As I was mowing the lawn the other day, my mind began to wander to baseball. I started thinking about a player who was recently named the Player of the Year for college baseball, and how I think his name is a pretty great name for a relief pitcher. Maybe it’s the best name of all time for someone in that role. Then I started thinking about some of the greatest players in all of baseball. It’s difficult to say who is the greatest that has ever played since so much has changed over the years. Would Babe Ruth be as great of a hitter as he was if he was facing today’s pitching? On the flip side, how would some of today’s prolific hitters fare against pitchers from yesteryear? Then I remembered how one player said that he wanted people to point to him and say that he was the “greatest hitter that ever lived”. He then set about perfecting his skills to help him earn that designation. The only problem was, I couldn’t remember his name. I became frustrated that the name of this great baseball player had escaped my mind. Then it hit me. A low-hanging tree limb that I had caught with the mower snapped back and smacked my arm, reminding me that I needed to pay attention to what I was doing.
Still, I was frustrated. Me, a red-blooded, patriotic American who loves this country, baseball, apple pie, and hot dogs. Me, a person who has enjoyed baseball for as long as I can remember, whose fondest memories involve watching and listening to games, playing catch with my Dad and brothers, spending hours on the diamond, and who has felt a chill while standing in the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, and who can still hear the radio announcers call some of the most dramatic plays in the history of the game… I was not able to remember the name of one of the best, most historic players ever. Granted, I have never been too good at remembering names, and I have been even worse since the stroke a few years ago, but still! This is baseball!!! How could I forget?!? I began to focus and search the recesses of my mind. He was a terrific hitter. He received a lot of recognition and, of course, is in the Hall of Fame. He had a nickname… What was it? Ted! His nickname was Teddy Ballgame. Right! But what about his last name? Ted who? He served in World War II. I think he was a pilot. Why can’t I remember? He was named to the All-Century Team in 1999, and I nearly bawled my eyes out as this wonderful gentleman was brought on a cart out onto the hallowed ground of a baseball diamond and was introduced to the crowd as “The Greatest Hitter Who Ever Lived”. I still get emotional when I think about it, and even as I type these words I’m getting goosebumps. WHAT IS HIS NAME!!!?????
Finally, after way too much time had passed while I stubbornly refused to resort to an internet search, I remembered his name. Ted Williams. Teddy Ballgame. The Splendid Splinter. The Kid. A man who loved the game and devoted himself to being the best he could be. A man who left his beloved baseball behind to serve his country in WWII, and then again to serve in Korea. A man who set records and won awards playing his game, in spite of military service interrupting his playing time. The last player to finish a season with a batting average above .400. A legend of baseball and a part of America’s history. The greatest hitter who ever lived. His name is Ted Williams.
This article is not about Ted Williams, or about baseball. It’s not about how our minds can fail us, or about watching for tree limbs while mowing the lawn. My purpose is to point out something very important. Even though I was not able, for a while, to remember the name of Ted Williams, I wanted to remember his name. Pay attention to that statement: I had a desire to remember the name of Ted Williams. Let that sink in a minute.
People often get bent out of shape or offended if you don’t remember their name. They go to great lengths to make sure everyone knows their name, calling their companies or inventions by their own name or putting their names on buildings. They attach their names to lines of clothing, colognes, beauty products and shoes. We hand out business cards with our names on them. We follow up with customers and potential clients to make sure they keep our names in mind for their next purchase. Everyone wants to make a name for themselves. This is the wrong approach if you truly want to leave your mark on the world. Instead, you should strive to be the kind of person that people want to remember. Be such a good person, or so great at what you do, that others develop a desire to remember your name.
This principle applies to any endeavor in life. Whatever you do, and no matter your Reason, strive to perform at such a high level that people will make an effort to remember who you are. I recall when my wife first heard a song by Garth Brooks. She was so moved by it that she told me to remember his name, because he was going to be huge. In baseball, we have watched minor-league players on the field and taken note of certain players’ names, expecting them to make it to the big leagues (do the names Matt Adams or Mike Moustakas ring a bell?). I have seen business leaders and preachers have such an impact that I wanted to remember who they were. Nearly 30 years ago, my family enjoyed the free show at a KOA Kampground in Nashville so much that I still remember the names Bill and Rosie Caswell.
Don’t focus your time and energy on trying to get people to remember your name. Instead, perform at such a high level that people desire to remember you. You don’t have to be the best at what you do. Just be so good at it that people take notice and want to know who you are. Perfect your skills so that others start asking what your name is. Simply strive to be the best you that you can be. Learn a lesson from Ted Williams. He worked tirelessly to be the greatest hitter that ever lived, and even though it’s been more than 60 years since he played baseball and nearly 20 years since he died, I drove myself crazy trying to remember his name. And you know what? I did remember it!
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