Trust the Swing

I worked my first spring training game the other night in Surprise, and after more than five months away from the camera, it all came back quickly.

Ryan Lefebvre was up in the booth in his 28th season, steady as ever, while rookie analyst Eric Hosmer brought the perspective of someone who only recently walked away from the game. I was back down by the dugout, and once the camera turned on, the rhythm returned right away.

Bridget Howard was there too, not to work that game, but to observe. She was watching closely, eager to learn as she gets ready to begin her Royals career. Watching her took me back 18 years to when everything felt new and every rep, every conversation, and every chance to watch someone experienced do the job felt like part of the education.

Part of our 2026 Royals.TV broadcast team

A couple days later, I was standing with George Brett, the greatest Royal of all time, during a one-on-one interview, and we were talking about hitting. He said, “Home runs come as a result of a good swing, not from trying to hit home runs.” In my job, the home runs come less from stats and more from trust, and spring training matters because it gives me the chance to meet new players, reconnect with returning ones, and build the relationships that matter once the season begins.

George Brett interview in Surprise, AZ

People ask me every year if I’m ready for the season, sometimes as early as January, and my answer is always the same: I’ll be ready when it’s time to go.

When I was younger, I was always in a hurry for the season to arrive. Now I understand that the marathon begins soon enough. Until then, I value the time with family, the time away from the ballpark, and the chance to build the other parts of my life and business.

But that first game back tells you pretty quickly: it’s go time.

That’s Small Ball.

Question: Where in your world do the home runs come from trust, not from chasing results?