Looking For Something To Read? What About Joining The Merrill Dubrow Blog Book Club?
Over the past year, the Merrill Dubrow Book Club has read two books. It was to my surprise that the participants really enjoyed the experience. The time feels right for another book to be read. With summer, I thought people might be looking for a book to read, and why not have us provide that to them?
The book I chose was actually a present (thanks TA) to me. My Bat Boy Days: Lessons I Learned from the Boys of Summer. Steve Garvey wrote the book. I never knew he was a bat boy. I had been looking for a sports book that has a business connection and thought this might be the perfect choice. In the book Steve outlines and discusses leadership, fortitude, compassion, dignity and other things that he learned.
Here is what you are committing to do:
- Read the book within 30 days
- Post your comments along the way
That’s it. That’s all you need to do.
What we are looking for are ten people to be members of a book club. Once we have ten volunteers, they will be contacted by email and asked to supply an address (which will NOT be posted on the blog) where we should ship the book. There is NO charge for participating in this book club. We are just asking you to make a commitment and read the book in the next 30 days and comment when asked. If we have more than ten participants, we will randomly pick the people. You are not committing to reading any more than just the one book that we will supply to you.
I believe this book should be an easy read and appropriate to everybody
I look forward to hearing from you and having you participate.
April 28th, 2008 at 10:22 am
I volunteer.
April 28th, 2008 at 10:31 am
I’m interested
April 28th, 2008 at 10:34 am
I’d be happy to participate.
April 28th, 2008 at 10:41 am
I’m in.
April 28th, 2008 at 10:46 am
OK - I’m in. I just finished the The Commission: the uncensored history of the 9/11 investigation by Philip Shenon. Not very flattering of the Bush administration nor Condeleeza Rice specifically! An excellent read - very interesting look at how government works or doesn’t work.
April 28th, 2008 at 10:50 am
I’d be pleased to participate in this group.
April 28th, 2008 at 11:29 am
I’d like to join! After all, it’s Baseball and Little League season!
Thanks Merrill!
April 28th, 2008 at 1:41 pm
My son loves baseball - I’d like to hear what Steve Garvey has to say!
Thanks,
Bonnie
April 28th, 2008 at 2:29 pm
I’m in.
April 28th, 2008 at 2:46 pm
If i just secured the last opening… I would like to join!
April 29th, 2008 at 10:56 am
I was at a meeting yesterday and missed this - go to 11- I’ll buy my own book!
Thanks
Jeffrey
April 30th, 2008 at 2:36 am
I#d like to join
April 30th, 2008 at 10:39 am
Thanks to all who responded and would like to be part of the book club. Congratulations we will expand the group to 13 people including myself.
Jeffrey -no need to buy the book we will send you one. By now you should have received an email from me requesting your address -please don’t post it on the blog and we will not share it with anyone.
Thanks again for your participation.
Merrill
May 9th, 2008 at 9:15 am
First of all thank you so much for your participation in the book club.
We had some great comments with the other books that we have read and I am confident that will happen again with this group. There are 13 people who will be reading along with us.
The way this will work is every week you will get an email with some questions and comments discussing the book. I will try and send them out every Thursday with a goal of finishing the book in the next 30 days.
The book is My Bat Boy Days: Lessons I learned from the Boys of Summer by Steve Garvey. Prior to starting the book:
• Is there something specifically that you hope the book addresses?
• What are your initial thoughts of Steve Garvey?
• Are you a fan of the Los Angeles Dodgers?
Please post your comments below.
It would be great if we could all start the book and have read up to page 31 by Thursday May 15.
Thanks – I look forward to hearing from you and enjoying the book together.
Merrill
May 9th, 2008 at 9:43 am
• Is there something specifically that you hope the book addresses?
Nope - I’m open to whatever it (and the discussion) brings.
• What are your initial thoughts of Steve Garvey?
He’s no A-Rod but was a good hitter and a great glove at first. Did he win any GG’s?
• Are you a fan of the Los Angeles Dodgers?
To me the Dodgers (AKA the Brooklyn Bums are what the Red Sox became when the Dodgers moved to LA!) e.g.; the enemy of the people.
May 9th, 2008 at 9:58 am
Always liked Steve Garvey as a kid but have never been a Dodgers fan. Yes Jeff, he won 4 consecutive Gold Gloves from 74 - 77.
I heard an interview with Steve talking about this book and was fascinated to hear him talk about the Dodgers greats we spent the summer around. I’m looking forward to reading about the impact the individual players made on him.
May 9th, 2008 at 10:58 am
Being a SoCal native, there is always a place in one’s heart for the Dodgers so, of course, I’m a fan. The team has been an institution here since I was a child.
Given his behavior off the field, Steve wasn’t viewed as such a great guy by many in SoCal, though several of my friends (myself included) had t-shirts made up saying “Steve Garvey is my dad” back when all the dirt came out on him. It was a good source of amusement, at any rate.
