As he neared retirement, Hall of Fame third baseman George Brett said, “In my last at bat, I would like to hit a ground ball to the second baseman and run it out as hard as I can, because that is the way I have played the game; that is who I am. That is what I want people to remember.” This is the essence of professionalism that makes for greatness: by never conceding an out on the bases, players such as Brett and Bench pick up an extra base or create errors by the opposition. This can be the difference in scoring a run, the difference in winning and losing a game.
From "Mental Toughness: Baseball’s Winning Edge" by Karl Kuehl, John Kuehl, and Casey Tefertiller
