Opening Day in Cincinnati
March 31, 2008
Today is opening day for Major League Baseball. Here in Cincinnati, it is pretty close to a formal holiday. There are people everywhere, prepared for parades, celebrations and baseball. The city is buzzing this morning; as yet another baseball season begins.
This will mark the first opening day in decades without the presence of Joe Nuxhall, the fabled Reds pitcher and broadcaster who passed last year. It will be odd to not hear or see the Old Lefthander, but I would be willing to bet that he will be well remembered today. I hope Cooperstown pays attention to the outpouring of love for Joe that will be on display in Cincinnati today. He had a huge impact on this city and on baseball. He belongs in the Hall of Fame.
The Reds used to play the actual first game of the season, which is no longer true. The Marketing Machine within MLB decided a few years back that the season would start with overseas games and promotional events designed to spread the game abroad. Still, in my mind baseball does not really start until that first pitch has been thrown out in Cincinnati. Coinciding with the emergence of springtime, opening day is a welcoming of possibility and potential, a celebration of sport and history, and a time when for at least one day, we are tied for first. (At the very worst, the Reds will only be one game out of first by the end of the day.) There is energy and excitement. It is like this every year. This is my first year working in downtown Cincinnati on an opening day. Here at LUCRUM, several employees are dressed in Red, ready to root, root, root, for the home team. While I will be hard at work today, I am going to make an effort to take a lunchtime walk up the street to see the festivities. It’s all part of the fun of working downtown. Hopefully, 162 games from now, we will still be talking about the Reds, but in the context of post-season play. For now, there is opening day, the beginning of a new journey with a new manager, a new team, and new possibility for greatness.
Business does not have the luxury of an offseason. It would be great if it did. You could take time to retool, retrain, and relax. Time to reflect on the past, live in the present, and prepare for the future. Time to develop strategies for success. Time to put together just the right team, and to figure out just how to win with that team. Alas, there is no off-season. With no off-season, decisions must be made in real time. Not only do the teams change, often the rules of the game itself change overnight. Every day is potentially opening day. Much of the value that a consulting firm creates is through helping Clients to understand these changes and to successfully adapt to them in real time. If today were your opening day, would you be celebrating? Are passion, energy, and potential alive and well in your firm? Are you ready to take the field and prepared to win?
On behalf of everyone here at LUCRUM, I wish 2008 Reds good luck. May this opening day mark the first step towards a season of greatness for this team.
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