Looking forward to reading the book this weekend and hope it gives a candid glimpse into why Steve loves the game and who his heroes were.
Best,
Lynn
May 9th, 2008 at 2:19 pm
Thank you Merrill for sending this & I admit I cheated with a head start last weekend…. so far I’m enjoying it!
In regards to the recent posting: I am an open book (yes pun intended) because I know little about Steve or the Dodgers? But I am interested in finding the business connection within this story as you noted in your intro to “My Bat Boy Days”.
Till next week~
Krista Joyce
May 13th, 2008 at 5:56 am
Baseball has always been an alien sport to me. However same was the Chinese mentality but I loved “The Art of War”. Also I think sports is a good teacher when it comes to business strategies and management. I am therefore looking forward to reading it. Expecting to get some knowledge and wisdom for my team on business skills.
May 13th, 2008 at 2:00 pm
I’ve already finished the book. Its a good quick fun read. I’m usually not a big fan of celebrities talking about themselves. In this book, SG mainly talks about different baseball heroes that I only read about (hint: Im not 40 yet, grin) . I grew up as a Yankee fan, but I am always a sports fan first. I love reading profiles about the various players, and that is what I am looking to get out of this book - even if they are from the Yankee’s arch rival.
May 14th, 2008 at 2:03 pm
I started it yesterday and will be finished by the end of my next trip this weekend. it is an easy read that just breezes through! Steve Garvey is an unabashed fan of these guys! And I can see why!
To answer your questions:
I’m not expecting anything from this book other than to enjoy it. And so far I am. I remember as a kid having a Joe Namath poster in my room - but my kids have no interest in the heroes of today (thank goodness!) so they don’t have anything of the sort. It reminds me of how good we had it growing up that we can look up to sports heroes and learn from them. although Joe was one of my heroes it is sad to know him better today!
I always liked Steve Garvey as a player. In many ways, he did embody many of the traits of the guys he admired! I’ve always liked an unselfish, hard working guy who is a decent person to everyone.
Not a Dodgers fan! right now I cheer the Rockies and the Rangers. Rocks are in the same division as the Dodgers, so my cousin from LA and I jaw at each other some over our teams. The Rangers usually just make me cry!
Chris
May 14th, 2008 at 4:20 pm
I’m curious to see if Steve will address any of his “peccadillo’s” and relate them to his bat boy experience (along the lines of, “I was a bat boy, I should have known better…”
I don’t really have feelings one way or the other for Steve, so it will be interesting to see how I feel after the book.
As for the Dodgers, I’m a fan in the way that Ed Sugar is a fan of the Red Sox. They aren’t my favorite team, but I have a certain fondness for them. If this sounds like I’m damning them with faint praise, consider that my brother is a huge fan of the SF Giants, so I’m kind of going against the family here. The Dodgers play in one of my favorite Ballparks. But I’m an American League East Coast Guy. In some ways they are as foreign to me as the Marvel Universe (I’m also a DC guy, Ed will understand.) I am not old enough (like Jefferey) to remember them as a NY team. Oh well, they’ve got some former Red Sox palyers on the team including Nomah, one of my faves). That’s enough reason for me to root for them.
May 15th, 2008 at 2:45 pm
By now my hope is you have read the first two chapters of the book which is up to page 31. For me the book is starting a little slow. It was interesting to read about Steve’s experience with his father/son days – they clearly changed his life and set the path for him to love baseball.
Was there something in your childhood that happened that gave you passion and set the stage for your life?
For me it was also baseball. My dad traveled a ton but we always found time to go to Red Sox games. This experience gave me a great appreciation and love for the game and also gave me a passion for sports.
As I was reading about Steve playing catch with Gil Hodges I couldn’t help to really think about how cool and special that must have been. During that chapter Steve talks about “human beings are great imitators.” I stopped and thought about that and tried to relate that to my life. For me a perfect example of that is I tried to imitate my Dad’s work ethic. He was someone who had a very strong belief in what work meant, never called in sick and tried to lead by example. Over my career I have tried to do the same thing – although I am sure I have or will never be as successful at that as he was I can at least continue to strive to be.
Who have you tried to imitate in your life?
Steve talks about “when the score was close, that desire to win anywhere, anytime made the difference. It was one of the greatest lessons he learned.
What does that mean to you?
I really enjoyed the chapter on Pee Wee Reese. He talks about Pee Wee making subtle changes on the field depending on the hitter. A lesson we could all relate to in business for sure.
With the economy being a little challenging right now what subtle changes have you made over the past few months?
Please post your comments and any questions you have below.
It would be great if you could read up to page 69 by Thursday May 22.
I look forward to your comments.
