It's October, which means is playoff baseball time. As I've aged, and watched considerably less professional baseball, this is the time of year that I will occasionally tune it to watch a game. To me, the regular season of baseball tends to get a little drawn out. The playoffs seem to be a whole different game though. Recognizing the magnitude of each game, and seemingly each inning and out, managers and players employ a completely different type of strategy. Hits are celebrated just as much as homers. A sacrifice fly or bunt can be the turning point in the game. Unfortunately, the 2017 Minnesota Twins couldn't put together a postseason like the 1987 Twins 30 years previous and bring home another World Series Title. There's always next year I guess.
Typically, teams that fare well in the postseason are the teams that have a full line-up of players who can step up at any moment. A regular season batting champ or Cy Young Award winner can only get you so far in the playoffs (if they get into the playoffs at all), as they are only one player on a very big field. If you use the metaphor of your life as a game, and for sake of this blog's context, a baseball game, then you likely view your teammates as the various people in your life with whom you have personal relationships - typically you're family and your friends. They are the ones who help you play the game by filling out the various positions on the field. In life, as in baseball, it can be challenging to play both the role of pitcher and catcher simultaneously.
Just past the All-Star Break of my Puckett Year, I feel like I have been fortunate to spend some quality time with some of the other collaborators on this project. It certainly hasn't been as much time as we spent together during our college days, but given our various geographic locations, and hectic schedules, I take what I can get. In the times that I've been able to "hang" with these guys, one of the thoughts that has crossed my mind is despite the fact that we will have all celebrated our Puckett Years within the calendar year of each other, we are all at different stages of our lives. We came into our Puckett Years with a variety of circumstances; some married, some dating, some single, some fathers, some expecting, some employed, some job hunting, some going back to school, some retired (me!....sort of). Those various circumstances colored our approach to our Puckett Year, and now that some of us have transitioned out of our Puckett Year, what 34 was really all about.
Having a close group of friends celebrating a milestone like a Puckett Year in close proximity to mine while also being in their own unique stage of life is akin to needing teammates to play all of the different positions on a baseball team. Just as we have our own unique experiences to bring to our Puckett Year, a baseball player has their own unique skill set to bring to his position. We play these roles for each other, and we need others to play these roles in our lives. Some assume the role of starting pitchers, steady and durable, but only on the field every 3-4 games. There is the power-hitting DH (in the AL at least), who tends to hit only homers when he doesn't strike out swinging on three pitches. Some are utility infielders, able to play most any position, but typically fall toward the bottom of the batting order. Every team needs a catcher, the personable one who doesn't mind spending excessive time in uncomfortable positions (since nobody else really wants to). And you can't forget about the wild-hair closer, who either throws a 110 mph fastball down the pipe or wild pitches 20 feet off the plate.
Just as a baseball team needs all of these different players, with different skill sets and personalities to fill these positions, we need different people in our lives to keep the game in motion. Given my current state of affairs, I'm not exactly sure what position I'd fill in the line-up, or if I'd even be in the line-up. I played a lot of right field in youth little league and later in bar league softball, and as this entertaining article suggests, that spot might seem to fit (minus the cannon arm). Some positions on the field tend to be a little more glamorous than others, and it can be easy to covet a teammate's particular skill or role on the team in comparison to our own. This, however, certainly can certainly be a switch-hitter of a situation. A first baseman might wish for more defensive prowess like a shortstop, but the shortstop might wish to be a more powerful hitter like the first basemen. A right fielder might think playing the hot corner could provide a little more excitement, but the third basemen would possibly prefer to hang out in right field and do nothing instead of continually taking balls in the teeth.
As we take stock of our lives during our Puckett Year, and we look at those around us also in their Puckett Year, it can be easy to want what others have that we don't. It's good to recognize though that those same people might want what we have. As a married, father of three who spends a bulk of my time engaged in child rearing, I can certainly get a little jealous of the freedom conceivably available to those teammates who are single, or the prestige and notoriety of those teammates with high-powered jobs. Those weeknight happy hours or international work trips would be a refreshing change of pace from time to time. Those same teammates though, might very well wish for some of the things that are more prevalent in my life; a loving wife and kids, and ample time to enjoy their company, or just the ability to wear jeans and a t-shirt all day, every day. When we start to take our positions for granted, we can look to our teammates to help balance us out. Maybe they even allow us try their position for a game or two, before we realize that we're just not cut out for their spot. No successful team can be all starting pitchers, or designated hitters, or even pinch runners. Each position plays a part on the team, and each position can be the key to winning or losing. By finding our spot on the team and playing it to the best of our ability, it keeps us in the game.
