The Only Score That Matters Is the One at the End

 

The scoreboard tells you where you are in the game. It can change your strategy, but it shouldn't change the way you compete. Too often, players and coaches allow the score to affect the way they perform or the way they feel while the game is still being played. Get down 7–0 early and hitters start trying to hit seven-run home runs. Pitchers start trying to make perfect pitches. Coaches start feeling like they need to manufacture something immediately. Everyone feels the urgency of the scoreboard, and pretty soon you are no longer playing baseball the same way you were when the game was 0–0. The score has changed, but the game hasn't. You still have to play it.

What does being down 7–0 actually change about the next pitch? Nothing. The pitcher still has to throw the ball. The hitter still has to make a decision. The defense still has to catch it. The game does not suddenly become more complicated because there is a seven next to the other team's name. We make it more complicated when we start thinking about everything except the pitch that is happening right now. You cannot go back and change what happened in the first inning. Those pitches are gone. All you can do is compete against the pitch in front of you.

Maybe somebody draws a walk. Maybe the next guy hits a ball hard. Maybe somebody gets on because of an error. Then somebody doubles and suddenly it is 7–3. Now the other dugout starts looking at the scoreboard too. Good. Let them. Your job hasn't changed. Take care of the next pitch. That's something I believe strongly as a coach. Play the game. Don't play the scoreboard. That doesn't mean you ignore the situation. Sometimes the score and inning absolutely require different decisions. You might manage the game differently. You might run, bunt, change pitchers, move the defense or approach an at-bat differently. That's baseball. But strategy changing and mindset changing are two completely different things. Your strategy might change. Your ability to compete shouldn't.

A pitch in the first inning counts exactly the same as a pitch in the seventh. An out when you are winning by six counts exactly the same as an out when the game is tied. We make certain pitches feel more important because of the situation, but baseball doesn't care. Every pitch becomes part of the final score. That works the other way too. Being ahead 7–0 doesn't mean the game is over. Start playing like it is and you give the other team an opportunity to get back into it. The team that is winning has the same responsibility as the team that is losing: take care of the pitch that is happening right now.

That mentality wins. It doesn't guarantee you're going to come back from seven runs down. Sometimes you compete your ass off for the rest of the game and still lose. That's baseball. But the pitches that already happened cannot help you with the pitch that's coming next. The scoreboard is information. It doesn't have to become emotion. Eventually, there will be a final pitch. When it's over, look at the scoreboard. Celebrate if you won. Be pissed if you lost. Learn from it either way. Until then, play the game.

The only score that matters is the one at the end.

I'm Writing a Book

 

I've written a lot of things on this blog over the years. Some of it I still believe today. This blog has always given me a place to talk about baseball, coaching, leadership and whatever else happened to be on my mind.

For the last several months, I've been working on something much bigger.

I'm writing a book.

It's called Coaching Through the Storm.

I've thought about writing a book for years, but thinking about writing one and actually sitting down and doing it are two very different things. The manuscript is now more than 40,000 words. I've been working through it chapter by chapter, trying to make sure I tell the story the right way and, more importantly, tell it honestly.

I'm not going to say much more about what's in it yet.

What I will say is that writing it has made me look back at this blog differently.

When I started Gedman Baseball, I thought I was just writing about the game. I wrote about hitting, pitching, coaching, competing, confidence, failure and whatever I believed about baseball at that particular moment in my life. I never thought those posts would someday become a record I could look back on while writing a book.

There are years of my life sitting on this website. You can see what I believed at different points in my career. You can see how some of those beliefs changed and how others never did. In some ways, the person I was then is still sitting right here in these old posts.

So I wanted the people who have followed this blog over the years to hear about the book here first. Some of you have been reading my stuff for a long time, and whether there are five of you left or five thousand, I appreciate the hell out of anyone who ever took the time to read something I wrote.

There will be more to share when the time is right.

For now, I have a book to finish.

Coaching Through the Storm.

Coming early 2027.

—Ged

The Part of Coaching We Don’t Talk About

Most players don’t need more information. They don’t need ten different swing thoughts. They need things to be simple, clear, and consistent. I’ve seen it from the coaching side too. There are times where everything feels easy—you’re clear, you’re locked in, everything makes sense. And then there are times where even simple things, like communicating, feel harder than they should. Same game, same job—just a different feel.

