John Smoltz…Starting and Closing

No bombshells, but new book reveals a few secrets about Braves' future Hall of Famer

 While many athletes are content with one successful career in professional sports, very few are willing or talented enough to go for two. But then not every athlete is John Smoltz. No, he’s not going to become another Deion Sanders and slip on a Falcons' uniform. Nor will he attempt to impress Larry Drew with his three-point shot. But, about five years from now, don’t be surprised if you see the affable Smoltzie teeing off at a PGA Champions Tour event. The Champions Tour pits mostly of the PGA stars of the past (Hale Irwin, Fred Funk, J.C. Snead to mention just a few) in series of events throughout the year for some big prize money. It’s not for sissies, but Smoltzie seems up for the challenge. Of course that won’t be the first time John Smoltz has made a change and delivered. In late 2001, after a stellar career as a starting pitcher, he became the Braves' closer and for the next three years was one of the most dominant in the game.                                                    

John Smoltz spoke to the Atlanta Press Club last Monday, promoting his new book, Starting and Closing, which is more about him than about baseball—though the two will be forever intertwined. He reaffirmed statements he had made earlier about taking his scratch golf game to the next level, but he also sprung a few other surprises on the audience of more than 100.

Frosty Relationship

For one, he discussed his frosty relationship with Braves General Manager (now president) John Schuerholz. He said he was brought in under Bobby Cox regime as general manager and the change to Schuerolz altered the negotiating dynamic. As he says in the book, “It’s safe to say we didn’t talk very much, but it’s not like we despised each other. Really, for the most part, our relationship was non-existent if we were not negotiating contract; he did his thing and I did mine. “

Schuerholz was also instrumental in setting up Smoltz with sports psychologist Jack Llewellyn, a story which the pitcher said was “blown way out of proportion.” Smoltz admits to seeing Llewellyn a few times and that the psychologist did help him by suggesting he create a highlight tape of his best moments that could be referred to when he was having problems. Smoltz said the technique worked and “helped him get the wheels back on track.” But despite all the press it received, there wasn’t anything more to the story than that.

After Atlanta 

Smoltz did not finish his career in Atlanta as he had hoped. After turning 40, he was peddled to Boston, where he said, “…it’s safe to say that I found myself disoriented and out of my comfort zone in so many ways…” His numbers reflected his discomfort. He made eight starts with the Red Sox in 2009, going 2-5 with an 8.32 ERA. The final chapter in his career came with the St. Louis Cardinals. After being released by Boston he was picked up by the Cardinals for their stretch run, one which resulted in one more playoff appearance for John Smoltz. Smoltzie did well striking out five in two-innings of relief, but the Cardinals fell in three to the Los Angeles Dodgers.  “Losing is certainly a bummer," said Smoltz in his new book, "but there was enormous satisfaction in simply proving I still had it. I had been able to deliver in the moment again…”

Today Smoltz is a busy as ever. He has started a school, The Kings Ridge Christian School, plays tennis and racquetball in addition to golf and also does commentary for the MLB Network.

The Perfect Pitcher

At the conclusion of last week’s Press Club session I asked Smoltz to identify the main ingredient he would be looking for in the ideal pitching prospect. He said simply “heart. A lot of guys have talent,” noted Smoltzie, “but you gotta want to be the guy. You’ve got to be the guy who’s willing to lay it on the line.”

In other words you''ve got to be a guy like John Smoltz.

Quick takes…There’s a lot of humor in Smoltz book as well. Check out the story about Greg Maddux inability to remember names, and what Smoltzie did to liven up the clubhouse…The Celtics are looking older by the day…I think the rash of injuries toward the end of the season in the NBA is the result of the shortened season and the number of injuries in baseball, particularly muscle pulls, are the result of poor conditioning. Players will loosen up before games and spend hours working on technique (batting cage, etc.), but stretching and strengthening of muscles is taken much more casually. Just my view.

Causing a Furor

Last year the American Sportscasters Association (ASA) issued their list of the top 50 sportscasters of all time-- http://www.americansportscastersonline.com/top50sportscasters.html. Unfortunately, as member of the organization’s advisory board, I was part of the decision-making process. Fortunately the names of individual voters were not revealed since the list caused quite a furor on talk radio shows across the country. Here in Atlanta I remember Chris Domino of 680 the Fan calling the list something like “idiotic.” Such is talk radio. But now as I look at the list, I still believe we were right in most cases, but there were some errors and omissions.

