The Power of Sports Fiction
The Power of Sports Fiction, Stephen Krashen has a story that touches on every aspect of life. The power of fiction lies in its ability to elevate seemingly insignificant events to a level worthy of our consideration. This one unquestionably brought such a positive transformation into my life.
The book was a baseball narrative, and it was one of several that John R. Tunis had written that were centered on a fictional Brooklyn Dodgers team. The episode from The Keystone Kids that I talk about and detail here may be found in (1943).
Spike Russell had just been given the position of team manager, which was an extremely uncommon elevation given that he was still a player while being so young. Spike promptly and firmly assumed control of the situation and addressed the rest of the crew with a lecture on the importance of being impeccable.
To begin, some historical context. It is possible that some of the readers are aware that when a hitter hits an ordinary ground ball to an infielder, there is a high probability, particularly when the players are professionals, that the throw will get to the first baseman before the hitter does, and therefore the hitter will be considered “out.” When it is obvious that the batter will not reach first base in time to beat the throw, it is standard procedure for hitters not to sprint as quickly as they possibly can in order to try and make up for a lost time.
But the new manager of the Dodgers, Spike Russell, made it a point to ensure that this would not occur while he was in charge of the team: “I want everyone on this club to run out anything to first, whether they think they can beat the throw or not… You have to work under the assumption that the fielder is going to mishandle the ball… The other day in Cincinnati, we lost a game that was really significant to us when a pitcher started running toward first base on a hard-hit ground ball while he still had his bat in his hand. The shortstop botched the play and threw the ball wild, but if he had hustled, he wouldn’t have been in danger.
Because he didn’t make any effort to advance the ball, he was out, and we blew a chance to score the game-winning run when the following batter, Klein, tripled (Tunis, pp. 145–146).
Hustle
Spike was telling them that they put the entire team in danger when they don’t “hustle,” when they assume that the throw will be on target and the first baseman will catch the ball, even if they run as fast as they can and the throw is perfect. However, you don’t get any credit for running as fast as you can if the throw is perfect.
After our scheduled meeting, I brought this up in conversation with my primary care physician at the time, Dr. Seymour Perl. In addition to being a supporter of John R. Tunis, Seymour is a devoted follower of the actual Los Angeles Dodgers and an eager student of the game of baseball. He understood the significance of the quote immediately, as well as the implications it had for his work as a physician.
You have a patient that is exhibiting symptoms that are consistent with an illness that is widespread, you provide them with treatment that is not contentious, and you anticipate that it will be effective. But you need to “hustle” and be ready for the worst-case scenario; check to see that you have the correct diagnosis; check to see that there is nothing in the patient’s history that implies the possibility of side effects; check to see that the patient is taking the appropriate amount; and so on.
No credit
Although it appears to be a routine and simple ground ball for the shortstop to handle, making even a minor error can have significant repercussions. There is no credit given when the throw is made on time and hits the target, and there is also no credit given when the correct diagnosis is given and the appropriate treatment is prescribed. However, the repercussions of making a mistake or failing to exert sufficient effort might be severe.
Every day, I reflect on Spike’s speech and consider the potentially disastrous outcomes that could result from what might appear to be insignificant omissions. To put it another way, the significance of having a perfect reputation. Spike was chatting with me. Within the context of a baseball story, John R. Tunis was able to vividly illustrate the point and make it abundantly apparent.
Being impeccable in my life means that I perform the mundane activities that need to be done, such as making sure that I check the mail and pay the bills on time, rather than relying on my flawed memory. In the context of my professional life, this entails giving serious consideration to any and all possible arguments in favor of and against my hypothesis.
Since I was a youngster, I have not had much of an interest in baseball, but I have read all seven of John R. Tunis’s novels about baseball. His first book, The Kid from Tompkinsville (Tunis, 1940), was referred to as “the boys’ Book of Job” by one reviewer (Schiavone, 2004). I first read it when I was around twelve years old, then again when I was in my 20s, then again when I was in my 40s, and then once more when I was over 30 years old, excited to debate it with Seymour Perl.
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