So keep it simple. Be clear. Be consistent. Give players something they can actually hold onto. Most development isn’t about some perfect drill—it’s about showing up and stacking good days over time.

Nobody’s perfect. Players aren’t. Coaches aren’t.

But if you can create some level of consistency, that’s where real progress starts.

A lot of players deal with those ups and downs and don’t really have an explanation for it. That’s why routines matter. In a game built on failure, players need controllable actions they can rely on every day—positive self-talk, how they respond to failure, breathing, focus, effort. Things they can actually control.

The more “wins” a player can create within a game of failure, the better off they’re going to be.

Failure Isn’t Part of the Game — It Is the Game

 Failure isn’t something that occasionally shows up in baseball.

It is baseball.

It’s inevitable, constant, and unavoidable. Yet most players never truly prepare for that reality. They train their swings, their arms, and their bodies — but they don’t train how they will handle failure when it shows up. And it always shows up.

The real question isn’t if you will fail.
It’s how you will respond when it happens.

Every player needs a plan for failure:

• How will I act?
  
  

• What will my body language look like?
  
  

• How quickly will I adjust and move forward?
  
  

As you move up in levels, the failure only increases. The competition gets better. The margin for error gets smaller. This is where failure becomes the separator. Talent may get you in the door, but mental toughness determines how long you stay.

The players who continue to develop are the ones who master the moments after things go wrong — the strikeout, the error, the hard-hit out. They flush it and move forward.

Negative body language is wasted energy. Your teammates see it, and they feel it. They know failure hurts — they’ve all been there — but they respect players who handle it with composure. Coaches notice it too. When evaluating players, they aren’t just watching what happens on the field; they’re watching how players respond when the game punches back.

Baseball is a game where very little is truly in your control. You can’t control the umpire, the bounce of the ball, or whether a perfectly struck line drive finds a glove. But you can control your response to failure.

That’s where perspective matters. Ask yourself: What’s the worst that happens?
You fail? Welcome to the club. Every player who has ever played this game has stood in those same shoes.

Failure reveals who you are.

One of the most underrated offseason goals is learning to visualize failure — not just success. Picture the strikeout. Picture the error. Then visualize your response: calm body language, clear self-talk, and a locked-in next-pitch mentality. Positive visualization matters, but ignoring the reality of failure leaves you unprepared when it inevitably arrives.

Stack days where you handle failure the right way, and your development accelerates. You conserve energy. You stay present. You grow faster.

Because the truth is simple:

Failure isn’t part of the game.
Failure is the game.

Get better at playing it.

Locking It In: The Mental Battle Between Pitches

 

Baseball culture loves to talk about reps, mechanics, and confidence—but kids don’t just need more swings. They need classroom-style instruction, video breakdowns, and honest discussion. They need mental reps. They need to learn how to think between pitches.

---

How Do You Lock It In?

Think like a sniper.
Use deliberate, controlled, pitch-to-pitch focus:

• Assess the environment
  
  

• Commit to the present moment
  
  

• Breathe
  
  

• Execute with accuracy
  
  

• Reset
  
  

• Prepare for the next shot
  
  

When you master this routine, it becomes a lifelong skill—not just a baseball skill. The same ability to lock in on a 2–2 pitch with runners on becomes the same ability to lock in during a senior thesis presentation, a job interview, or any moment that demands your full attention.

---

Failure Is Part of the Mental Game

No one is mentally perfect on every pitch.
You will think about the error you just made.
You will think about the bad swing you just took.

The difference between average players and elite competitors is simple:
the best players have a flush tool.

You’re not trying to avoid negative thoughts—you’re learning how to handle them productively. Evaluate your mental performance every day. Baseball gives you plenty of time to relax, but once the game starts, you have to operate pitch to pitch.

And here’s the hidden advantage: the more mentally present you are—even in the dugout—the easier the game becomes. If you’re paying attention, pitchers will show you their patterns. Most players miss it because they’ve never been taught to respect the mental battle happening in front of them.

---

Coaches Need to Teach the Real Mental Side

Not confidence clichés.
Not forced positivity.
Not “fake it till you make it.”

I’m talking about what actually happens in the mind between pitches—the part of the game cameras don’t show.

Control what you can control:

• You can control your actions until release point.
  
  

• You can control your tension level.
  
  

A tense muscle is a slow muscle—and your eyes are muscles. The best hitters “see a bigger ball” because their mind is quiet, focused, and creating an environment where execution becomes easier and more repeatable.

