The Fear of Striking Out

Do you know what major leaguer led the American League in strike outs in 1918, 1923, 1924, 1927 and 1928? I'm sure you probably do. He went by many names: George Herman Ruth, Great Bambino, and The Sultan of Swing to name a few. What's ironic is that the man that led the American League in strike outs for several seasons is also hailed as one of the greatest hitters to ever play the game. Today marks the 60th anniversary of his death.

Ruth's lifetime total of 714 home runs at his retirement in 1935 was a record for 39 years, until broken by Hank Aaron in 1974. I could go on all day thanks to my trusty sidekick, wikipedia. But stats aside, I think Babe Ruth learned a great truth about baseball that applies to life in general. He's quoted as saying "Never let the fear of striking out get in your way."

There's something invigorating about that statement. He's acknowledging that by swinging for the fences he's going to strike out a lot. And that's okay. How many times do most people play things safe, because of their fear of striking out? I would venture to say quite often. It's as if we're willing to settle for a bunch of base hits to avoid the embarrassment of failure.

Base hits are good and sometimes they're just what we need. But sometimes they're not enough. Sometimes we need to think bigger than that. Sometimes we should go for something great. And that means swinging for the fences. And most of all, not letting the fear of striking out get in our way.

Batter up.