bcg blog

Relief Pitchers

It’s the spring of 1995. We are in our final run as high school athletes, attempting to survive the Ohio High School Athletic Association baseball tournament. Coming off a less than impressive 12 - 11 regular season, the prospects of a deep tournament run aren’t exactly the popular bet. 

We know we haven’t been a great team to this point, but we’re also just dumb enough to think … well, maybe… We win our first couple tournament games fairly comfortably - as comfortably as a five hundred ball club can win a game. Then, in the sectional final our catcher, and cleanup hitter, Trevin Bair leaps into the spotlight by hitting a grand slam to give us a win over an all state pitcher. We live to see another day. 

Our unimpressive record is easily the worst at this point in the tournament. But, with each win our confidence and excitement grow. Soon we forget we have been mediocre all year long. We are starting to believe we’re going to win. Our belief is translating into our play on the field. We advance to the round of thirty-two, then sixteen, then eight, then four … and before we know it we are one of two teams remaining in the state.

In order to advance in any tournament, things have to go your way. You have to put yourself in the position, but at some point luck needs to be on your side. And, while we had several things fall into place, nothing was more significant than a timely rainout which allowed our pitching rotation to be maintained. In baseball, that’s a pretty big deal.

We had two pitchers: Brent Parke and David Dowty. Rather than be forced to pitch our third and fourth pitcher, the rainout allowed Brent and David the rest they needed to continue in the critical roles they had settled into. Their brilliance was the driving force behind our success.

Brent was the starter. He was a great athlete with a lively arm and pinpoint control. He threw hard and liked to work off his fastball most games. Brent was taxed with getting us off to a good start and would pitch the first five to six innings of every one of our tournament games. David was the closer. He relied on his big, bending curve ball to finish out the games. David’s calm and confidence suited him perfectly for this role. The contrast between the two proved to be a challenge for even the best teams to handle.

The beauty in the whole thing was their acceptance of each of these roles.
David didn’t want to be Brent and Brent didn’t want to be David. 

Why Should We Care?
The storybook leadership fable sounds something like this: you, the leader, take a bunch of helpless underachievers and turn them into a team of high functioning winners. They start at zero and, because of your leadership, end up at ten. 

The truth is no one really starts at zero and most never make it to ten. As it turns out, this is one of the most difficult aspects of leadership for many to accept. In the pitching rotation of leadership, you may not get to be the closer. Actually, there is a good chance you aren’t the closer. It’s much more likely that you’re simply a relief pitcher - someone who bridges the gap between the starting pitcher and the closing pitcher.

There is a lot to do - goals to achieve and milestones to surpass. While those are important and can never be neglected, the focus must never change: move your people forward.

That’s rarely going to be the finish line. 
That’s ok. Just keep moving them forward.

REAL TALK - Action Steps
The challenge we face as leaders is internal, not external. That’s what makes it so difficult, we can’t see it. We have to do our best, then trust. But, trust what? Like everything else, the best things take time. Our life is no different. Whether it’s our faith, our relationships, or our talents, time is required for growth and depth. 

Here are few thoughts on becoming the best relief pitcher you can be:

• Understand Without Accepting 
  
  • Sure, we need to meet people where they are, but we should not accept those we lead where they are. That’s our job, to challenge their current reality and help them create a new, better version. Some welcome it, some fight it. As the leader, accepting someone as they are is robbing them of the potential they are trusting you with. Helping them become what they are capable of is leading.
    

• Embrace the Process
  
  • Whatever part of the process you are able to be involved with, embrace it. Your part of the process is critical - every, single one; no matter how small or trivial it may seem. Without your piece of the process, the next one can’t take place. All are needed and all are important. There is no destination, no gold prize. There is only the process. The process is your reward.
    

• Appreciate the Past and the Future
  
  • Let those you lead know you appreciate their history - where they’ve been, what they’ve gone through. It’s their story and has led them here. Let them also know you appreciate their future, what is yet to happen. And, since you do, you will do everything you can to push them as far forward as you can.
    

Relief pitchers epitomize leadership. The glory is limited, but the value is extreme. We should be leaning into this role rather than looking to escape it. 

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