The Bristow Voice Method Blog

Let’s talk baseball and peak performance…

Before yesterday’s game five of the American League Champion Series, Manny Ramirez, the Boston Red Sox slugger, was chatting with journalist. Here’s what The Boston Herald writes:

“Trailing 3-1 to the Cleveland Indians in the best-of-seven American League Championship Series, Manny Ramirez drew the wrath of Boston media and Red Sox fans on Wednesday by playing down the importance of winning Game Five.”

In direct response to a reporter’s question whether he felt a sense of panic, Ramirez had responded:

“Why should we panic? We’ve got a great team,” If it doesn’t happen, (fine), we’ll come next year and try to do it again“We’re confident every day. It doesn’t matter how things go for you. We’re not going to give up. We’re just going to go and play the game, like I’ve said, and move on. If it doesn’t happen, so who cares? There’s always next year. It’s not like the end of the world or something. Why should we panic?”

Some people have reacted strongly to the words “who cares” in, indeed, a sense of panic. People have expressed that he showed a lack of commitment, as if he’s just taking the fat paycheck but doesn’t care if he wins or loses. Some reactions seem to treat his statement as borderline treason.

Amazingly, these critics apparently fail to recognize peak performance in the making, as well as what is going on inside themselves…. 

Being able to perform at your peak is a developed skill and an orchestrated balance between internal and external pressure, and between ambition and performance anxiety (fear). Different people deal with it in different ways – depending on the awareness of self, personality and the current circumstances. 

Take a look a the image to the left. In which category do you find the peak performer? That’ss right. Category B – high ambition with little fear. Was Ramirez putting himself in category D? Of course not. He effectively put himself, and perhaps also his team, in category B. High ambition with low pressure – i.e. he performed with no fear.

Many people believe category A is the mark of peak performance. These people tend to live with a large degree of judgment and criticism – both of themselves and others. Perhaps they believe critiquing others (and themselves) is a mark of high ambition. The tendency to critique and push down in the name of “high expectations”, yet failed belief of bringing out high performance, is prevalent in all fields – workplaces as well as families.

Instead, they effectively put themselves in category C. Obviously, they don’t put themselves there purposely. It is a result of past conditioning.

Many are the children who grow up with fear of failure embedded into their souls. Pseudo high achievers and so-called “perfectionist” really operate on a level far below their true capacity since they fear being anything less than perfect. As a result they play it safe. The “playing it safe” – i.e. fear of taking risks/fear of failure – may soon drag them down towards category D.

Some people recognize their lowered ambitions. Some truly believe they are ambitious, yet unaware that they operate with a strong fear of failure as the guiding principle of life.

If one thinks this way, and is unaware that one does, it is perhaps natural to believe Manny Ramirez does the same. In light of his performance in the last game, as well as his performance after he made the statements, one would, however, think that the majority would realize what is truly going on.

Other athletes may behave differently…

A prime example is the sprinter Michael Johnson who increased pressure by wearing his golden shoes running the 200 meters in the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta.

He knew very well that you can’t conquer fear without recognizing it. He felt he wanted the pressure so high within himself that outer pressure would be nothing in comparison. 

He had learned to treat pressure as a reflection of his ambition. He didn’t fear it. He embraced it. The more pressure, the more prepared. He had failed in the Barcelona Olympics and now had one shot to get it right. He had no desire to relieve pressure but to build it and embrace it. Therefore he wore the golden shoes. Or as he puts it:

“All the pressure that was beginning to build for me as the 1996 Olympics approached still fit easily into those shiny 2-ounce specially made Nikes. After all, what failure could be worse after Barcelona than losing in such bold footwear? How could you look more stupid than to be the guy accepting a bronze medal in gold shoes?"

Remember, this is in individual sport and a one-shot-finale, not a team sport with many games. He behaves differently than Manny Ramirez, or so it may seem. Is he putting himself into category A? No, he is not. He is in B. He embraces the pressure, creates it by design and has no fear.

Or as he said: “pressure is nothing but the shadow of a great opportunity”.  He loves pressure = no fear

Did Ramirez play down the importance of the game? Of course not. On the contrary. His jovial attitude of just going out and having fun is the same as Michael Johnson’s golden shoes just with a different personality. His response was in direct response to a reporter’s challenging, and rather ignorant suggestion, that they’d be in a state of panic, or category C – the lowest level of performance.

Athletes and performers, who have the ability to put themselves in a state of peak performance, may behave differently since everyone has a different process to get to get to category B. As spectators, performers and human beings it would perhaps serve us well to recognize this.

What was the result of the game? Ramirez played a phenomenal game and the Red Sox won.