Merrill
May 15th, 2008 at 4:23 pm
I’m not expecting anything from the book. I didn’t grow up w Baseball on the TV or really go to any Games. My 5th Grade Teacher took a handful of us kids to an Oakland A’s Game - that was my first real Game and I had fun - it was live! Growing up in Northern CA, everyone was a fan of the Oakland A’s or SF Giants. Couldn’t have told you who Steve was - until it was mentioned in your Blog.
+ Was there something in your childhood that happened that gave you passion and set the stage for your life? My Parents worked hard all their lives. Why did they do that? It was how their Parents raised them. Imitators I suppose. The drive was instilled in them, and it is in me.
+With the economy being a little challenging right now what subtle changes have you made over the past few months? Walk when I can, instead of driving. Recycling more - hey I get $ for those cans/bottles - that’s $ i didn’t have before!
Thanks, Merrill - this is interesting!
May 16th, 2008 at 12:01 pm
Sorry I’m behind - will read the book tonight on my flight to Atlanta. Don’t have to read the book to answer a couple of your questions:
Was there something in your childhood that happened that gave you passion and set the stage for your life?
Yes, literally. There was a traveling youth theatre company that came to our town once every couple of months and I fell in love with the theatre and acting. I pursued an acting career in NYC for a number of years (worked on the phones in my “spare” time - and ultimately found a career in MR) - also met my wife (of 28 years) in acting class! I guess the stage was set!
Who have you tried to imitate in your life?
There are many people famous and not so famous, but if I had to pick one major influence, it would be my wife, Alex. I have a long story that I will try to shorten to demonstrate her amazing persistence and determination.
At the tender age of 50 she decided to pursue a teaching career. In order to be allowed to teach she needed to get certified and she had to a) learn how to use a computer and b) take 72 hours of college courses - including two classes in algebra. Needless to say this was extremely difficult.
Except for the B’s in Algebra, she got straight A’s and is now working on her Masters Degree (4.0 average to date). Did I mention she was teaching full-time during this entire process! Oh, and then during this time (in her second year of teaching) was named Teacher-of-the-Year at her school and the next year was honored by CNN as one of 64 teachers of excellence in Georgia. Pretty cool.
May 16th, 2008 at 2:42 pm
I am certainly enjoying Steve’s story, it’s a good read! I find his passion to be motivating and I can relate to his humble insight.
I am extremely proud to say that I am the “first generation” of my family who graduated from college! I know this will sound cheesy, but I found my mentor in a wonderful woman, Linda Joyce, my now Mother in Law. I married my high school sweetheart and have known Linda since 1995 (I was 15 yrs old when I started dating her son Mike). Her example influenced greatly my desire to become an independent, educated and successful young woman. Now that I have 2 young children, she is my role model in being the best parent that I can - although I have big shoes to fill. Our kids absolutely worship Grama & Poppa Joyce much more than they do their Mom & Dad
I do think that Steve’s special experiences and direct preface to Baseball played a big hand in is fate with the sport. This paired with his innate love for the game and the role models who helped groom him, laid his path towards success.
With that; I credit my happiness & blessings to imitating my mentor and I feel grateful that my own children have the opportunity to imitate important accomplishments, which I was not raised with (neither of my parents received a high school diploma - let alone attended college).
Perhaps the desire for success, no matter the hardships, wouldn’t have been a prop set on my stage if I hadn’t met the Joyce Family when I was so young.
Hmmm - economic recession… I have noticed it affecting my ability to maximize revenue potential with some of my more Boutique Accounts. Their hands are tied tighter with not being able to exercise any premiums with their clients - which trickles down to what I am able to afford them as a supplier. I am accepting of this and don’t see it as a burden for me. I strive to work with people who value my partnership from a consultative position and I sincerely enjoying being able to collaborate with my clients to find new & creative ways to make up for “lost premiums” providing many more opportunities in the long term.
May 16th, 2008 at 10:49 pm
Great stuff so far! My responses below…
**************************************
Was there something in your childhood that happened that gave you passion and set the stage for your life?
Growing up, playing soccer pretty much defined who I was. I was never the most skilled player or the most talented, but I was always the hungriest. My aggressiveness allowed me to dominate and become very successful on the field. I have learned so many lessons through soccer and several other sports. If you want to become successful at something, you have possess a great deal of passion and “be a tiger” as we say in our family.
********************************
Steve talks about “when the score was close, that desire to win anywhere, anytime made the difference. It was one of the greatest lessons he learned. What does that mean to you?
My father, who came to almost all of my games, recalls a conversation he had with another parent. Oftentimes on the soccer field, the players would bunch up, fighting for the ball, only to find that I was usually the one that came out with it. The other parent simply said “Jamie won the ball simply cause he wanted the ball more than the others.”
********************************
With the economy being a little challenging right now what subtle changes have you made over the past few months?
I have just completed a Dale Carnegie course. As a manager in operations, I am looking to re-energize myself and rediscover my passion by refocusing on key activites that will bring the most benefit. This way I can avoid becoming complacent and help my team become more innovative and patient as we survive this difficult climate.
