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Bryan Bussey
AML Essay II
The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway
Heads-Up Baseball by Ken Ravizza
Mental Toughness
How can you connect baseball and fishing together in multiple ways but never mention
them in the same sentence? These two sports have quite a few things in common such as, mental
strategy, goals, and superstitions. This paper will compare the similarities of fishing and baseball
found in The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway and Heads-Up Baseball by Ken
Ravizza, as well as the mental part of these sports which is a major factor in both novels. Most
people have heard that baseball is 90% mental and 10% physical. The same applies to fishing
where creating a positive mindset will make you more confident and give you the tools needed to
succeed. Baseball appears throughout the Hemingway novel as a metaphorical underpinning and
a structural element as the main character Santiago worships Joe DiMaggio of the New York
Yankees as a kind of God.
Throughout the novel, The Old Man and the Sea, baseball is mentioned many times but it
is possible that people will not understand the connection or the reference. There is an author
who wrote an article on this novel and its ties to baseball. The article Santiago at the Plate:
Baseball in The Old Man and the Sea was written by James Plath. Plath praises Hemingway
throughout the article for tying baseball into the novel. Plath thinks that the constant connection
with the king of baseball, Joe DiMaggio of the New York Yankees has to do with the king of fish
that the character Santiago is searching for. How does baseball not tie into fishing? If you are
going out fishing every day you have a higher chance at catching a fish. The same applies to

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baseball. If you play every day, you have a higher chance of making a clutch play either through
hitting or fielding. Hemingway used the 56 game hitting streak by Joe DiMaggio for the Yankees
in 1941 as a metaphor in the novel. Much like the 56 straight games with a hit Hemingway
pointed out that if you start a streak with catching fish it is the same as a hitting streak of your
own.
What does mental toughness have to do with baseball and fishing? Going out and playing
baseball or going fishing may not be something a person wants to do every day, especially if that
means fighting through injury or even fighting the negative thoughts in your mind. Finding
something that you love is rare and reminding yourself that the love you have for the game and
the sport is something that can reflect on how you can be more successful with your
performance. In Heads-Up Baseball, there is a quote by Ken Griffey Sr. who said, If you have
fun it changes all the pressure into pleasure (Ravizza 20). So when fisherman or baseball
players come to work with a negative attitude the chances they are going to fail are much higher.
Finding the fun and enjoyment in something can take you a long way, and Ravizza said that
People like to do things that they enjoy and avoid things that they don't enjoy or cause them
pain. (Ravizza 20). Fighting through this struggle can be tough sometimes but whoever said that
either one of the sports was easy? If they were easy more people would play the sports. I am sure
the old man in Hemingways novel, the character Santiago, and his 84 day drought of not
catching a fish made him question why he continued to go fishing. However, his commitment
showed how mentally tough he was by never giving up and continuing to go out each and every
day. Santiago said, But I must have confidence and I must be worthy of the great DiMaggio
who does all things perfectly even with the pain of the bone spur in his heel (Hemingway 68).
Praising DiMaggio for finding not only the physical toughness but the mental toughness to go

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out every day and not change his attitude or demeanor is what gave Santiago hope. When
comparing the injuries in baseball to Santiagos hand injury it is important to be tough through
the hard times. Santiago looked up to DiMaggio, saying he would never give up, If sharks
come, God pity him and me. (Hemingway 68) represented that he would not give up just like
DiMaggio and his hit streak.
Fear is something that has to be avoided in these sports because that can cause stress and
is not good for any mental attitude needed when playing these sports. The character Santiago
said, Be careful or you will fear even the Reds of Cincinnati and the White Sox of Chicago
(Hemingway 17) to the character Manolin, a little boy. Having fear will take the enjoyment out
of the sports. Respecting the opponent, whether it is the fish or another team, is what should be
done, showing that you are not afraid of them but simply applaud them for testing you. Bad
things occur because of fear, such as Santiagos 84 day drought of not catching a fish, but he
continues to go further than anyone else. This is the same as a hitter going into a slump or a
fielder committing an error. In baseball a player needs to stay relaxed and give it his all and not
fear the possibility that the slump or error might happen again.
Superstition is the most questioned aspect of baseball and fishing. Why would someone
wear the same underwear consecutive outings because they won a game or caught a fish? It is all
in the mind. If someone thinks that it will have an effect on the way he or she will perform then
they are going to keep up the superstitions. Baseball players think of this as a routine. In baseball
there are certain routines that can simply not be broken or you will feel out of place. Every time,
David Ortiz of the Boston Red Sox goes up to bat he has to have chewing tobacco in his mouth
or he feels he will be automatically be out. I, like many other baseball players have similar
superstitions. This is an example of a routine or superstition. So relying on his talent and hard

