ENGAGING IN REFLECTION IS THE FIRST STEP TOWARD GROWTH

This time of year, many begin to reflect on their lives; their successes, missed opportunities, losing weight, gaining weight, future goals, and past performances.  It interesting that the majority of us wait until the middle of November to engage in this kind of deep reflection when it should be more ongoing or at least quarterly.  But for baseball players, this is the best time to engage in reflection; after the season in order to set goals for spring training.

With this in mind, I draw your attention to an interesting read in the NY Post earlier this week about Dellin Betances's take on the possibility of him becoming the next new closer if Andrew Miller gets moved to another team.  The title of the article, "Dellin Betances trying to ignore his potential Yankees promotion," suggests that Betances is turning a blind eye to the possibility of taking on the lead role in the bullpen. On the contrary, I think he is paying very close attention.  Betances knows that one day he will be the leader of some bullpen.  Hopefully it will be the one on 161st Street, but at the same time, right now, he is just interested in learning and growing.  “For me, Andrew did a hell of a job,’’ Betances answered when asked if he could close. “In the time he went down I learned a lot if it ever arises. At the same time I am looking forward to having Andrew, [Justin] Wilson, [Chasen] Shreve and looking forward to an exciting year.’’ Those words don't sound like he is ignoring anything.  He is growing; and that is just what we need him to do.

According to the same article, if Miller was traded, "Betances would be elevated from setup man to closer, something he did when Miller went on the disabled list in June. Betances posted five saves in six chances."

Fans have mixed opinions according to the Post.  "Some believe moving Miller and breaking up the late-game tandem of Betances and Miller is foolish. Others think if the Yankees can land a front-end starter and another piece for Miller they should do it."  For me, I agree with the latter.  If we can pick up a premier starter to lead the rotation, we would once again be dominant enough to take on the increased competition not only in our division but across league. “You get six innings out of your starters now, you’ve got a heckuva chance to win,” said Orioles manager Buck Showalter in a Daily News article in early September.  This, of course, is if you have a good, solid bullpen which would negate my desire for a "front-end" pitcher who can lead the rotation.

Any way you slice it, engaging in reflection around the possibilities for our future is the first step to actualizing growth.  This is what gets runners out of bed in the morning, what motivates artists to be creative and boosts athletes' energy to win.  Whether we wait until mid-November, Thanksgiving Day, New Years Day or mid-April to reflect, we have to hope that players like Betances, engage in reflection.  It is only through this process that we can identify our gaps and fill them with the right ingredients so we can eventually succeed.

--Suzie Pinstripe, BYB Senior Staff Writer
BYB Hot Stove Columnist
Twitter: @suzieprof

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