I was thinking about this list driving home from Turner Field the past two nights. Thanks to the miracle of Sirius/XM radio—and it is a miracle to those of us who relish hearing sports events from around the country—I was listening to the Dodgers and Diamondbacks from Dodger Stadium. The announcer was the incomparable Vin Scully. The next night, it was the San Francisco Giants against the world champion Cardinals with Jon Miller at the Giant’s mike. After listening to both it was easy to determine that the Scully choice as the No. 1 sportscaster of all time is irrefutable. But the ASA’s pick of Jon Miller in the No. 19 spot, was way off base. Miller is an incredible talent and probably deserving of a top 10 ranking, albeit against some very stiff competition.

Vin Scully--the best sports broadcaster ever

At 84, Scully still comes to each game as he has for the past 63 years with facts and anecdotes like no other broadcaster. He was a Red Barber protégé’. He moved with the Dodgers to L.A. in 1958 and covered all the great Dodger players on both coasts from Jackie Robinson to Sandy Koufax to Kirk Gibson. He also called football and golf. When he missed a few games at the opening of this season with a cold, he made headlines in every part of the nation.

Jon Miller has many of the characteristics of Scully—melodic voice, an uncanny ability to describe the details of a play, and the knack of moving flawlessly between radio to television. Miller was with the Baltimore Orioles but due to a dispute with ownership, left for the West Coast. California’s gain.

While Scully and Miller are outstanding there are other Hall of Fame announcers still on the air, including Bob Uecker, voice of the Brewers; Marty Brenneman of the Reds; and Milo Hamilton, once a Braves broadcaster, now in his last season with the Houston Astros. None are in the top ten on the ASA list, but there’s a good argument they all should be. In fact Uecker was not even among the top 50 and Joe Buck was. Although Joe is a budding Hall of Famer he hasn’t been around long enough to earn his stripes. His father, Jack, the Cardinals play-by-play voice, is another legend, who justifiably ranks 11^th of all-time.

One of the problems with the ASA list is that it includes broadcasters from all sports. Hence, those who call baseball—the sport most conducive to radio listening—can’t all be toward the top. At No. 6 is Howard Cosell, who turned broadcasting into an issues-oriented pursuit and changed the field forever. Bob Costas comes in at No. 6, but if you created a category of the best sports interviewer of all-time he would head the list.

Then, of course, you have make room for the old-timers such as Graham McNamee, a journalist turned broadcaster in the very early days of radio; Marty Glickman, a voice for New York sports for four decades and a former Olympian; Jack Whitaker, a brilliant essayist for golf and horse-racing on CBS; Russ Hodges of “The Giants Win the Pennant…” fame; Bob Elson of the Chicago White Sox, known as “The Commander” for his experience in the U.S. Navy; and Clem McCarthy, who once called the wrong winner of the Kentucky Derby. You also had to leave room for specialists such as Bud Collins, the great tennis commentator.

Fortunately some of the greats still ply their trade and you can judge for yourself who’s among the best.

As for as the list, maybe that’s why lists are created—to cause discussion and controversy. The ASA list certainly did that.

Quick Take…Dusty Baker, manager of the Cincinnati Reds was in Atlanta this week. He also appeared on Dan Patrick’s FOX radio show this morning. One of the most genuine guys in the business, Dusty talked about coming to Atlanta as a kid just out of Del Campo High School near Sacramento. An African-American, Dusty had no use for the South in the 1960s but with Hank Aaron's support, he managed not only to adapt, but to thrive and went on to have an outstanding 16 year career, which included a World Series ring with the Dodgers in 1981…Also Dusty was the on-deck man when Aaron hit his historic 715^th home run. When he came to the plate Baker doubled, but he said by that time no one cared. In fact, after the ovation for Hank,  Dusty said he  “heard the clanking of seats” as most of the fans headed for the exits.

Public-Private Partnership Is the Right Answer for Falcons New Stadium

Myriad Reasons Justify Use of Taxes to Keep City’s Venues World Class

ATLANTA, Georgia --Several years ago when John Schuerholz first became general manager of the Atlanta Braves and Stan Kasten was the club president, one of their major concerns was the need for a new stadium. Many in Atlanta were skeptical since, in their minds, Fulton County Stadium seemed to be perfectly adequate. It wasn’t.

