Ball Club Newsletter

What's good Ball Club fam? 
Happy Tuesday! This is edition #33!

Q2 is officially here. Sorry about the delay on sending this newsletter out. We had an issue and had to drop it today instead of yesterday. Anyway, let’s get to it. Wishing you all a great Q2! Let’s work!

Here’s what’s on the menu today:  

• Quote of the Week 💭

• What’s the Game Plan? 📈

• Anderson’s Inspiring Journey in Baseball ⚾

• We Don’t Trust You IG Captions 🗣️

• Jobs in Sports 💻

Thanks again for reading!

As always,

Blessings, peace, love, and good vibes

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

WHAT’S THE GAME PLAN?
THE Q2 GAME PLAN FOR 2024

I’m going to keep the game plan for this week extra short because, honestly, our interview with Anderson Miller is far more inspiring than anything I could say.

Let’s get right to it.
Here are 3 things to remember for Q2 ⬇️

1. PACE YOURSELF

Just like in a game, we’re still in the first half of the year so there's plenty of game left to play. There’s no need to rush on your goals. Review your game plan and look for what worked in Q1. Double down on what worked and adjust what didn’t. This is the time where you speed up or slow down. It’s your call, you know yourself best. 

2.CHECK YOUR SYSTEMS

Looking back on the lessons of 2023, one big thing I learned is that just having a goal is not enough, you need a good system too. Like a well-organized game plan, success in Q2 is about more than just having goals—it's about how you set things up to reach them.  

Your goal is the destination on the map, your systems are the roads you take to get there. You can’t always control everything but you can control your thoughts, responses, and actions on that road.
Will you make the road easy to travel or complicate it?

3.YOU NEED TO FAIL

Did you fail in Q1? If you did, you probably tried something new.

Q2 is an ideal time to embrace risks. Why? Because if we stick to what we know, we miss out on new opportunities for growth. And if the risk doesn’t work out, that’s okay, we’re still early in the year where we can make adjustments. It’s during this quarter that we often find ourselves settling into routines and comfort zones.

I was reading a post last week on a newsletter about, entrepreneur Sara Blakely, the founder of Spanx, who shared how her father encouraged her to embrace failure early on as a means of growth. He would ask her and her brother, "What did you guys fail at this week?". His intention was to instill in them the courage to try new things without fear of failure.

During this quarter, think about an area where you might be playing it safe. In Q2, challenge yourself to take on a new risk. Don’t overthink it, just go for it. You never know what might come of it.

Okay. That’s it. That’s the game plan. 
Now go check out the dope interview with Anderson Miller below.

Remember, 1% better every day, and small wins are WINS!

MEET ANDERSON MILLER⚾
Anderson Miller’s IG (link)
Anderson Miller’s X (link)

You have a truly inspiring story. I remember first reading about it last year on X. For those who may not know, can you tell us about your journey with baseball?

For those who don’t know me my journey through baseball was anything but a smooth and easy one. But nothing worth having comes easy, right? From being 5’7 135lbs & underrated in high school to eventually becoming the 98th overall pick in the MLB draft. 3rd highest draft pick in Western Kentucky University history and member of the all-century team.

To eventually go on and have a successful 9 year career as a minor league baseball player with the Kansas City Royals & Los Angeles Dodgers. With some really high highs and very humbling “lows” along the way. But every single stop of the way in my journey through the game of baseball.
I always found a way to come out of the situation a better version of myself.

If you haven’t seen the video on my Instagram it will put this introduction into visuals & words. In the game of baseball I really am, “everything but a big leaguer” if I had to sum it up.
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After not being re-signed with Kansas City, what were your thoughts and mindset at that time that motivated you to keep pursuing your dream?

Great question. I was pissed. I was shocked. I was feeling lost without the identity that truly made up at least 90%. I was actually forced to make a decision between walking away from the game knowing that I had more in the tank or play independent baseball in the Atlantic League to keep my career on life support.

I was driving back & forth from Louisville to Lexington (no Bryson Tiller) while wife Andi, had just given birth to our son Kai. I was operating on a different level. I was going to see it all the way through in the summer of 2022. That was a crazy time I can’t lie to you. Every single day during that summer I was pretty much playing on 2-3 hours of sleep and driving back and forth for every game to play in a stadium in my hometown where basically no fans, no scouts were showing up. I was playing on pure will and a higher power was guiding me back and forth between those games and up down the interstate every day. I also wouldn’t travel with the team on away series because my wife needed my help with our son who was a very colicky baby at that time.

I was going to live according to my values and that basically meant I only played half of the season. When I tell you my career was on life support I mean it was barely breathing man. I just knew that if I didn’t make It back to a Major League Organization it wasn’t going to because I didn’t give it every single thing I had and truly empty the tank.

As if that wasn’t crazy enough, I fired my agent and started to tell my story in free agency during the 2022-2023 offseason. I created an email with the story I just explained and what I had just went through while also going back to school to get my degree, also got certified in DEI, & I was working at COSTCO from 4am-10am 5 days a week. Stocking shelves, scrubbing floors, and spending ice cold mornings in the fridges stocking inventory. On top of that, working out while I was waiting for another opportunity. Hoping and praying. Crazy enough I heard back from like 10/30 teams about potentially signing with them for another opportunity.

One conversation lead to the next and the next thing you know I was a Los Angeles Dodger.

Truly a miracle.

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How would you say you coped with the setbacks or challenges that came with following your dreams?

Uhh, first thing I would have to say is I made a decision to start routinely seeing a therapist through that crazy season of my life from 2021-2023. I had to prioritize my mental health, first and foremost. As you can tell from the things, I neeeeeeded it.