**************************************************
Now, get out there and BE A TIGER!
May 19th, 2008 at 7:51 pm
I started the book on my way to AAPOR in New Orleans Tuesday and finished it on the plane. It was a pleasure to read, as well as a quick read. Very refreshing to read something that was wholly focused on the positive aspects, with no gossip and lurid rumor to color it. In any case, I have all my comments here in one e-mail.
I am not the baseball fanatic some are, but appreciate the skill and drive needed in the sport. So, for me, there was a lot of history here that caught my attention and kept me hooked in. Clearly Steve had childhood experiences any athlete could only dream of - how could they not impact him in a measurable way?
My father also was extremely involved in my sports as a child. Every soccer game, every horse show and rodeo. When I wasn’t first, I was always disappointed in my performance. I remember on particular show where I hit second place in so many events I had gone back to the trailer and kicked the tires repeatedly in frustration. Small mistakes that cost me a second or less in time was all it had taken. I had one or two more events for the day. My father came over and said, “You know you don’t need be first every time…” My instant response was ‘yes, I do’ and ‘why not?’ He had never said that before and I was a bit taken aback. He continued. “I’ve been adding your points up. You’re just a couple points ahead of everyone else for the day and can still make first in all around points. How about you go out and win the last event?” He was right. And I did. And, overall points was far more important than the individual events. I learned a good lesson that day. A level, supportive parent just can’t be replaced. I never had experiences like Steve Garvey, but the 4th row tickets to the equestrian events at the LA Olympics that materialized out of nowhere were , for me, like riding with the Dodgers.
I have to applaud the work ethic lessons described in the book, the reality that you can get what you want if you continue to work hard. I also have always subscribed to the desire to win - there just shouldn’t be an alternative in one’s mind, even when the chips are down.
It’s interesting… the people in this group seem to have the common thread of hard-working parents. Like several of you, my father worked extremely hard and I can literally remember 2 times when he actually had to take a day off from work for illness. I think he has me beat out, but not by much. I think I went 14 years without a sick day. It’s just the way things are supposed to be. At some level, I always assumed everyone worked that hard, and I still have a tough time with people who aren’t giving it 110% every day.
One thing that struck me in the book was that there were players who went away to WWII and still returned to incredible careers. I somehow don’t see that happening today. I don’t get the impression these men would have found a way to shirk their responsibility in order to stay and make money, not to mention stay out of harm’s way. Again, this goes back to the strength of character.
It seems to me that the book really revolves around that aspect – strength of character. Different men, different strengths. All invaluable. I’ve passed the book on to my 15 year old daughter to read, then it will pass on to my nephew of the same age. I think there is a great message for them in this book that shouldn’t be missed.
May 20th, 2008 at 9:09 am
Merrill - you mentioned the book starting slow, but I actually found the first couple of chapters to be enjoyable. For me, it brought back a lot of memories from when I was a youngster playing baseball. I remember trips to Kansas City with my parents, where we would go see a Royal’s game. I loved the excitement and energy that came with being there. We stayed at one of hotels that often hosted visiting teams. I remember being in awe when I saw some of the players walking through the lobby. Steve’s recollection of the bus ride and the fact that the men were larger than life in their uniforms rings true. Also, to get selected as a bat boy would be any baseball loving kids dream come true.
Good comments on Pee Wee, Merrill. I would say that the idea of subtle changes is so important when you see a shift in business. I wouldn’t want to make drastic changes, since many of our clients are still going along strong. Finding ways to help those that might be struggling without impacting your goals and business direction often requires an exercise of identifying the real issue. With Pee Wee, it’s in real time as players are on the field. In business, sometimes you have to act quickly, but other times you can really try and do some fact finding before reacting. It’s no less important to make the adjustments, but the speed at which it happens may be totally different.
May 22nd, 2008 at 3:37 pm
By now my hope is you have read the first five chapters of the book which is up to page 69. For me the book is getting better and better with every chapter
Steve Garvey talks about how Gil Hodges had a giant demeanor and over time showed him the mechanics of throwing and catching. It seemed to me that Gil was a great mentor to Steve. This reminds me of early in my career John Boni who was a wonderful man and my boss way back at Quick Test in the 80’s did the same thing with me – he was patient and worked with me each and everyday. I owe him so much.
Did you have a mentor early on in your career?
How did that person affect your life and career path?
I enjoyed the chapter about Carl Eskine. The way that Steve described Carl was how I would describe my Dad – the most honest person I know. I can remember the stories of vendors wanted to give him gifts and he would have nothing of it. He was so honest if he found a quarter in a pay phone he would send it back to the phone company
Carl was described as the voice of reason. He was the conduit between the clubhouse and the front office. As a manager in business don’t we all try and be the voice of reason?
· How successful do you think you are at being the voice of reason?