In addition to showing the wear and tear or almost 25 years of use, the stadium lacked the adequate number of amenities (e.g., suites, high tech scoreboard, LED signage) that drive revenue and make the facility a suitable representative for a world class city. When Atlanta was awarded the Olympics, the stadium project received a boost since it was first used for the Olympics then converted to a new home for the Braves.

Univesity of Phoenix Stadium added $3.8
billion in economic impact over 10 years

This time the city and the Atlanta Falcons will have no such assistance. But the need for a new facility is just as acute and the proposed public-private partnership is unquestionably the answer. Even better, local taxpayers will not bear the burden since the cost of the stadium will come from a hotel-motel tax already in existence.

Many believe that owners such as Arthur Blank should bear all or the largest share of the financial burden, but what is overlooked is the fact that this is not Arthur Blank’s stadium any more than the Falcons are his team and his alone.

Just ask the thousands upon thousands of fans who live and die with the Falcons, the Braves or the Hawks. Think of thousands of people who find full or part-time employment at our stadiums and the arena. Think of how Atlanta’s hotels and restaurants benefit from activity downtown. Think of businesses that attract employees to Atlanta by pointing to the city’s entertainment as a major quality-of-life advantage.

Atlanta is known worldwide because of one event—the 1996 Olympics, which just so happens to be the grandest of all sporting extravaganzas. Atlanta is known throughout the nation because every day of the year, the name of the city is mentioned on radio and television and on the web because of the Braves, Hawks or Falcons. Need more?

Major events such as the Super Bowl and All-Star games are driven by first class venues. The Super Bowl and the NBA, NHL and MLB All-Star Games would never have come here if the Omni and Fulton County Stadium were all we had.

This week the Atlanta-Journal Constitution ran a guest column, which offered a splendid argument for the necessity of public support of a new stadium. The writer, Corey Merrified of Minnesota, where a vote takes place Monday on funding for a new stadium in the Twin Cities, said “I have a message for Georgians who are on the fence about a new stadium: It is worth every penny.”

Merrifield points out that, “Stadiums are more than just playgrounds for the rich…Who in their right mind would build a $1 billion facility to use 10 to 12 days a year?...The stadium is a community asset the other 353 days a year.” He also notes that when he speaks to “people outside of Minnesota they think of three things: The Mall of America, cold weather and the Vikings. Without the Vikings we are just a cold state with a big Mall.”  Same could be said for Atlanta. Without our sports teams, we are a Southern State with a big airport that once hosted the Olympics.

Almost inevitably voters see the light and these stadium issues are resolved. Unfortunately, often there is undue angst in the process. The Cleveland Browns bolted to Baltimore because owner Art Modell could not get a new stadium. Five years later, the city of Cleveland, realizing the importance of an NFL franchise, built a new stadium and the new Browns were born. Same thing happened in St. Louis, where fans suffered through a multi-year hiatus from NFL football before the Rams came to town. Let’s hope Minnesota doesn’t suffer the same fate, and, for goodness sake, let’s hope Atlantans see the light and support the public-private concept for its new football stadium.

Quick Takes…No matter how you slice it, the number of injuries that have taken place in the NBA this post-season has to be related to the shortened schedule…When they say you never know what you will see when you go to a Major League Baseball game, they are certainly right. Who would have thought a game in early May would turn out be a classic, but the Braves 13-11 win over Philadelphia was certainly that, capped by a storybook walk-off homer by Chipper. Ah, the Grand Old Game.

An Encounter with Mike Wallace

A Few Fleeting Moments with the Man Who Never Took No for an Answer

ATLANTA, Georgia --The recent passing of Mike Wallace made me think of my one and only encounter with the legendary reporter and host of 60 Minutes, the CBS News magazine. And yes, in keeping with the theme of this blog, it is a sports story since it involved baseball's Hank Aaron.

It was 1994 and I was handling media relations for Turner Broadcasting System (TBS).  One day after lunch I returned to my office to find a stack of phone messages. It was not unusual to receive 50-60 media calls a day when something big was happening at Turner and although that day was not particularly busy, one message did stand out.  It read “Call Mike Wallace” with a 212 number.

My first thought was “What had Ted done now?” The early ‘90s was one of the best periods of time for TBS chairman Ted Turner, and for the company itself.  Ted was named Time’s Man of the Year, Ted and Jane Fonda were married, the company launched the Cartoon Network, the Braves won their first and only World Series (1995) and CNN was reaping the benefits of its coverage of the Gulf War.

