I was every bit the opposite of a “Teacher’s Pet” in school. I was the class clown and found the sound of my classmate’s laughter much more rewarding than earning good grades. Parent Teacher meetings would always follow the same pattern. My Mom and Dad would go to school and sit with whatever poor soul had me in class that year. The conversations would be pleasant for the most part, although my dad told me my 5th grade teacher’s assessment turned into a Bobby Knight tirade. My folks were always told, “Michael has so much potential, he just needs to realize he is in a classroom and not a comedy club.” I’d catch hell for about 25 to 30 minutes during the arraignment and have my sentence delivered – Grounded for 2 weeks, no TV. It was pretty standard.
It wasn’t that I was a bad student; it was that I just didn’t like being told what to do…which is a bad quality when you are merely a link in the chain of command.
I thrived on being defiant and stubborn. I became the nemesis to any teacher or coach that would dare to control me. I was Moriarty to Holmes, Khan to Captain Kirk, The Joker to Batman…asking every stone-faced educator, “Why so serious?” I needed to grow up.
Luckily I got my wake up call in the nick of time. I saw friends starting to bare down to get into a good college. I started to realize the raw truth, when all is said and done the show will go on without you. Yes, I could get laughs. Sure, I was quick enough to do the bare minimum and get by in the classroom and on the field. But I spent more time and energy trying to game the system than I did doing actual work. I had a coach tell me, “O’Hara, if you don’t listen and put in the hours it won’t matter if you have God given ability or not…you’ll get left behind.” Suddenly everything wasn’t so funny. I didn’t stop being a wise ass mind you, I just learned to pick my spots and try it their way. At the end of the day these coaches and teachers WANTED me to succeed. They weren’t trying to edit, censor or stifle my growth…they were trying to enhance it.
I recently wrote about the rocky relationship between Dodger’s skipper “Donnie Baseball” Mattingly (I’ll NEVER call him Donnie Ocho) and the club’s electric, young outfielder, Yasiel Puig. And apparently, like an episode of Grey’s Anatomy, it’s gone from bad to worse. It’s a lame, predictable story built for Hollywood. A respected, blood and guts member of baseball’s old guard and his superstar in the making…with the bad attitude and two cent head…will it work out? TUNE IN NEXT WEEK!
Puig might be as dumb as he is talented. I don’t mean to sound cruel. And as I said I was less than a fan of authority when I was younger, but c’mon. He has the potential to be a once in a lifetime player. He has all the tools. But what he is sorely lacking is humility and a sense of team. And baseball is the epitome of a team sport. I think if it keeps going this way we’ll see the Dodger all dressed to the nines, sitting around a table as Mattingly paces with a baseball bat and says, “Part of a team!”…If you know The Untouchables you know how that goes. Bring your helmet, Puig.
Why can’t players see the two roads? Playing in the Big Leagues is something that few will ever realize in their careers. You can take the road traveled by the likes of Derek Jeter, Dustin Pedroia and David Wright.
Or you can choose the one taken by Manny Ramirez, Albert Belle and Alex Rodriguez. All talented guys…but there is a right way and a wrong way to play the game. Puig seems hell bent on the second road and Mattingly is doing his best to put up a sign that reads: ROAD CLOSED – Due to Stupidity & Selfishness – TAKE ALTERNATE ROUTE.
The Puig show will only last for so long. His act is already tired to his skipper and will soon make his teammates change the channel in the clubhouse. Yasiel needs to grow up and he needs to do it now. Because the truth is, when all is said and done, the show WILL pass you by. You get three strikes in this game; Puig is 0-2 in LA LA Land. Will he go down looking?
Here’s Social Distortion “Far Behind”
--Mike O'Hara, MLB Fan Cave Host, Season 1
Twitter: @mikeyoh21
"Paulie was always my favorite player."
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