Ok the chapter of Jacki Robinson is the best so far. It has started to shed some light on actually what he endured as a man and ballplayer. Jacki is described with so many words and phrases one of my favorites used to describe him is “HE IS A STUDENT OF THE GAME”.
· How are you a student of the game – in our case the game is the business world?
· How and what do you do to get better each and everyday?
Please post your comments and any questions you have on the blog.
It would be great if you could read up to page 95 by Thursday May 29.
I look forward to your comments.
Enjoy the holiday weekend.
Merrill
May 22nd, 2008 at 5:29 pm
I don’t want to be the only negative one here but I have to admit I have enjoyed reading everyone’s comments more than the book.
I think Garvey just scratches the surface with these guys. And his writing style is purely adolescent. Campy and Jackie Robinson, in particular, went through incredible ordeals and I don’t think Garvey did justice to the depth and breadth of their bravery in the face of such extreme adversity.
I would recommend we next read JFK’s “Profiles in Courage” and compare the two books. I have not read “Profiles” in a long time, but remember not just being “told” about the people, but actually feeling I was there experiencing the events alongside of the participants.
I recognize there are positive lessons here and we can apply them to business and our own lives- I just wish the book had more meat to it.
Please don’t, everyone, jump down my throat for this posting!
May 27th, 2008 at 11:41 am
I don’t have a single mentor - I learned from a ton of really great people whose paths I was lucky enough to cross. Some of the key ones included Andrea Thompson (and ostensibly Eric Marder - who taught her all about choice modeling), Ravi Venkitaraman (now at Burke) and Tim Herrlich (an independent quant jock that I get to work with as often as possible) who taught me about data, Lois Benedetti (now retired) who taught me about politics and writing, Chris Miller (my business partner) who taught me about friendship and trust and Joe Murph (my college wrestling coach and friend) who taught me to be a decent human being. there are a bunch of others, but this is the group that took interest in me and helped me develop over the years. I would not be the person I am without them.
I think that as a consultant, it is always my job to be the voice of reason when my clients can’t be. I spend a lot of time helping people design great research projects within the boundaries of what is realistic and common sense. On the other hand, we do like to push the envelope a bit!
I was concerned for a while that I had stopped studying our game. But in the past 6 months I’ve been challenged by some really difficult projects and have merged some new tools into my arsenal. I think growth comes in waves, much like anything, and at the point that you start thinking you might be stagnating, you make a growth spurt.
Being non-religious, I’ve least enjoyed the Sandy Koufax chapter. Otherwise, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed each chapter. I’m starting the Mickey Mantle chapter and scratching my head a little on how he got in here - I suppose the Bronx wasn’t big enough! I guess I’ll have to read on.
May 27th, 2008 at 1:32 pm
I am enjoying the book. As a sports fan and long tenured employee (I’m in my 18th season at M/A/R/C), I have an appreciation for the players that were with the same team their entire career. I definitely had many role models in my family to learn company loyalty. My grandfather worked for the same company for 35 years, my dad for 23 years, my mom has been with her current company for 27 years and the one before that for 13 years.
As a fan, I love it when my favorite players stay. As an employee, I appreciate the difficulties, sacrifices (and benefits) often accompanied by staying with one organization.
May 28th, 2008 at 9:18 am
Anyone that really knows me, understands that I try to be a sponge and have learned most of what I know from observing others and becoming a student. I played pool during my 20s and reached a level where I competed at a National level. I quit playing in my late 20s, so today my game is not even close to where it was. Still, I got to where I was by studying players better than I was and reading everything I could find on the game. Only through competition did I get better, but what I studied definitely made the difference. In reality, the best lessons I learned were from getting beat. If I lost a tournament or lost when matching up against another player, I always learned more. Losing made me a better winner. No one wants to lose, but life ’s lessons often come from your failures, thus forcing you to do better the next time.
I would say the same has been true about sales and business. I have been blessed to have a couple of very solid mentors (one of them hosts this blog) and I’d say I definitely became a student (and still am). I’ll never profess to have all of the answers and every day I find myself learning something new or opening my eyes to a way of looking at things. The chapter on Jacki Robinson resonates with me and my philosophy on life and business. For me, if I stop wanting to improve, then I might as well move on to something else, since the passion to do things better is what keeps me going. It seems that is what keeps a lot of people going.
May 28th, 2008 at 9:33 am
I had a great mentor when I first started in the market research business. I was still in high school when I started at a telephone interviewer and one of the project directors “took me under her wing” and taught me so much. I was lucky enough to have her with me for the first 10 years of my career and I attribute my success to her. I have open mall offices, closed mall office and now I am Vice President of a full service market research company.
May 28th, 2008 at 9:47 am
• How are you a student of the game – in our case the game is the business world?
