It’s been almost 2 days since it happened, and I’m still not over the gut-wrenching loss my beloved Cleveland Guardians suffered in game 2 of their ALDS series with the Detroit Tigers. Our All-Star closer and Cy Young candidate, Emmanuel Clase, inexplicably threw 3 straight sliders to the Tigers’ most clutch hitter, Kerry Carpenter. He took the third slider and launched it to Souvenir City for a game-winning 3-run home run.
That’s playoff baseball. The sun came up. The series is tied 1-1. It’s a good learning experience, and maybe next time our rookie catcher will call for Clase’s unhittable 101 mph heater instead of 3 sliders in a row.
Meanwhile in the Bronx, veteran All-Star catcher Salvador Perez helped his Royals even up their series with the heavily favored Yankees. It’s been 10 years since Perez led the Royals to a World Series title, and at age 34, the future Hall of Famer is still putting up big numbers — 27 home runs and 104 RBI — but his most impressive stat is one that doesn’t show up in the box score.
“His greatest superpower is a mysterious skill that can’t be measured, taught or explained: picking the exact right time to go talk with a pitcher in need of a confidence boost — and knowing precisely what to say once he’s out there,” writes Jared Diamond and Robert O’Connell in a recent Wall Street Journal feature that dubs Perez the “Pitcher Whisperer.”
The Pitcher Whisperer went to the mound 21 times during the Royals’ September playoff push according to the article, and in 15 of those 21 times, the pitcher escaped the jam without giving up a run.
“When your head’s running a million miles an hour, for him to simplify it and make it easy for us is huge,” says Royals pitcher Brady Singer.
The tale of the Pitcher Whisperer immediately reminded me of a recent interview I did with Vanderloop Equipment technology sales manager and co-owner Mark Vanderloop, who I’ll call the “Tech Whisperer” of the 3-store AGCO dealership.
“Stress management is an important part of my job,” Vanderloop says. “There are always going to be finances and other important items to look at, but if you can manage your team’s stress and portray a positive attitude, you’ll have success.”
Vanderloop’s leadership skills shine in the heat of planting and harvest season. When stress levels are high, he’s the calming voice his teammates need to get out of a jam.
“We all understand there are going to be long weeks in this business, but if I see smiles on the faces of people at the end of a long shift, then I consider it a successful day,” Vanderloop says.
It’s not something that shows up in the stat book, like an equipment sale or a home run, but knowing what to say in crunch time is just as critical to a team’s success. Every team needs a leader with a calming presence who can slow things down when it seems like everything is moving at warp speed. Who’s that person at your dealership? Let me know at Nnewman@LessiterMedia.com. Maybe they can help calm my nerves ahead of this pivotal Game 3. Go Guardians!
