Punctuation Marks
Baseball is a game of long pauses punctuated by explosive action.
It requires you to stuff all of your energy and passion and dreams into a little container that you keep sealed until the right time. Then you release all of it at once by throwing a 97 mph fastball at a six-inch target or unleashing a swing of lightning that resounds with a thunderclap.
You must go from calm and focused to sprinting towards the fence, ready to see which can win a battle of wills. Or from standing still to racing towards home on the bobble of a ball.
That requires another tool, beyond the five most oft-noted ones.
It requires patience and stoicism and letting the game come to you. That can be hard when you have an abundance of talent, or when you’re desperate to make an impression.
It takes thinking you are the best player on the field, maybe in the game, but accepting you can still only do what you’re allowed to. Whatever tool that is, it is as important if not more so than any others, even hitting for average or power.
Estevan Florial already has it while Frazier still does not.