I have the privilege of working with a start up company, a first in my professional career. More so, I came to this industry with a background in marketing & sales - but little experience in market research. So I am in an exciting environment, absorbing new knowledge and perspective everyday. I’ve learned a great deal about my skill set, what needs improvement, where my strengths are consistent and when to trust my instinct. In a start up company, there is no one holding hands, no formal anything rather… and to be successful I must take risks and embrace each opportunity to learn and change. I love it, no one can afford to be complacent and just pulling one’s weight isn’t good enough - our team culture is the most driven & aggressive I’ve ever been privy to.
• How and what do you do to get better each and everyday?
My recipe thus far, it’s pretty simple (if anyone has feedback - please chime in);
3 cups of Hard work
fresh follow through (not the dried stuff)
3 tablespoons of aggressive goals (even when if its hard to swallow)
1 can of shut up & listen (always a good motto for me)
a dash of creativity goes a long way
a pinch of passion for consistency
1 raw don’t give up for texture
Seriously, I strive to push myself as much as I can take it. I remind myself to be open to everything, criticism, opportunities to learn, opportunities to teach and to have fun whenever possible! All in all I plan to make enough money to retire before I’m 40 years old, which puts me on a 12 year plan… speaking of which I need to get back to work!
~Krista
May 28th, 2008 at 12:44 pm
Krista,
I love your recipe - I think the only thing you left out is two scoops of energy & enthusiasm - but if I had to guess you have plenty of that.
Too retire at 40 - nice goal!
I enjoyed your comments.
Merrill
May 28th, 2008 at 12:51 pm
Paul,
I love your comment “Losing made me a better winner” - what a great life lesson. Turning a negative into a positive!
Thanks for sharing.
Merrill
PS - I have played pool with Paul - and he is still AWESOME!!!!!
May 28th, 2008 at 3:36 pm
I apologize for the delayed response…I was away on vacation
I can’t say that I have a single mentor (although it is still early in my career). I have very experienced coworkers, who I respect and believe can teach me a lot about the marketing research industry. I am always learning something new that can help me advance in my career.
As a student of the game, I try my best to educate myself on the newest research tools and techniques (reading Quirks, the Journal of Marketing Research) and to keep up with the current business world. I browse through Business Week, listen to NPR on my way to work, and subscribe to Google Alerts pertaining to the industries and/or clients I work with.
I am trying to do better and learn everyday. Besides what I stated above, I try to make myself available to help my co-workers or to take on any new projects so I can expand my depth of experience.
May 29th, 2008 at 11:03 am
By now my hope is you have read the first seven chapters of the book which is up to page 95.
I liked chapter 6 focusing on Duke Snider. Duke was a fantastic hitter - clearly he was one of the most feared hitters of his time. The book describes some of the things that Duke would do different than most hitters He would focus on where the outfielders were positioned as opposed to the pitcher like most hitters. Duke felt this gave him an advantage, he thought if he knew where the fielders were positioned he would know how the pitcher was going to pitch to him.
He would say “‘watch the little stuff” it can make a huge difference.
Please pause for a minute and think about “what is the little stuff” for your job and company?
What do you concentrate on that gives you an advantage?
What should you be concentrating on that will give you an advantage?
I liked the story about Duke Snider and Don Zimmer making a bet to see if Duke could throw a ball out of Ebbets field. Duke bet $20 he could do it and tried but came up short the first time. It actually hurt himself doing it but later in the season he practiced doing it and got Don Zimmer to watch him toss his first try out of the stadium.
To me the message that I got out of the story was if you come up short the first time with practice you can get better and achieve your goal and in this case win a $20 bet.
Please describe something in your life that you have practiced and over time gotten better?
How was the feeling?
I must admit the chapter on Roy Campanella was interesting, information and sad. I never knew (or forgot) how Roy got hurt. I didn’t realize it was in a car accident.
Roy always seemed to have a positive outlook on like NO MATTER what cards he was dealt. In the book they talked about paralyzed people can get so depressed - Roy seemed to accept the fact that he was in a wheelchair - never complained always stayed focused and positive.
How do you think Roy and others are able to stay positive no matter what happens to them?
Please post your comments and any questions you have.
It would be great if you could read up to page 130 by Thursday June 5.
I look forward to your comments.
Enjoy the weekend.
Merrill
May 29th, 2008 at 12:56 pm
I really enjoyed the chapter on Gil Hodges. He seemed so patient in his teaching and advice. I was fortunate enough to have Ron Clark as a mentor from the start of my full-time career in the industry. I have to say he wasn’t as patient as Gil, but I think he understood exactly what motivated me and how to challenge and push my talents and intellect to become an exceptional marketing researcher. He went page-by-page through countless reports examining the analysis, report structure and writing. He literally spent thousands of hours of personal time with three of us as young analysts in the business over the course of a few years sharing his knowledge, experiences, techniques, theory and design. This was learning I could never get in a seminar or in school. He lectured us on multivariate one day and advertising evaluation the next. As a long time student of Greek philosophy, I believe the way we learned from Ron was much like listening to one of the masters. We had an amazing opportunity to have this man pour all of his knowledge out to us in an open forum where no question was ever ignored and all new ideas were welcomed and discussed.
