Just One More Dying Quail A Week

“Do you know what the difference between hitting .250 and .300 is? It’s 25 hits. 25 hits in 500 at-bats is 50 points, okay?

There’s six months in a season. That’s about 25 weeks that means if you get just one extra flare a week, just one gork; a groundball; you get a groundball with eyes; you get a dying quail; just one more dying quail a week … and you’re in Yankee Stadium.

You still don’t know what I’m talking about? Get the hell out of here.”

There are so many great lessons about the game and life in Bull Durham. The above quote is Crash Davis talking to “Nuke” in the bar after Nuke has just received the call to the Major Leagues.

One of my college coaches always said, “It only takes a dime more to go first class.”

I try to talk to my athletes that progress is about getting just a tiny little bit better at a hundred things – day in, day out.

Those 25 hits in 500 at-bats; that one more dying quail a week is going to come from striving to be consistently excellent at the seemingly minute details.

This is true in the game. And it’s true in life.