Branch Rickey's Little Blue Book - Part 2

As the book progresses, Branch starts to talk about his baseball beliefs and philosophies. Branch believed it was easy to transform a player from a .250 hitter to a .320 hitter, but next to impossible to improve the batter's power. This was in the 1940's. Today, baseball fans agree, using stats like isolated power to predict future power and more times than not, they are right, the trend is followed. Branch was well ahead of his time. 

Branch changes gears a bit and talks about change. "No batter will willingly embrace suggestions or change in any direction as long as he things his own method is correct." I find this to be true in life. I can't help someone change or lead someone to change if they feel their method is always right. To combat this in my life, I try to keep an open mind. To me, my method is right for the moment but I will always listen to other people to hear about their methods. I never know when a method could come up that is better than mine. I can't be too arrogant to assume that my methods are the best out there. 


He writes about the argument made by scientists that there is no such thing as a curve ball. This argument really engages me. Looking a little further into it, it has been proven that the curve ball does move.


Branch Rickey goes on to talk about the small things in baseball that are the difference between a pennant and a losing team. Getting the bunt down is something that is practiced from day 1.  Method does not matter but end result is crucial. He talks about signing high school players and the future of the draft. Everything he talks about is dead on to today's era. He was really far ahead of his time. Branch Rickey was the man who started spring training. His teams were coming into the season more and more out of shape so Mr. Rickey decided that his team could use an extra month of conditioning at the start of the season. Players were timed doing running activities, players threw the ball with each other and batsmen were judged on stride, hand position, bat position and most importantly power. Rickey believed that the outfielder was the most difficult to scout because it could be days before he did anything of significance in the field and all players go through batting slumps. 


Michael Snow


"This slim volume of epigrams and observations--on character, attitude, and baseball itself--compiled from his letters, notes, and personal papers is a treasure trove of good sense, keen insight, and, indeed, some genuine inspiration, a true reflection of the singular man who penned them." - Amazon