Page 116 - How to Drive the Bottom Line with People

Built to Serve

Any baseball coach will tell you how important it
is to keep the leadoff hitter off base each inning.

History is replete with examples of high-scoring
rallies set in motion by a leadoff hit or, worse yet, a
walk. Regrettably, I walked the first batter on four

pitches.
Tim Leslie, our All-American first baseman,
offered a word of encouragement. “You’re OK. Get
us a ground ball and we’ll turn two,” he said.
I walked the second batter on four pitches. Tim

remained optimistic. “No sweat. Just throw strikes.
We’ll get them out.”
92
= I walked the third batter, but this time on five

pitches, not four. The A&M batter had hit one of my
fastballs about 475 feet just foul. Now the bases
were loaded, and Tim was very, very quiet.
Head coach Larry Hays had seen enough.
Motioning for time, Hays made his way to the

mound along with Bob Nottebart, my roommate
and our catcher.
“Dan, what’s the problem?” Hays asked.

“I think I’m nervous,” I said.
Hays did not miss a beat. “You’re nervous? Think
about me, I’ve got you pitching for me,” he joked.
He got serious for a moment. “Just let these guys