I have never made any secret of my love for the game of baseball. When I am traveling during the summer months, I always see if there is a game within driving distance.
And it doesn't have to be a major league game either. I have seen independent league games, low minor games and AAA-level games.
And this doesn't include my avocation of umpiring all levels of ball, from youth to adult men.
So, when I saw a headline on a recent article, "Be a Mattingly, Not a Mantle," I was intrigued.
After all, while we have two of the great Yankees here, let's face it, Mickey Mantle is in the Hall of Fame and won multiple World Series rings.
Don Mattingly was one of the best first basemen of his era, but never garnered more than 28% of the vote for the Hall of Fame (75% is needed for election).
But the article, written by speaker and business development expert Ron Karr, makes the point that preparation is the key to success.
Mr. Mantle's level of talent, he said, resulted in the Yankee center fielder rarely preparing for his job, relying on his talent to carry him through. As noted in multiple venues, Mr. Mantle spent much of his off-field time drinking and partying.
Mr. Mattingly, said Mr. Karr, had fewer natural gifts, but by working to improve, made more of his ability.
"Top producers need to do more of what Don Mattingly did - practice. They need to hone their skills in order to achieve their true potential in terms of creating revenue and they need to practice to help the other members of their team. Their true value lies not just in the hard numbers they generate, but also in their ability to mentor others and enhance the skills of the team as a whole. That is true sales leadership," Mr. Karr wrote in his book, "Lead, Sell or Get Out of the Way: The 7 Traits of Great Sellers."
The upshot, Mr. Karr said, is salespeople need to practice their skills before facing live pitching, that is, their customer.
To learn more about Mr. Karr, visit
