What can Major League Baseball Pitchers Teach us about B2B Selling?


By Paul Rafferty


What can Major League Baseball pitchers teach us about B2B selling?


CY Young was the quintessential warhorse of baseball pitchers. He was so respected that the award for the best pitchers in baseball bears his name. Before retiring in 1912, he pitched an astounding 749 complete games.


The current active leader in complete games is Roy Halladay with a whopping 60 complete games. Why the huge difference between Young and Halladay? The latter is revered for his physical conditioning, work ethic, and professionalism. Surely, Cy Young couldn’t have been that much more physically capable. In fact, with today’s nutrition and training methods, modern athletes in all sports seem to shatter almost every conceivable record. So what gives?


I think you already know the answer -- the game changed! Pitchers now specialize in specific functions. The trend began in 1987 when Oakland A’s Manager Tony LaRussa used Dennis Eckersley, an aging ace, to


20


marketingtimes


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21