For this year's house ball season, standings don't count. All teams will make the playoffs, so in essence, all our games are exhibition. When playing exhibition games, we want to focus more on the process than the result. During exhibition play, I would rather lose a game where we played properly, and made good decisions throughout, than win a game where we made a lot of mental errors. It is the very nature of baseball, that most games are lost and not won.

We are using these exhibition games as practice to hopefully progress and peak at the end of the season when the playoffs begin.

Baseball can be tricky. There is a lot of standing around, then a ball is hit and everything goes crazy. By mentally preparing, before each pitch, players are more able to deal with the stress of knowing what to do before it gets crazy.

That is why coaches are constantly reminding base runners, how many outs there are? am I forced to run on this play?, etc. This is the same whether we are batting or fielding. Good, smart base running is very important in baseball. One of the reasons we always try to steal 2nd base is to take off the force play. (a force play means the runner doesn't have to be tagged, to be out. The defender merely tags the bag that the player is 'forced' to run to, because there is another player behind him). Most double plays happen when a ball is hit to short or second, and they tag second and throw on to first, for the double play. (Both of the outs were force outs).

This same mental alertness is especially required when we are in the field. As well as positioning, the players need to first ask 'where do I throw the ball if it comes to me?' Then the run through the scenarios, 'what is my responsibility when the ball is hit to X?' It isn't easy. Many Big League players make mistakes, but it is something that we strive toward.

It is part of the process... of learning to play better baseball.