Having a good eye, and why I don’t want to

“Good eye Adam!” That is what my dad would shout to me when I was shaking in the batters box. It’s the best compliment you can give a kid that is too scared to swing the bat as the ball zips past his face. I was scared every time I got up to bat. That fear turned into timidity. And, that timidity created a lack of opportunity. After all, to get a hit you have to swing the bat.

Now, as an adult, I don’t want to have a good eye, I want to take the swing. I now understand the risk of the swing, and I’m ok with it. If I get beaned, I’ll live. But, if I never take the big swing, I’ll never get that big hit, and I want that big hit!

I recognize that always taking the big swing is a bad idea in baseball and in life. You have to be smart about it. But “good eye” is the phrase reserved for the kids that don’t swing, even at the good pitches. That is the phrase to help the timid be less timid. Maybe it builds courage or just self esteem. Either way, I want to be smart, not timid. I don’t need my self esteem built up, I need the opportunity to make an impact. And, in my experience, making an impact starts with taking a smart, big, swing!

Side note, comedian Brian Regan has a great bit about having a “good eye,” check it out below: