Legendary baseball Hall of Famer Babe Ruth made and kept one of history’s greatest promises. Regardless of your feelings for my beloved New York Yankees, what Ruth did in Wrigley Field during game three of the 1932 World Series is one for the proverbial ages. His promise is also instructional.
With the game tied 4-4 in the fifth inning, in the midst of booing fans and the rowdy Cubs’ dugout’s heckling, Ruth stepped to the plate, pointed to center field, and then on the very next pitch promptly hit a home run to the precise spot he had pointed. He didn’t just “barely make it.” His promised home run left the ball park at an astounding trajectory and landed “past the flag pole” that sat four hundred and forty feet away. He delivered on his promise and left no doubt about it.
The Yankees went on to win game three 7-5, and then proceeded to clinch the World Series by beating the then-demoralized Cubs, 13-6. Ruth’s promise had a lasting effect.
Read any philosopher, and the approach to a life worth living eventually arrives at the notion of making and keeping promises. This is an especially potent approach to succeeding in business. Like Ruth, we can keep the process simple: just point and deliver.
Internal promises come first. What have you assured your team would be the vision, what strategy have you devised together and what consequences of success and failure did you outline? Be crystal clear. The other internal promise you need to keep is with yourself. Have you properly vetted the vision that is driving the promise you are about to make? Are you doing this for the right reasons and at the right time? Is your mind clear and your heart true to yourself and to those around you in your personal life? Are you insuring that physically and emotionally, you are “in shape”? Personal life distractions will destroy any chance of keeping promises—to anyone.
Be bold and be sincere. Your customers don’t necessarily expect perfection, but they deserve excellence. There is a difference. Perfection is seldom attainable. Excellence is the function of sincerity and work ethic. Ruth pointed to center field because he was resolute. He was in the midst of a hostile environment, not unlike the competitive marketplaces we all operate in each day. He was steadfast in his commitment to deliver on his promise and relentless about achieving his goal.
I would be remiss if I did not thank Greg Manley and Christine Manley for ensuring excellence at this year’s Muckleshoot Casino Washington Open Invitational and Washington Open Pro-Am. Once again, their leadership was evident in every detail. Together with our sponsors, including Kim Ponti of adidas, Robert Su of TaylorMade and Sally Schmitz of Bushnell Golf, they delivered a phenomenal event.
Let promise-keeping become habit-forming. Becoming habitually and reliably trustworthy is a powerful weapon. First, not many people, companies, or even groups can claim this as an advantage they possess. Second, consistent honesty and reliability breeds future engagement and shared success. Ruth took two strikes in that famous at-bat, baseball’s near equivalent of “sudden death.” He nonetheless made and kept his promise. Delivering on his promise of a home run, one could argue, was the turning point of the 1932 World Series. How many times would keeping your promise to a customer, co-worker, or a family member prove to be a turning point with a similar brand of dramatic and lasting affect? Integrity leads to real impact.
Keeping promises can sometimes extend to the legacy of another. One spectacular example of this is the “Freddy Initiative.” The Freddy (Forming Relationships to Expand Diversity and Develop Youth) was formed in the fall of 2020, to honor the legacy of Sean “Freddy” Fredrickson. Apart from being the PNWPGA Section President, Sean was a husband, father, and an outstanding golf professional that had a passion for providing opportunities for youth. This summer, the first season of FREDDY Interns begin at facilities throughout our Section. Twelve golf courses in the Northwest have volunteered to take part of the pilot year in 2021, and the new interns have already started at green grass facilities under the tutelage of PGA Professionals working together to perpetuate Sean’s vision. Please be on the lookout for future articles in ForeWord Press, where we will spotlight the first year FREDDY Interns and their achievements. If you would like to read more about the Initiative, please visit freddyfoundation4.org and learn more about the vision of the Initiative, fundraising events that occurred in 2020, future events planned for this season, and FAQ’s.
I encourage each of us to be bold in our promise-making. Point to your centerfield, daily. The results will inspire excellence and may very well be the turning point to something very special.
As always, if I or our Section staff can be of service to you, please do not hesitate to call on us.
Frank Talarico, CEO