Dear Dusty Baker,
I know you’re the manager of the Cubs and all. You have years of experience in the game, knowledge of players strengths, and a general understanding of the rules of baseball. You’ve led the Cubs to great heights, but your boys let you down this week.
I think if you’d called me, I could have solved the little problem with your players being psyched out. Yeah, sure, I only started watching baseball last summer–the same time you got the Cubs one out away from the World Series. Once I even ran down my alley between the top and bottom of the ninth to get home in time for the bottom or top of the ninth (whatever comes last.)
Here’s the solution you didn’t ask me for: Hoosiers. The movie Hoosiers. A small town high school basketball team makes it to the state finals. The team gets psyched out by the pressure from their hometown (similar on some level to decades of pressure from Chicago Northside fans, curses, billygoats, etc.)
What does the coach do? Measures the court. Proves that the court in Indianapolis is the same dimensions as the one at home. Dusty? Why didn’t you sit them down and make them watch Hoosiers? or Rudy? or even Cutting Edge?
Yeah, it is a love story on ice skates, but the meaning is there. Don’t get psyched out, but play like you did in Little League, Minor Leagues, AAA. Whatever got you onto Wrigley Field.
Dusty–next season, remind them the baselines are the same distance as always. The hoop isn’t any higher in Indianapolis.
Just remember that and I’ll take credit for the World Series win next year.
Thank you in advance,
Leah