MESSAGE #637 THE PEFRECT GIRL…
“In like the fourth inning I kind of knew…then I just tried to keep doing what I was doing and not try to mess it up.”
-MACKENZIE BROWN
Recently, Mackenzie Brown became the only girl to throw a perfect game in Bayonne Little League history. Read the article below for more details.
There are any number of boys today who wish they could throw like a girl.
That is, they would like to throw like Mackenzie Brown.
Mackenzie, 12, pitched a perfect game in the Bayonne Little League. She retired all 18 boys. It’s a rare achievement for a baseball player of any age or gender in any kind of league.
“In like the fourth inning I kind of knew,” she said, sounding like her male pro counterparts in the Bronx or Queens. “Then I just tried to keep doing what I was doing and not try to mess it up.”
Her feat has drawn national attention, including TV appearances, a highlight reel of her performance on ESPN — and today she is scheduled to throw out the ceremonial first pitch before the Mets and Washington Nationals game at Citi Field.
Glenn Regan, commissioner of the Bayonne Little League, said Mackenzie has kept her feet on the ground as the spotlight raised her profile around the country.
It’s always nice when sometime takes success in stride. It’s also a pleasure when someone turns conventional wisdom on its head. In this case, a playground taunt has been upended.
Throwing like a girl never looked so good.
(The Star Ledger, April 25, 2009)
Congratulations Mackenzie Brown. Not only did she throw a perfect game, but she didn’t let it get to her head. I would like to make an adjustment in her quote though. She said she tried to keep doing what she was doing – I like that. But she also said she was trying not to mess up. Remember, the brain doesn’t know the word don’t. If I said, don’t think about a pink elephant, don’t you think about a pink elephant? So instead of thinking don’t mess up, think about what you do want to accomplish. Focus on your strategy, targets, attitude, effort, and energy.
Thanks for reading.