#PositiveVibes - UnaniMOus

By John R. Nocero

The VIBE: Congrats, Mo. We can all learn a lesson from you.

 According to Castrovince, Mariano Rivera stands alone in National Baseball Hall of Fame history as the only player ever voted in unanimously by the Baseball Writers' Association of America. But he'll be far from alone on the induction day dais, as the BBWAA has selected four players for entry into the hallowed Hall.

But the man named "Mo," universally regarded as the greatest closer the game has ever seen, achieved something unprecedented by getting the check mark on all 425 ballots cast. Prior to Rivera, the player who had come closest in a voting process that dates back to 1936 was Ken Griffey Jr., who appeared on 437 of 440 ballots cast in 2016.

"Amazing, amazing," Rivera said on the MLB Network broadcast. "It was a beautiful, long career with what is, for me, the best organization in baseball, the Yankees. To end up like this is amazing. One thing I always remember is wearing No. 42, representing Mr. Jackie Robinson, who, I assume, was the first No. 42 elected. And me, being the last player to wear No. 42 and be elected to the Hall of Fame unanimously is amazing. All I can say is thank God for that."

Here is the moment when his family learned the news:

https://twitter.com/twitter/statuses/1087866517147004933

 Think about this for a second. No one in the history of the Hall’s voting has ever been unanimous. Not Babe Ruth. Not Hank Aaron. Not Ted Williams or Mickey Mantle. NO ONE. What an honor! When I heard it last night, I was speechless. Even my wife texted me: “Mo is unanimous.”

When I think back on Mo’s career, I think about durability, success, but more importantly class. If you are interested in his stats, there are plenty of sites that you can look them up on, such as MLB.com or Baseball-reference.com. I’d rather share a story. Mo’s bread and butter pitch was a cut fastball, also known as a “cutter” – which broke sharply into a hitter’s hands, generally sawing their bat off as they made contact, as well as breaking their heart. He called this pitch a “gift from God” as he discovered it while playing catch with a teammate.  I mentioned this during a speech I gave with Jennifer Kennedy at the PAR conference in 2015. Someone came up to me afterward and said, “John, he throws only one pitch? I can’t believe it. How does he get everyone out? I have to look him up and find out more about him and I am not even a baseball fan. Thank you for sharing that.” If repetition is the mother of skill, then Mo definitely perfected it – practice over and over, get really good, get batters out and then go take a shower.”

Last night, Mo gushed over his teammates and all those who helped him get to the hallowed hall. Another man who was not showy, who just did his job, and that is a great lesson to take away here. There was a time when I believed it was all about attracting attention. All of us are competing for it after all, so unless you are loud, in your face, and obnoxious, you will get left behind. For some, this works but what I have learned is that for me, it doesn’t. I was never, ever, this guy, deep in my heart. Maybe I thought I had to be that guy to succeed but I was wrong. As I have grown up, I have matured. Somewhere along the way, I had gotten away from the shy, introverted guy who just does his work, and does not care who gets the credit, as long as it all gets done. I am more than happy to say that I am back to the guy who I was in 2003, who found Kelly, grateful for who I am and who is on my team.

If Mo could tell you how to succeed at work, he may tell you the following: Know your job, develop your knowledge and skills, stay focused on doing the things that deliver or enhance the value you are contributing to your company, team, processes, or projects, identify the leaders and people who get meaningful things accomplished and build good working relationships with them, and always be willing to help advance the interests of your customers, coworkers, peers, and managers. Don't seek the limelight, let it come to you when it comes, then move on and don't hog it. Always recognize and promote the accomplishments and efforts of others. If you derive satisfaction stepping on or over others, please go somewhere else.

You may not retire a CEO or CIO, but you will have a nice career and leave with no regrets, knowing you helped a whole lot of people along the way to the best of my ability. You may even make the Hall of Fame. Unanimously.

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