A Note from the Manager: All Together Now

As my friend Lt. General Hal Moore always said, “There is always one more thing you can do to influence any situation in your favor. And after that, there’s one more thing. And another.”

Later, because of his relationship with us through the Cardinals, he added, “because three strikes and you’re not out.”

He’s right. It’s the reason we’ve added things to our spring training schedule, like having one field specifically focused on defensive situations or a batting cage designed just for situational hitting … every day.

By the time we leave Glendale, we want every player to have been put into every priority baseball situation in preparation for the season beginning.

At some point, this game is no longer about talent. Believe me, we have a very talented clubhouse. It’s more about talent developing into skills. Success becomes about everyone making the decision to commit, commit to the team and commit to one another.

Every minute of spring training is utilized to put our players in the best position to win. The two most important pieces of our game are the players who play and the fans who are entertained by how hard and well we compete.

We have three goals to accomplish each spring training. First, establish our strategy and emphasize our attention to detail to implement it. Second, make sure our minds are right. That we are mentally committed to one another for the season ahead. And finally, establish how hard we will work and how hard, collectively, we are ready to compete, each and every day to earn our fans’ embrace.

Our journey together is just beginning.