred consults many of Jacobs Media's commercial and public radio clients, in addition to media brands looking to thrive in the rapidly changing tech environment.
Fred was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2018.
- Radio + Thanksgiving = Gratitude - November 27, 2024
- Is It Quittin’ Time For SiriusXM? - November 26, 2024
- Radio, It Oughta Be A Crime - November 25, 2024
BRRRUUUUCCCEEE!!!!!!!! 🙂 Great post Fred!
Thank you, Dave.
Great read Fred
Thanks
RR
Thanks!
Details. Being brilliant at the basics. It’s ALL the right stuff. And then, throw some BRUCE in there…and it’s a GUARANTEED WINNER!
Great post. Great song!
Thanks Fred
JC
Thanks, JC. Appreciate it.
The drive BEFORE morning drive is my habit. I cannot miss listening to overnight radio (News/Talk, ESPN, etc.) as part of my show prep. It generates ideas for topics we’ll cover that day, or sometimes, with the 24-hour news cycle, it reaffirms the way we handled a topic from the previous day. It’s always fascinating to me how personalities deliver or present the same story in various ways.
BTW, the Tigers once issued a Scherzer bobble head doll that accurately depicted his two different-colored eyes!
I like that prep – listening to those overnight shows keeping it interesting before starting your morning drive show…
…and I’ve been waiting for someone to mention the Scherzer eye thing, clearly visible in the picture in the post. Thanks, Dave.
Funny. I often referred to a lot of things that happen on my show as “premeditated spontaneity.”
I’ll bet they almost always trump “predictable consistency” or “same old same old.” Thanks for chiming in, Jack.