If you play this game long enough…
eventually you’re going to sit the bench.
And when that happens, a lot of players start thinking:
“I’m wasting my time.”
“I might get cut.”
"I suck"
“Coach doesn’t believe in me.”
I’ve been there too.
Over my baseball career...all the way to MLB... there were times I sat because organizations invested millions more into other players or college coaches simply went another direction.
Here’s what I learned:
The players who survive those moments don’t become bitter.
They:
- show up early
- stay late
- support teammates
- keep improving
- figure out what the team needs
- stay ready for their opportunity
Because eventually…
baseball gives chances to the players who are prepared when their moment comes.
Eric took the stage at UNC Chapel Hill to deliver a commencement speech to the next generation of Tar Heels, sharing a message for the graduates as they step into what comes next.
Watch the speech in its entirety here: https://t.co/DbqOdqiymt
Remembering Pat Summerall, born 96 years ago today🕯️
Pat's narration of CBS's cinematic NFL opens were unrivaled — each a mini-masterpiece.
Three of my favorites:
• 1985 NFC Championship, set to Vince DiCola's "War/Fanfare" from Rocky IV
• 1990 NFC Championship, set to Johann Strauss II's "Blue Danube Waltz" and George Thorogood's "Bad to the Bone"
• 1992 Thanksgiving, set to Guns N' Roses "November Rain"
@shomphe_steve Bill Maher is spot on. I've never been a fan of his until the past few years. The guy was and still is a big liberal. When you lose him, something is wrong. He even said that this isn't his Democratic party.
HS Baseball Players ⚾️
I’ve been around this game a long time, and something’s changed...
We’re losing respect for the game.
• Chirping after every pitch.
• Celebrating routine plays like it’s Game 7
• Trying to embarrass opponents instead of beating them.
That���s not toughness. That’s insecurity. 💯
Somewhere along the way, being loud became more important than being good.
And the worst part? It’s being allowed.
When I came up…
• You showed up early.
• You handled your business.
• You played hard.
• You shut your mouth.
• If you had something to say…
you said it with performance.
• And if lines were ever crossed, the players took care of it.
The truth: 👇
• Baseball is hard.
• You’re going to fail.
• You’re going to struggle.
• The game doesn’t need more noise…
• It needs more respect.
• Nobody remembers who chirped.
• They remember who showed up.
• Who competed.
• Who handled adversity.
• Who left the game better than they found it.
Want to separate yourself?
Stop talking. Start working.
Respect the game.
💯⚾️
Bill Maher delivered a brutal reality check to the COVID “experts” who dismissed opposing views at the time—arguing that many of those once-ridiculed takes have since been proven right.
He points to a range of claims that were heavily debated during the pandemic, from the origins of COVID and treatment approaches to school closures, immunity debates, and the effectiveness and safety of vaccines and mandates.
The broader message? What was once labeled “misinformation” may not have been so simple—and the narrative around the pandemic is still being questioned
Here is a question. You think Cora didn’t want Bregman back even though Bregman loved it here? You think it was Cora who didn’t believe him that he had another offer from the Cubs? You think it was Cora who cheaped out? You think it was Cora who wants Durbin as his 3rd baseman over one of the best leaders in baseball? (Cubs 2nd best record in baseball by the way). This team is a joke but it’s been a joke for a long time and it all starts with John Henry. He won’t pay for anybody. Breslow sucks. Henry sucks. #selltheteam
The “boring” stuff wins ballgames:
-Backing up the play
-Putting the ball in play
-Moving the runner
-Making the routine plays
-Consistent communication
-Throwing strikes
-Smart baserunning
-Taking your walks
-Getting HBP, holding your ground
-Hitting a cutoff man
-Hustling out everything
*At some point, the “boring” tasks of ⚾️ will win extra games! And more often than not, playoff berths, seedings, playoff wins, and even championships can be determined and decided by what many would call “boring.”
Turn the “boring” into the “important” and that’s how you win!
#BaseballTruth
Baseball rewards the ones who keep showing up.
The ones who put in the extra reps when no one’s watching.
The ones who fail, adjust, and come back stronger.
Hard work doesn’t always show up right away…
But when it does — it’s everything you dreamed of.
Keep going. The game always gives back.
#BaseballDreams #HardWorkPaysOff #KeepGrinding #TrustTheProcess
One of my contrarian takes:
Society peaked in the 80s, and it’s been in slow decline ever since.
It was the last era of widespread optimism. You can feel it in the music and movies.
“Excess meets innocence.”
The 80s also mark the end of the analog world—local economies, in-person everything, and a certain forced simplicity.
Malls, movie theaters, magazines, and BMX.
Then, beginning in the 90s, came the tidal wave of tech:
Mobile phones
The internet
Social media
AI
All incredible innovations, with lots of positives. But on the whole I think they’re *net negatives* for society.
We replaced a finite, real-world experience with an infinite, digital one.
Infinite information. Infinite comparison. Infinite distraction.
Human’s aren’t wired for that, and you can see the consequences all around us.