At any given time, though, Ted could say something that would spark controversy. He irked Christians and Jews, said the country should adopt China’s policy of one child per family. He colorized classic MGM films and had some of Hollywood’s top stars go to Washington in a failed effort to stop him—“They’re my movies and I’ll do what I want with them,” said Ted. He spoke at his daughter’s graduation from Georgia State and gave a three word address, “Use sun screen.” It was the same morning he had a cancerous mole removed from his lip.

I think you get the drift. With Ted you never knew what to expect. Fully anticipating that he had again said something which would need explanation (“What Mr. Turner really meant to say was…), I called Wallace back. But much to my surprise, the question was not about Ted. “Gary, we’d like to interview Hank Aaron for 60 Minutes.”

Although the question was met with relief, there was still some cause for concern. First, while it was not about Ted, it was about Hank, whose image and reputation were also important to TBS. Wallace went on to explain that he saw an earlier Sports Illustrated magazine interview with Hank. The interview was the first in which Aaron talked at length about his pursuit of Babe Ruth’s all-time home run record. He detailed how he was constantly harassed, received death threats, how he had to have meals brought back to his room and how he was only happy when he was on the field. It was a story made for 60 Minutes, but Hank decided he wasn’t interested. Meanwhile Mike Wallace wasn’t interested in taking no for an answer, and reminded me again that the story would appear on the nation’s top-rated television program.  We must have talked for three or four minutes, but sensing that I (Hank) was not about to grant the interview, he asked me to keep in touch and let him know if we could “work anything out.” I breathed a sigh of relief. After all, many a PR person had his or her reputation tainted after an encounter with Wallace. To his credit, however, he got the message. Besides, an interview with Hank Aaron was probably not as high on his list as one with a world leader, business tycoon, astronaut, etc.

I never heard from Mike Wallace again, which was a good thing. Hank didn’t do the story then, but may have later on 60 Minutes or another news show. Nonetheless, it was interesting to reminisce about my fleeting encounter with one of broadcasting’s true legends, and man who rarely took no for an answer.

Quick takes…Bo Jackson was at a Braves game touting his bike ride this weekend to raise money for victims of last year’s tornado in Alabama. When asked if there would ever be another two sport superstar like Bo, his answer was simple: No. He said that the competition today is too tough and that anyone who would try it would ride the bench in both sports…If you haven’t looked, the Falcons home schedule includes Denver and Peyton Manning in the season-opener. Also on the home slate are Dallas and the New York Giants…I’m often asked to name the coaches of visiting teams who are easiest to deal with, the best interviews, the nicest people. The two that come to mind first are Doc Rivers, the Celts coach who was in town last night, and Doug Collins, who now leads the 76ers. There are certainly others, but these two are at the top of the list in any sport.

Protestor Arrested as Legendary Boat Race Ends in Disarray

Olympic Planners Express Security Concerns As Rogue Swimmer Halts Action

LONDON, England -- You’ve heard the one about the guy who goes to the fight and a hockey game breaks out? Well, something similar happened here over the weekend, when The Boat Race, a quintessentially English event matching rowers from Oxford and Cambridge, suddenly disintegrated into a political protest and a runaway win for Cambridge.

About halfway through the four mile race, a protestor emerged from the water, square in the path of the oncoming boats.  Olympic champion and assistant umpire Sir Matthew Pinsent raised his red flag, stopping the race as a police boat sped to the scene, siren blaring, to arrest the interloper.

Oxford (foreground) and Cambridge oarsmen battle before protestor interrupts race and causes restart. After Oxford broke an oar, Cambridge won easily to forge ahead  81-77 in the historic 158-year tradition  known simply as The Boat Race. As you can see it was not a Chamber of Commerce type day.

If that wasn’t enough, once the race restarted, the Oxford crew broke an oar allowing Cambridge to gain the easy win. Then at the finish line, Alex Woods, who tended the bow for Oxford, collapsed unconscious. After finally being noticed amid the tumult, Woods was attended to by teammates, and then rushed to a hospital where doctors said he was expected to recover.

The interloper, a “bloke” named Trenton Oldfield, was protesting the elitism symbolized by the race between two of Britain’s top-tier educational institutions. Previous races have been marred by demonstrators carrying signs and placards, but this time Oldfield took the protest to a new level. In fact in a 2,000 word internet post he explained his deep-seated feelings about the privileged class and the growing disparity between the haves and have-nots.