---

To Summarize

• Maintain a tension level that keeps you relaxed, focused, and calm
  
  

• Prioritize accuracy over brute force
  
  

• Remember: big thoughts create long, inaccurate swings
  
  

• The result is irrelevant during the game—reset and return to your routine
  
  

• You’ll have plenty of time to break things down after
  
  

• Be where your feet are—every pitch

The Mental Edge: What Great Players Do Differently

 Baseball is a game built on failure, adjustment, and relentless self-belief. Anyone can look confident when things are going well — but real competitors are the ones who stay composed through failure. 

At the end of the day, success comes down to one question:

Can you keep your mind working for you instead of against you?

Every athlete faces frustration, doubt, and fear. The difference between average players and elite competitors is how they respond. The mental game is a trainable skill — and great players master one principle:

Never too high. Never too low. Win the present rep.

---

1. Me vs. Me: Controlling the Noise

Baseball exposes you. One bad swing, one missed pitch, one error — and your mind can spiral fast. That negative voice shows up immediately:

“What are you doing?”
“You can’t hit today.”
“Don’t mess up again.”

Great players don’t pretend that voice isn’t there.
They acknowledge it — then take control of the moment.

When something goes wrong:

• Don’t react emotionally.

• Don’t replay the mistake.

• Don’t judge yourself mid-game.

Your only job in competition is the next pitch.

Reflection is for after the game. During the game, stay where your feet are. That’s how you enter a flow state — when the game slows down, your focus sharpens, and execution feels effortless.

---

2. Breath, Calm & the Hunter Mentality

Breathing isn’t a cliché. It’s a weapon.

When your heart rate spikes, everything slips — timing, pitch selection, vision. A controlled breath resets your system and brings you back to neutral.

The best athletes play with what I call the Hunter Mentality:

• Calm

• Precise

• Explosive

• Fully locked in

A warrior fights with emotion.
A hunter wins with accuracy.

And baseball rewards accuracy more than anything else.

Your breath keeps you calm enough to react fast and execute with intent.

---

3. Confidence vs. Fear: The Battle Every Pitch

Every pitch is a battle between two forces:

Confidence — the warrior

Fear — the demon

That battle happens on every swing, every pitch, every play.

Your job is simple:
Choose confidence — not because it guarantees success, but because it gives you the best chance to compete.

Ask yourself:

“What’s the worst that happens? I fail?”

If failure is the worst outcome, then you’re free. Failure is part of  the sport. Once you accept that, pressure fades and performance rises.

Confidence isn’t arrogance.
It’s preparation + belief.

---

4. Adjustments: The Reality of a Baseball Season

Here’s the truth most players never hear:

• You’ll be great in 5 games.

• You’ll be bad in 5 games.

• The other 20 define who you are.

You won’t always feel good.
You won’t always see it well.
The zone won’t always be fair.

Great players perform anyway. They:

• Simplify their thoughts → W.I.N. (What’s Important Now?)

• Control their breath

• Compete with consistent confidence

• Accept that discomfort is normal

Being bad for a day is part of the sport.
Showing negativity is a choice.

Your body language tells teammates, coaches, and opponents whether you can handle adversity. And it’s honest.

---

5. The Standard: Next Pitch, Every Time

A true competitor brings the same standard to every rep:

• Present, not replaying

• Calm, not chaotic

• Competitive, not emotional

• Adjusting, not complaining

• Always moving on to the next pitch

You don’t control outcomes.
You control your response.

That response becomes your reputation.

Enjoy the moment.
Compete with everything you’ve got.
Focus on the rep in front of you.

Then?

Next pitch.

Make Aggressive Mistakes

 Baseball is a game of failure, hardest game in the world, learn from your mistakes, don't get bitter get better. Those are all just ok. A more positive mindset helps you play better.  "Screw it baseball." "If mistakes are inevitable, I might as well be aggressive, trying to execute my job on this pitch. If I fail, whatever, it's part of the game. Refined Indifference. It's how you play baseball the best. Focus on seeing the ball well and being quick/accurate then onto the next pitch. "Getting the outcome you want increases when you let go of the need to have it." Play in the present, be where your feet are for that pitch and try to execute. Review the results after the game, that's the time to learn from them. Know the count and the outs the whole game for every pitch. Best way to stay playing in the present.