More importantly, he caught my attention and opened up a career I would have never considered as a Bio major in college. Research was a fascinating, challenging and fast-moving field which was right in line with my talents and interests, though I didn’t realize it initially. Once I was hooked, there was no turning back. I truly thank him for the opportunity of a lifetime.
Regarding the “little stuff,” what could be more important? The little things are what make or break the quality of the work, that attention to detail that is crucial.
I also found the story of Roy Campanella’s injury heartbreaking. But, one can only feel joy at his soaring spirit and amazing attitude toward life. Truly an inspiration.
May 29th, 2008 at 1:19 pm
Lynn,
Thanks for sharing the story about Ron Clark. I am sure he is very proud of what you have accomplished.
Merrill
June 3rd, 2008 at 9:06 am
I think the little stuff is the details. For a data collection agency editing and validation is a must. These are things, if not done properly, can cause huge issues. Take care of the little stuff and the big stuff will take care of itself. A great quote.
I also liked the chapter about Roy Campanella. What a guy! It’s amazing what can be accomplished when you put your mind to it.
June 3rd, 2008 at 11:26 am
This book actually reads in an entirely new light for me as of this past Friday! Peanut Lab’s Seattle office joined a local softball league together and played our first game (a double header). I hadn’t played softball since Jr. High School… I forgot how satisfying it is to connect with a base hit! I recalled some of the baseball 101 points from the book ie: WAIT for the ball & to watch for the little stuff. Like the girl on the opposing team who couldn’t catch a flying beach ball and she was rotated to cover 1st base in the last inning - certainly took advantage of that one!
My favorite truism -
“Doing nothing is very hard to do…you never know when you’re finished”.
~ Leslie Nielsen ~
I concentrate on service & follow through and continually work on understanding my business environment (both internally & externally).
My last 2 cents: I stay positive by focusing on what I’m grateful for & how I have grown. Studies support that physiologically; people cannot experience stress & gratitude simultaneously. So in times of worry, I’ve conditioned myself to think of good things, at work & at home. It is calming & helps me better asses the situation and what I need to do for a plan of action, instead of being consumed by negative feelings.
June 9th, 2008 at 4:17 pm
Good afternoon.
Since the summer is here and lots of folks are on vacation I will post last weeks questions this Thursday to give everyone a little more time to respond.
Thanks.
Merrill
June 12th, 2008 at 5:18 pm
“The little stuff” for my company? Quality work! Employees who care about their job and co-workers. Owners who care about their Clients, Employees and Respondents. Showing appreciation to our Clients and Employees. Remembering their dislikes and likes, and important dates/events. Being available when a Client or Employee needs something.
Please describe something in your life that you have practiced and over time gotten better… Reading about Paul’s Pool competitions reminded me of my Figure Skating “career”. MANY years ago I was a competitive ice skater. I lived and breathed skating. I competed throughout CA, WA, OR, NV & CO. Thank you to my Parents for supporting me. (Hey Kim, if S. loves it - let her go as far as she can!) One cannot get any better in that Sport (or any Sport) w/o HOURS of practice, dedication and desire. Failure hurts, literally, as ice is not forgiving. Nothing compares to the moment you land those difficult jumps or you completed your routine perfectly. If you didn’t score high enough and you know you gave it your all, then it’s all-right where you placed. Believe me, I was my worst enemy, and still am. I had to learn to accept that someone has to come in last, and sometimes that was me.
What do you concentrate on that gives you an advantage? and what should you be concentrating on that will give you an advantage? These are excellent questions. As a Mom, I concentrate on my Kids. They have all the tools necessary to do well in School. I’m a fan of theirs and support them. As a Business Owner, I concentrate on the daily tasks and look to the future. I need to concentrate more on bringing in more business…
I was recently injured and unable to do my daily activities. I HAD to rely on others for help like getting kids to & from School, cooking, laundry, shopping. That was a blow to me to not be the one who was the Giver, but the recipient. I wasn’t comfortable NEEDING someone to really help me. Now I know who my real friends are though. For those of you who are also the Givers, let some of those recipients be the Giver to you too!
I agree with Jeffrey’s earlier comment… I enjoy reading everyone’s comments more than the Book. Thanks for letting me ramble…
June 18th, 2008 at 12:03 pm
I just finished the book and it really left me wanting something that wasn’t there. i really wanted to get a better feel for the way that Garvey applied these lessons in his life. Unfortunately, he also seemed to have a way of making them all very one dimensional as characters.
