The SAT is to Ronnie Paulino as….

SAT Review

In our first section we will review analogies.

1.  Dietary Pills are to Amphetamines as Weight Gainers are to _______________.

A.  Steroids

B.  Something that makes your skull grow

C.  Jaguar Testosterone

D.  HGH

E.  All of the Above

2.  Prepared Statements from Your Agent is to Genuine as Ronnie Paulino is to _________________.

A.  Sorry

B.  Fake

C.  Sham

D.  Inauthentic

E.  All of the Above

Read the following passage and answer the next questions either True or False.

”I accept full responsibility and all consequences for this mistake, and therefore choose not to challenge my suspension,” the 29-year-old Paulino said. ”I was irresponsible for failing to take all precautionary steps in confirming the approval of the dietary pill. Without a doubt, I have learned from my mistake.”

1.  Ronnie Paulino uses the word precautionary all the time.

A.  True

B.  False

2.  Ronnie Paulino is a catcher who plays half his games in Miami where the average temperature is 95 degrees and humid, but still requires a dietary pill.

A.  True

B.  False

In this final section, please write what you would say if you were caught the second time with a PED (Dietary Pill).

I am calling you here today because I messed up.  I tried to cheat the rules and I was caught.  The drug I used was an amphetamine and I use it to wake me up.  I know that it is illegal and my career could be over.  I was stupid.  As you know we only get 50 game suspensions for doing something the second time.  I was weak and chose to go the easy route.  I am ashamed of myself and ask that you forgive me for making such a stupid decision.  The suspension isn’t a wake up call.  It is a time for me to take a long look in the mirror and figure out what the root of this problem is all about.

Conclusion

I don’t think Ronnie is a bad guy at all.  Ever time I have said hi to him at the plate he has greeted me with a smile.  But it frustrates me so much when guys continue to make these types of decisions when they know full well that it is wrong.  Not only that, the players know that the tests are random and can happen anytime.  Come on!  Unless you have a serious addiction, this is simply a slap in the face of integrity.

My hope is that this doesn’t end Ronnie’s playing career.

You Asked!

Just some questions and some thoughts.

Jake asked,

How come the myth of small market teams is perpetuated? Aren’t all owners billionaires and able to buy players if they want, regardless of the revenues they take in for their market?
How come most 3B coaches are clueless when it comes to deciding whether or not to send runners to the plate? If there are less than two outs and the top of the order is coming up and your team is down by four runs, is that the time to gamble?

1.  You are right that most owners are wealthy beyond imagination.  But most owners are experts in other types of business.  What is needed are people in the front office who understand how to put a team together.  You can’t just throw money at the problem.

To your second point about revenues.  Running a team is expensive and mistakes cost tons.  Not thousands….millions.  If a team decides not to sign draft picks or identify good players then the fans won’t come.  Maybe we can say that it is like a small leak in your house.  In the grand scheme of running the house, the leak is not a major problem.  However, if it is left unfixed then it will continue to grow and in the end could cost a lot more that being responsible and fixing the leak when you see it.  Dumb example but that’s what came to mind.

2.  Coaching third base is hard.  I would love to tell you that it is about outs and runs.  But it is about humans who are running those bases.  I would say that decisions are made based on the runner.  If the runner does his job then it is easy for the coach to do his.  If not, then the coach has to make low percentage decisions that may look bad.

By the way, “is it time to gamble” is a good point.  Understanding when to take a chance is vital.

Thoughts

Now that the draft deadline has past, young men will now see a side of baseball that they haven’t experienced before.  Professional baseball is unlike anything that they have played in so far.  It is a blessing to get paid to do something you love, but you also realize that you are playing a very high stakes game that could set you up for life, or set you back depending on your performance.

In 1998, I stepped on the field in Auburn, NY as a player for the Astros NY/Penn League.  When I saw the field I was impressed.  It was a nice stadium that didn’t look anything like the “dumps” I had expected.  But something was different and I noticed it immediately.  The newly signed players were joking around, but those who had played for a few years were much quieter.

I realized that my teammates were not teammates with the goal of winning.  We were now individual athletes where winning to a distinct second to personal performance.  This was mind-bending for me.  I had been blessed with great coaches and taught that one will only be great if they are able to play within the concept of team.  That meant sacrificing personal performance for the win.  That was gone and I didn’t like it.

In the end I decided that winning would probably be more valuable than my personal play.  It was a gamble and many times I thought I was hurting myself.  But I went for it anyway.  That brings me to another point.

Statistics are the biggest mis-indicator (I don’t even think that is a word) of play.  I’m over traditional stats.  In fact, I will take a page out of Warren Buffet’s book for my take.  He says, “Accounting is the language of business.”  Well, that doesn’t mean that P/E ratios, PEG ratios, Debt/Equity, Price/Sales, or Price/Book are individual stats that can tell you if a company is healthy.  Same holds for baseball.  ERA, Wins, BA, HR’s, SLG, and a billion others are not sole indicators of great play.  It is only when someone who can look at a player’s performance in the context of a win that they understand a player’s contribution.

Who knows what I am saying, but the point is that young men are about to jump in the shark tank with the rest of us.  We who have been working for years know how dangerous it can be out here.  Lets hope that those players have great coaches and mentors who can help protect them from the negatives and show them an honest path to playing their personal best!!!!!!!

GO GET ‘EM!

Ensberg Sighting and Questions! Get This…

Hey Guys!

I want you to know that I have not forgotten about you.  In fact, part of my time away has been about you.  But that may come a little later.  For now, why don’t we get back to some baseball and answer some of the main questions I have seen you come up with.

1.  Jeff wrote:  I have a question for you Morgan. Reading your blog, you have shown a great mind for strategy and the social game in the clubhouse. It seems to me that someone with your baseball smarts would make a fantastic manager if you were given a chance. Have you ever thought of managing?

Jeff I would love to manage.  It doesn’t seem as easy as one would think.  I am not sure how teams go about finding talent to manage, coach, or be in the front office.  If we lived in a perfect world I would be able to find a mentor who could guide me to where my talents fit the best.

2.  Tim wrote:  Why do batters so frequently take called third strikes with men on base and the game on the line? Swing the stinking bat.

This probably has many answers, but I think there are usually 3 main reasons.  The first is that the were not ready to swing the bat.  Their hands weren’t back or they weren’t ready to “fire” which results in not seeing the ball as early.  The second is that they guess and the guy throws something else.  The third is that the umpire previously didn’t call that pitch so he laid off of it.

3.  K9 asked:  – is it coincidence or grand plan that many former Astros go to philly?

I don’t know.  My speculation is that Ed Wade is most familiar with the Philly players or he is trusting of the people inside that organization.  I can understand that.  Some teams seem to have relationships where they trade a lot.  As I was coming up, it seemed like every trade the Astros made was with Detroit.

4.  Bo asked:  Do you have any stories about cards of yourself or of other players?

I sure do Bo.  There is a card out there with Adam Everett’s face on it.  What do you have on that one?

5.  My kids asked:  Dada, can we go to the batting cage?

I tell them that we can go to the batting cage.  It is really cool that they like to play baseball although I wouldn’t care if they didn’t like it.  My dad has been asked numerous times, “What did you do that helped Morgan get to the Big Leagues?”  His answer, “Is you boy asking you to go to the park and play or are you asking him to go and play at the park?”