Having a Successful Attitude in Baseball

Great talent is nothing if not accompanied by a greater attitude. However, a great attitude is more than just staying positive. The authors of the book The Mental Game of Baseball, Dorfman and Kuuehl, say that you are in full control of your attitude all of the time. You can choose to be bitter about failure, or stay optimistic about future successes. (77-78) I am now a firm believer in this idea. I have always had a concept of this idea of attitude in the back of my mind, but it had never really materialized until reading this book. I don't have a history of being "that" player with the nasty attitude, but I know that I can always improve my attitude and overall outlook on the game. "They influence our appearance to others, the words we speak, the actions we take. Attitudes influence the way we feel, both physically and mentally. They influence the degree to which we're successful in achieving our purposes" (77) This quote from the book has probably been the most influential on my actions while playing so far. It has been made apparent to me as well that many great players have had short-lived careers due to attitude problems. However, I also learned that attitudes always have room for improvement.

The three main types of attitude are identified by Dorfman and Kuehl as:

Writing down my "baseball beliefs"

The need to survive- you play for your paycheck
The need to be wanted- you play for attention
The need to thrive- you play because you want to be successful/enjoy yourself

By identifying which of these attitudes you have while playing, you create a new sense of awareness of not only yourself, but the great game of baseball itself. A good way to identify your own attitude towards baseball is to write down what you find most important about the game and either change those ideals or stick with them. A crucial part of finding yourself, is
being able to identify the attitudes of other people as mentioned by Dorfman and Kuehl.
In conclusion, your attitude is a representation of not only who you are as a baseball player, but also your personal character as well.

Do you believe that you have full control over your attitude?

 Dorfman, H. A., and Karl Kuehl. The Mental Game of Baseball: A Guide to Peak Performance. Lanham, MD: Diamond Communications, 2002. Print.