I did like the motivational factor that each provided. I think my favorite was Al Kaline, who kept growing as a player over time. Constant learning and growing is the best way to succeed! No I’m not a tigers fan
June 19th, 2008 at 4:45 pm
I think I can add a little to my note above. I think that I got something significant from every player….which was Steve’s point. And I am so motivated by good sports stories - I still get jazzed when I hear the theme from Rocky! I passed my copy to a friend who was around in those days. Arthur lived in Brooklyn back then and had to adopt the Mets after the Dodgers went to CA. He said it was never the same passion for him. In some ways, he said Queens was a whole world away from Brooklyn. funny to us it just seems like a subway ride to the next borough, but to Arthur, it was too far and too foreign. As a baseball fan, he never recovered.
Thanks for sharing this! What do we do now?
June 19th, 2008 at 5:30 pm
Hello,
By now my hope is you have finished the book. The last chapter was pretty good for me. I enjoyed learning a little more about Al Kaline and didn’t realize he made everything look so easy.
For me perhaps the best take away from this book was from this chapter. Steve wrote that he learned “that we can never be satisfied with our accomplishments.” Wow. for me that was pretty powerful. I would like to think that I try and live my life that way and hope that I strive to be better each and everyday.
Did you have a favorite part of the book?
Was there any meaningful takeaways for you?
Would you recommend the book to others?
Please post your comments and any questions on this site.
I truly hope you enjoyed the experience and sharing comments with the other participants.
Enjoy the weekend.
Merrill
June 20th, 2008 at 6:52 am
I have to say I really enjoyed the book. I was on vacation last week (after 10 days on the road for business) and didn’t have a great deal of time to read. Therefore, I read a couple of pages here and there, which probably took away from the last couple of chapters. What I did take away was a reminder that we’re all influenced by so many outside forces and people around us. I have been fortunate to be surrounded by my own mentors and influencers who have helped me be who I am today. When I started the book, I was expecting it would read more like a story of Steve. Instead, it was a great look at the people who made him who he is. I have to say, I really enjoyed it, but it left me wanting to know more about Steve Garvey, especially since he is not exactly loved by everyone. Still, it made it hard to not respect him and like him after reading this, simply because it made his professional success seem so human.
Merrill you mentioned one of your favorite take aways. I actually had a thought flash in my mind when I read that. Willie Mosconi, one of the greatest pool (billiard) players of all time, always used to state that you shouldn’t get down on your failed shots or up on your successful ones. If you’re playing pool and get angry about missing, it creates a negative energy which leads to frustration. If you celebrate on every accomplishment, you become easily satisfied and never strive for more. I think that made some of the greats as good as they were (are) since they’re never satisfied with one success. Of course Willie was also a great competitor and once said he played always to win and would want to beat his own mother 150-0 (straight pool is a game where you score a point for each ball made) if he was playing against her.
Thanks again for the opportunity to be in the book club. I really enjoyed it.
June 20th, 2008 at 12:47 pm
I loved the book! I have to admit I don’t know much about baseball but still enjoyed each chapter. I was able to relate the book to real life in many different aspects. The players in the book were amazing in their accomplishments which was very inspiring.
I have recommended the book to others. My father-in-law is a huge Dodger’s fan so I purchased him a copy for Father’s Day and my son the great baseball fan is reading it also.
Merrill - Thanks so much for the opportunity to be included. It was a great experience.
June 21st, 2008 at 12:20 pm
My favorite chapter was the one about Mickey Mantle (what did you expect from a Yankee fan?). Many fans have idolized him for his greatness. At the same time, many have wondered what he could have been if he had taken better care of himself. I never liked that focus on the “missing” elements or what could have been. My theory is that if he took a different approach, he would not be the Mickey Mantle that we have come to love. His approach to baseball and life is what made him successful - always going for the big home-run and not worry too much about the strikeouts or injuries.
Translation: If you always worry about the strike-outs, you’re not going to make it big. You have to be willing to take chances and learn from your mistakes if you ever want to be successful. Also, you want to have fun along the way as well.
JM
June 23rd, 2008 at 2:10 pm
Thanks for letting me join your Book Club, Merrill! I enjoyed reading who, how and why the people influenced Steve along the way. Definitely makes me think who, how and why I am who I am. Thanks for posing the questions that made everyone think, not just about the Book they were reading but about our lives in general. Great comments from everyone. I learned more about my Buds, Lynn & Paul! OK, so when you all come to Sacramento, let’s go to a River Cats Game!
June 24th, 2008 at 12:15 pm
I really enjoyed the book. It was a positive message from beginning to end - a rarity these days. Not to mention that I got some great baseball history. As for recommending, the best I can give is to put it in someone’s hand. I passed it on to my 15-year old daughter who is almost done with it, then it goes to my nephew of the same age. I think this book sends a great message to a teenager about responsibility, self-respect, perseverance and respect for others. But, in a different way than they might usually hear or see. Then, it will make the rounds through my extended family until it either falls apart or comes back around to my library. I’m certain everyone who reads this book can take something useful away.
Looking forward to the next one!