by: Tony Papajohn
It was a night of focus and inspiration.
On October 20, 2004, the Boston Red Sox made history.
They became baseball’s first team to win a best-of-seven post-season series after losing the first three games.
And they did it against arch-rival New York in Yankee Stadium.
Even if you are not a sports fan, here are some lessons you can use to turn any situation around.
When things stink and they have stunk for awhile (you lost three in a row), the best way to turn things around is to forget how badly you have screwed up thus far.
Apparently, the Red Sox did this. After the game, manager Terry Francona said his team had no margin for error. They played “inning by inning” and “pitch by pitch.”
He said they “concentrated on every play.”
This is the short course in breaking any slump.
Focus on the present.
Forget the past.
Disregard the future.
Be in the moment with all your brain cells on board. Practice this and no slump will ever be a long one.
Centerfielder Johnny Damon exemplifies this. Prior to this game, he was hitting a dismal.108 for the series. Then he hit two home runs including a grand slam.
Will anyone in all of New England remember his batting average for the first 6 games?
The Red Sox players prepared for this game in an unusual way.
They did not take batting practice.
Instead, they watched “Miracle on Ice,” the movie about the amazing gold medal performance of the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team, still considered one of the most stunning upsets in sports history.
At some point, you are ready. You know what to do.
The rest is focus and inspiration.
And that’s more important than batting practice.