What Am I Good At? Play Ball!

Recently I went to a business seminar, and the guest speaker repeatedly asked the crowd: “What are you good at?”

He emphasized that it’s crucial for people to identify their top skills, and then put them to work. “What are you good at?!” he shouted. “Are you good at problem solving? Are you good at communicating? Are you good a motivating your co-workers? Are you good at prioritizing tasks? You must find out: What. Are. You. Good. At?!”

I thought about it for a while, and in a moment of pure insight, I declared, “I am good at watching baseball.”

OK, that particular skill is not exactly in high demand in the business world. But it’s a fact: of all the zillions of things I do in a typical week — at work, at home, at church, at wherever — by far what I do best is watch baseball.

Now, let’s be clear. Many people “watch” baseball. That is, they walk into a room, look at the TV, and say, “Oh, the Red Sox are on. Who’re they playing?” After being told, they then say something like, “Is this the playoffs?”

Um, it’s May. Thanks for trying, but please go back to checking your Facebook page.

Watching baseball is truly an art. It’s also a gift, since a person is either born with it or not.

The talented baseball watcher doesn’t just know the difference between a slider and a cutter; understand why a baserunner must never risk making the first or third out at third base; and have the Infield Fly Rule committed to memory. It’s also imperative to be aware of all the swirling dynamics of an ongoing game, in the same way a composer grasps the various musical themes blending together in a symphony.

For example, the other day I was watching a game. It was the third inning and scoreless, but the pitcher was struggling with his control. The leadoff batter took the first two pitches way outside. I just knew what was going to happen next. I said, “This guy’s gonna walk, then in a couple minutes he’s gonna score.”

Sure enough, he walked on four pitches, took second on a wild pitch, went to third on a groundout to second, and came home on a bloop single to center. It just seemed obvious something like that was about to happen. Of course, my prophetic instincts aren’t always right. But it seems I’m correct more often than not.

Another crucial skill for the advanced baseball watcher is the ability to quickly and seamlessly connect what is happening on the field with something that occurred ten or 50 or 100 years ago.

Here are some typical comments a topflight baseball watcher might say during a game: “Ooh, he turned that double play like Ozzie Smith.” “That dude’s arm reminds me of Dwight Evans.” “He’s got his slider going today, but did you ever see Steve Carlton in his prime? Unhittable.” “Hey, watch this replay. He swings like Ted Williams, only right-handed.” “Why are they taking him out? Pitch count? Sheesh. Juan Marichal once threw 227 pitches in a 16-inning game. And he beat Warren Spann that night, who threw 201 pitches — at age 42!”

I’m still trying to figure out if being a gifted baseball watcher is a skill that will help at the office. I’m thinking probably not. But I’m glad the seminar speaker encouraged me to discover my true gift. When the seminar ended, the speaker hopped off the stage and jogged up the aisle high-fiving attendees. I said to the guy next to me, “He runs like Jackie Robinson.” I’m pretty sure I was the only one there who noticed.