After all was said and done there was no presentation ceremony. The mayor was told “Thanks for stoppin’ by.” And the buzz from the day’s happenings continued well into the night and beyond.

While the Oxford Cambridge race, now 158 years old with Cambridge holding a 81-77 lead, will undoubtedly live on, the implications for what went on this week reach beyond the race itself.

Construction continues on London's Olympic Stadium. All will be in readiness for the July Opening Ceremonies.

London is the site of the 2012 Summer Olympic Games, which are scheduled to start in just a few months. While the facilities are shaping up nicely, there remains the ever-present concern about security. And what happened on the Thames this week didn’t make London Olympic Organizing Committee (LOCOG) officials feel any better. Yes, there will be 25,000 police and military personnel watching over the Games, but as we know from Atlanta and now from The Boat Race, it’s almost impossible to stop a renegade who is intent on causing trouble.

Quick Take…While in London, we (my son, Brian, an Executive MBA student at Oxford was with me) also toured the 2012 London Olympic venues. Although we did not take an organized tour (they are free and available if you book far enough in advance), we were able to eavesdrop on several of the professional guides and go to an observation deck designed to provide an optimal view of all the construction. There are many extraordinary and unique structures such as the stingray-shaped Aquatics Center, and the Velodrome, called the Pringle because of its resemblance to the crispy snack. The big, but rather ordinary Olympic Stadium will seat 80,000 . The centerpiece of the construction is what is known as the Orbit (below), a spiraling tower that will serve as an observation center. As we listened in on the guide, we heard him mention the Atlanta Games and some of the lessons learned. He said the athlete’s village will be much closer to the venues than in Atlanta. As will the press center, which is immediately behind the stadium and is geared to accommodate 20,000 journalists. London will be the only city to have hosted the Games three times (1908 and 1948 were the other two).  And with construction nearing completion and excitement building among the populous, this one will likely be its best ever. The Games run from July 27-August 12.

The Orbit, part of the legacy of London's 2012 Olympic Games

Hoping First Impressions are Lasting Impressions

Spring Training Glimpse of Braves Gives Reason for Optimism

ATLANTA, Georgia— Here’s hoping what the Braves showed during my visit to Orlando is what we’ll see throughout the 2012 season. The Braves defeated Steven Strasburg and the Washington Nationals on a day when just about everything went right for Atlanta. Chipper Jones played well at third. Dan Uggla hit a double and home run, Jason Heyward had his first hit, a home run no-less, and Julio Teheran looked ready for a starting role.

That was back on March 14, the first day of a two day visit to Florida that included seeing three games and five teams in two days. The other teams were the Tigers, who faced the Mets in Lakeland and the Yankees, who played Washington in Vierra.

Champion Stadium -Braves Spring Training Home

As for the Braves some things have changed since mid-March. Teharan’s performance deteriorated and he was assigned to Triple A Gwinnett. Juan Francisco was acquired from Cincinnati. A third-baseman, Francisco is expected to back-up Chipper, who since our visit, had surgery for a torn meniscus. The Francisco trade, which sent pitching prospect J.J. Hoover to the Reds, will allow Martin Prado to concentrate on left field, thus keeping him at his favorite position.

Tyler Pastornicky, who made a late run in spring training, will start at shortstop instead of Andrelton Simmons, who was also re-assigned.

With Prado in left, a solid Michael Bourne in center and a hopefully revitalized Jason Heyward in left, the outfield looks promising. If Francisco and Pastornicky both deliver, the infield will also be strong with a solid right side featuring Uggla and NL Rookie of the Year runner up Freddie Freeman. Freddie was runner-up to Braves closer Craig Kimbrell, who should come back as strong as ever. In fact the bullpen could even be stronger with Johnny Venters still there and Chris Medlen available for middle relief. The perennial All-Star Brian McCann, with the more than capable back-up David Ross, gives the Braves the best catching in the league. Starting pitchers Jair Jurrjens and Tommy Hanson have both come on strong after injuries. If Tim Hudson’s rehab from a herniated disc continues to progress he may be ready within the month.

Here’s the rub with the Braves. They did not have enough hitting last year and that must improve. Also, while the Braves may be able to duplicate their 89 wins of 2011, Philadelphia is still better and Washington and Miami have improved. Everything has to break right or Sports Illustrated’s prediction of a fourth place finish is not too far-fetched. However, if March 14 is a precursor of the way things could look throughout 2012, the Braves should have a very interesting year.

