Slumping Tigers, Rising Challenges -- Meeting Adversity Head On

Forbes

2 hours ago

Manager A.J. Hinch #14 of the Detroit Tigers
Slump!
One of the words that bedevils teams at every level, but particularly in professional baseball, is in part because the season is so long.
Players experience them individually. Teams go through them collectively.
There's an old saying that says baseball is like life, only more so. And that's why watching how teams cohere, compete to win, and continue to persevere through the highs and the lows of the season makes it so instructive. And often it's when times are most challenging that the best lessons emerge.
Slump in D-town
Take the Detroit Tigers. After a surprising finish last season, which saw them make it to the Division playoffs, the Tigers maintained their pace, posting the best record in Major League Baseball until just before and after All-Star Game when they went won one game in 13 tries.
What can be done? Evan Petzold, beat writer for the Detroit Free Press, did an extended interview with manager A.J. Hinch. His answers will reflect his long career in the game, as a World Series-winning manager with the Houston Astros, a catcher, and, yes, a psychology major at Stanford.
Face reality
Facing reality does not mean accepting it. 'You can write a laundry list of things when teams aren't going well about what's going wrong.' Knowing what's wrong does not mean you can fix it right away.
"It's hard enough to press the reset button after a good time, where you win a series… The morale is good, but it's tough on these guys.'
Competition is not going to make recovery from a slump easy. 'Baseball is going to push back a little bit and make you play the next day and the next day and the next day.' No teams 'we play [are] going to feel sorry for us. We've got to play better."
Hinch likes what he sees in his players. "We're not pouting and sulking… There's a ton of togetherness. There's a ton of guys trying to find solutions." He adds something that every manager in any endeavor says: that it's not effort, it's "execution." And that is hard.
Lessons to learn
All of us face slumps, times when no matter how hard we try, we cannot seem to make a difference. And so, when that happens, it is essential, as Hinch reveals, to take stock of who you are, what you can do, and what you need to do to improve and make changes when possible. Above all, you need to believe in yourself. Losing confidence erodes your ability to bounce back.
Hinch himself is no stranger to adversity. After winning the World Series with the Astros, he was suspended for one year for not doing enough to prevent his players from using video technology to steal signs from opposing teams. While he disapproved of what his players were doing, he accepted the consequences. 'Because wrong is wrong, and it was very wrong, and I'll make sure that everyone knows that I feel responsible. Because I was the manager and it was on my watch, and I'll never forget it.' That mindset no doubt gives Hinch a perspective on resilience that is essential for leading through tough times.
As a fan, I hold out hope that the Tigers will regain their poise and continue on their winning ways. As a student of leadership, I am sure that the lessons managers like A.J. Hinch share will be valuable to anyone in management.
After all, Hinch believes in his players. 'We're trying to keep our chins up, keep our chest out and realize we're still a first-place team. We're one good win away from potentially taking off again."