Second thing is I really started to understand I was more than a baseball player. More than an athlete. Ihad no other choice but to kind of rediscover myself during those times as something other than just a great baseball player. Blessing in disguise to be honest.

Lastly, I just changed my mission statement from “I’m gonna make it to the big leagues (MLB)” to “I am going to give it everything I’ve got so that whenever my time in the game is done, I will have peace”. I started to understand I was in relentless pursuit of so many things that were out of my control instead of locking in on what I could control. My perspective. My attitude. My effort. Doing this really shifted my mentality and allowed me to keep going even when it didn’t make sense. Because I wanted 0 regrets when my career was over.

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In the X post that you made last year you talked about how you’re lucky that you had a support system that didn’t allow you to give up on your dreams.
Do you remember a time when someone in your support system did or said something that gave you the strength to keep going?

As you can tell from these stories in here, I went through some dark times. So I call these people my Darkest Hour Friends. They deserve their flowers so I’m gonna give them.
#1 God. My story is a God thing. Then, my wife Andi, for letting me chase my dreams and sacrificing hers multiple times. Kai my son for giving me a purpose to keep going. Because how could I tell him to do hard things and see them all the way through if I wasn’t willing to do them myself?
Then s/o my guys if you read this, Pape, Phil, YY, TJ & Pitts.

Honorable mention, Inky Johnson & Ryan Holiday. Without their podcasts and audiobooks I would’ve crumbled.

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What would you say is the biggest lesson you’ve learned from your journey and what are you most proud of?

Biggest Lesson: Everyone has a different definition of success. Figure out what that word means to you and live your life according to YOUR definition of success and no one else’s. That is a life worth living. That I saw my career all the way through. I never gave up on myself. I always bet on myself even when it didn’t make sense. No one can ever take that away from me.
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If you could give your younger self a piece of advice, what would it be?

You have everything you need to be great in this world. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. It will all workout the way it’s supposed to. Just keep outworking people.
Lastly, “I’m proud of you”.

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You’re now in this new chapter of your life where you are helping others. Can you tell us a little bit about the Unfinished Podcast and the player development program you have started?

Unfinished Podcast is something I started back in 2021. It is a place where I want to continue to shine a light on the human aspect of athletes. It’s a platform for me to talk to some of the best baseball players in the game and go deeper than surface level. I built it up from scratch and will continue to do so and have conversations about things that matter. I just want it to be a place where we can be vulnerable, authentic, and hopefully inspire other people who listen. (Thank you if you have ever supported the show or listened to one second.. much love)

Now let’s talk Unfinished Player Development. I created this coaching/consulting program to be designed around coaching my “younger self”. Obviously, I went through hell and back based on what you’ve read in this story. I really think I went through all of the things that I went through to start this coaching program. I’ve lived it, breathed it, and experienced everything these players I am working with are going to see in this game. Instead of having to learn a lot of this stuff the hard way like I did. I am thinking by working with me 1on1 as I help them to reach their goals and get better it’s going to leave a much bigger impact on them than just getting better on the field. I want these players to come away being better men/women because of how they played, approached, and used their time in this game.

Baseball is a game of “failure” but there is no such thing as that as long as you are always giving your best efforts and just be in the moment. The present is where the magic happens. Not in worry about the past or stressing over the future.

I will be working with players anywhere from 13 years old to pro ball players who just need/want more individual guidance and are feeling lost or don’t want to keep having to figure it out on their own. This is my way of giving back to the game that gave me so many opportunities to meet amazing people, see the world, and set my family up for success.

Currently this is a paid program but my hope one day is that all the spots in the program are paid for or sponsored by MLB players and companies that want to grow the game.

Idk, maybe wishful thinking but I have a vision. I just want to help people at the end of the day and take care of my family.

If you want more details please hit me up [email protected] btw.

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What’s your approach to guiding and helping others be the best they can be?

#1 I would have to say is just leading with love. I care about these players I’m coaching. I want them to be great at whatever they are doing and just to know they already possess everything they need to be great sometimes it just takes a good coach believing in them and making a couple adjustments mentally and physically to becoming the player they know they can be.

But really just operating from a place of love and impact as guiding principles even though financials are involved. Those will always be my pillars.

Love & Impact.

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Finally, what advice would you offer to aspiring athletes or people in general who are chasing their dreams right now?

Go for it. Don’t let anyone put a ceiling on your greatness. Document your journey, whether that is hitting record on your phone or putting pen to paper in a journal. The other things I would say is that you are running a race against yourself in whatever sport you play. Everyone’s finish line will be different and that’s ok. Do YOUR best & run YOUR race.

That’s it.

Anderson
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Thanks you again, Anderson for taking the time to share your journey with our Ball Club community!

SPORTS GIGS

Graphic Designer and Content Creator @ Orlando Squeeze—> view job posting here

Senior Product Manager, Health @ Whoop —> view job posting here

Project Management Lead @ NBA —> view job posting here

Basketball Camp Coach @ Spurts Sports & Entertainment —> view job posting here

Equipment Intern (Summer Only) @ LA Rams —> view job posting here

 WE DONT’ TRUST YOU
IG CAPTIONS 🗣️

We aint stoppin, we ain’t boxed in, forever locked in

Stand on the gas, ain’t on no stallin

Fake written all over you
Hate written all over you

Money won't fold, pockets won't hold enough

Posted with my dogs, Scooby Doo type shit

Run my money up instead like I’m on a tread

Can’t put too much on might catch a ice attack

Pocket full of bread, sittin inside the Rolls

Fresher than your stylist

Ball like I won a championship game

Sometimes they move on, they still can’t replace

The big three?, it’s just big me

Your best work is a light pack

Sauce all over me, drip all over me, you can’t roll with me

LET’S WORK

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