How Do Humility And Team Spirit Go Hand In Hand?
I come from a long line of baseball fans. So long, that with my 92 year old mother in Brooklyn, 90 and 88 year old aunts in FL, I have been glued to the TV watching the NLCS and ALCS playoffs. They were terrific match-ups and I’m sure ….some of you are disappointed with the results. I for one am not. I think this upcoming World Series match up between the Texas Rangers and the San Francisco Giants will be outstanding. I caught the post game interviews with the Rangers and was impressed with the comments made. I know very little about the team. A franchise for 39 years this is their first trip to the World Series. What struck me was the heart felt sincerity of the comments made by the manager, Ron Washington. Washington’s humility, exemplified in the comments he made about the excellence of his team, was inspiring. This is a man who earlier this year acknowledged cocaine use. He apologized to the Ranger organization including his players and was kept on staff. In actuality the way he and the organization handled this transgression may have brought the team closer together.
Within seconds the scene shifted to the traditional bubbly being sprayed over the players but this time the bubbly was ginger-ale because MVP of the series Josh Hamilton and teammate CJ Wilson don’t drink. This demonstration of team support of a player who has battled addiction to alcohol was a first for me
Next up was Josh Hamilton. In tears he talked about the love he had for the team and his fellow players. He referenced his past addictions and his healing. Like many he thanked God as well. Expressions of gratitude are commonplace. However, I’ve never heard such heart felt authentic expressions after winning a series.
The sense of oneness exemplified by the Rangers from Nolan Ryan down is truly representative of an engaged organization. Telling the truth, acknowledging the efforts of others in your success, a manager admitting to his mistakes, coupled with talent and skill are just a few of the elements that build an engaged organization. Will they carry this through to win the world Series? Only time will tell.