Quick Takes...Sports lost one its most colorful figures last week when Bert Sugar died of cardiac arrest while also quietly waging a battle against cancer. Bert was never without story. I had run into him many times over the years and in 2010 interviewed him for the American Sportscasters Association website

The inimitable Bert Sugar

www.americansportscastersonline.com/bertsugaronsportscasting.html. He was, as usual, at his best. The author of more than 80 books, Bert told several stories during the course of that hour-long interview, including one about how he put down Howard Cosell, the boastful broadcaster, who was telling Sugar "there are fewer great broadcasters than you think." Said Bert, "There is one less than you think, Howard." Bert also spoke of Bill Stern, another legendary and controversial broadcaster, who didn’t always pay attention to what was happening on the field. According to Sugar, Stern called the wrong player on a touchdown run in the Army-Notre Dame game and had to fake a lateral to another player at the five yard line. Another broadcaster, Clem McCarthy, had a similar problem calling the wrong winner of the Kentucky Derby. Stern, quipped, "Too bad you can’t lateral a horse, Clem." Such was small sample of Bert being Bert. A fedora and a cigar were considered his trademarks. But his real trademarks were his sense of humor, his gift for spinning a yarn, his giving nature and his ability to make everyone around him feel better. What a legacy!

Hall of Fame Scout Gives Tips on Living Good and Making the Team

There is nothing like a cruise. But when you combine a cruise with presentations by a Hall of Fame baseball scout, you have an unbeatable combination.

Lunch aboard the Celebrity Eclipse with Al Goldis

Such was the case a few weeks ago when Al Goldis, who worked in scouting and player development for the Orioles, Angels, White Sox, Brewers, Cubs, Reds and Mets shared his knowledge of baseball with those of us aboard the Celebrity Eclipse on its seven day cruise of the Caribbean.

Goldis is intelligent, animated and engaging and even if baseball isn’t your thing, he’ll make you consider becoming a fan. He talks not just of teams, players and statistics, but also spells out why things happen on the baseball field and how the traits that make players succeed or fail can also lead to success or failure in business and in life.

Goldis’ baseball knowledge is irrefutable. He also has a great sense of why things happen from a physical and psychological sense. That stems from his degree in physical education, motor learning and biomechanics from Columbia University.

He started his scouting career with the Baltimore Orioles in 1978. He served as the director of scouting and player development for the Chicago White Sox from 1986 through '90 and fashioned the team's '90 draft, one of the best ever. He was voted into the Pro Baseball Scouts Hall of Fame in February 2009. He worked with such well-known owners as Gene Autry (Angels), Marge Schott (Reds) and Jerry Reinsdorf (White Sox).

Among Goldis basic tenets is that “physical talent gets you signed but intellect and makeup  cause you to improve.” He also says “successful players have great self-esteem” such as some of those he recruited like Frank Thomas, Robin Ventura and Jack McDowell.

He says that “All-Star players play in All-Star games, but not necessarily on championship teams.”

He talks of numbers. “What are the odds of a team getting three straight hits in a game?” asks Goldis. Answer: a remarkably low 1.75%. What are the odds that a player signed to a contract by a major league organization never makes it in the Bigs? Goldis says between 93% and 94%. “You have a better chance of becoming a neurosurgeon,” he adds.  What is the most important count in baseball? 1- 1. Batters that go 2-1 hit between .240 and .315, while those that go 1-2, hit between .180 and .235. Reason: after going 1-2, a batter becomes defensive at the plate.

Scouts look for left-handed prospects who can run from home to first in 4.2 seconds; 4.3 seconds for righty. Scouts also like to see minor league players with a slugging percentage of .460, an on-base percentage of .350 to .360. They look for hitters who strike out no more than 17% of the time, unless the player is a home run hitter and then no more than 25% of the time. Goldis says pitching prospects should give up less than one hit per inning and average one strikeout per inning.

While the Hall of Famer went on to talk about angles and spacing and speed and quickness and the importance of concentration, it also became obvious that he wanted his message to be about more than baseball. As a scout and now a speaker, he tries to instill in his audiences a formula for success that works for anyone regardless of who they are or what they do. He uses the acronym FISHES for family, intellect, socialization, health, economics and spirituality, the six areas of life that given the proper attention will create positive results.

FISHES. A concept as good on land as it was at sea.