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work that we have put in is not enough because our mind is telling us in order to succeed. This
applies to fishing as well. A fisherman might have a routine of going to the same bait shop before
going out on a trip. Both of these sports take talent but people believe in the luck that comes with
a routine or the superstition they follow. Hemingway makes the character Santiago seem insane
at times when he is screaming and talking to the water, or eating turtle eggs and sharks before
every fishing trip, but he is just relying on his technique and superstitions. Creating the
confidence that he needs to be successful on his fishing trip. In Heads-Up Baseball, there is
another quote by Hank Aaron who said The most important thing is how a guy prepares himself
to do battle (Ravizza 65). This is almost a type of practice that you have to get better at and is
used quite frequently.
Goals are always set in baseball and fishing. People think that they can accomplish their
goals in one day but seem to forget that this process takes time. In Heads-Up Baseball, it said
YOUR CAREER=TODAY+TODAY+TODAY+TODAY. (Ravizza 26), this is exactly how it
sounds. Rome was not built in one day, it was a process just like baseball and fishing. There is a
lot of preparation that goes into baseball and fishing; each day you have to polish your skills and
the mental aspect. Hemingway suggests throughout the novel that a players at-bat during a
crucial game is what makes the player better, but this is accomplished through the goals that are
set throughout their career or the season. Going day by day like Ravizza said also compares to
the character Santiago who is on an 84 day drought from catching a fish. Ravizza said Putting
your mission into action on a daily basis (Ravizza 26). He does not give up, he just keeps going
out there and he knows that it will eventually happen. He must trust that hard work and
dedication will eventually pay off. Santiago figures this out when he hooks a massive fish.

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Showing the constant effort is a huge part of these sports that can simply be overlooked trying
for a goal that cannot be reached without going day-by-day.
Mistakes are going to happen in baseball and in fishing, but learning from your mistakes
is what prevents them from recurring. If you can gain feedback from the negative events, you can
improve. Looking at the positive side will help you self-evaluate because beating yourself up is
only going to hurt you. Self-evaluating is what Ravizza called Postgame Learning. He
explained how you can learn and help to create a better situation. Asking questions can provide
beneficial feedback. An example includes How was your confidence today? What helped and
what hurt your confidence? (Ravizza 76). Simple questions such as these will help eliminate
mistakes. The character Santiago would question what he was doing wrong and try and learn
from the mistakes that he was committing on the water. The best way to fix a mistake is to point
the mistake out and to do your best to correct it.
A boost of confidence is huge for creating a positive vibe. The character Santiago is
caught talking out loud to the water, I love you and respect you very much. But I will kill you
dead before this day ends. (Hemingway 54). This shows the confidence that Santiago has, he
knows that he has prepared for this moment and the more positive he is it will relax him.
Carrying around the right mindset is very beneficial with because the right mindset you will
create more positive vibes which will allow you to gain confidence. The mental part of these
sports is a source of confidence that you have control of. Catching a fish and making plays will
boost your confidence, but they are outside of your control. Hemingway does a nice job
throughout the novel showing how confident Santiago is despite his 84 day dry spell, because
Santiago knows that as soon as he catches that one fish his streak will begin. As Ravizza said
Build your confidence through solid mental preparation something you choose to do if you

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take responsibility for it. (Ravizza 65). You have the control over your mind you cannot allow
that to slip away from you. Your confidence based on your approach is a big deal. Where you
anchor up, the bait you choose, or what pitches you are looking for are your approach. This will
make you confident and encourage you to believe in yourself because you have prepared for the
moment.
Consistency will take you a long way. This is why people train and work hard for a
consistent outcome. How can mental preparation make you a more consistent baseball player or
fisherman? You cannot say to yourself One day Ill play great and the next Ill be brutal,
(Ravizza 65) you have to say to yourself positive things such as What can I do to make myself a
more consistent player? (Ravizza 65). Having a disciplined mind set is tough to gain, but it is all
up to you. Hemingway makes the character Santiago look very consistent. Santiago went 84 days
without catching a fish, but then after he catches the massive one he believes he will go weeks
catching a fish every day.
Quality is something that is overlooked that Ravizza and Hemingway used as key points
in their writings. The character Santiago may go out every day and not catch a fish but he knows
he will learn from his mistakes, and that the big payoff will eventually come. Using a quality
fishing cast or at-bat in baseball helps with everything and it can determine a lot. As Ravizza
points out with hitting in baseball So many important factors ranging from getting a good
pitch to hit to a fielder catching the ball are outside of your control that its unrealistic to think
that you can get a hit anytime you want. (Ravizza 98). This applies to everything and
Hemingway uses this as a metaphor for baseball with catching the massive fish after a long
slump is clutch. This makes the young character Manolin look up to Santiago when he said
There are many good fishermen and some great ones. But there is only one you (Hemingway

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23). Hemingway is pointing out that Manolin has the same respect for Santiago as Santiago has
for DiMaggio.
Throughout the story Hemingway was hinting how baseball and fishing were similar.
When the character Santiago swings at the massive fish with a spear twice and misses, he is
saying to himself he cannot miss a third time or the fish will get away. Comparing that to
baseball with three strikes and you are out and three outs to an inning. The story also indicated
the massive fish was 30 yards away which happens to be the distance between the bases in
baseball 90 feet. Hemingway gives off numerical allusions and how its a coincidence. It is all on
in the mind of Santiago who said Don't think, old man, he said aloud ... But I must think, he
thought. Because it is all I have left. That and baseball. I wonder how the great DiMaggio would
have liked the way I hit him in the brain? (Hemingway 103-104). The way that baseball players
are taught is to go up to bat with a clear mind but how is that possible when you have so much in
front of you? Just like Santiago told himself to quit thinking but it was too difficult not to think
about the fish. Plath said For Santiago, baseball is infinitely more real and inspirational than
religion. It becomes, in fact, a replacement for religion (Plath 1), this shows how important the
sport is to him that everything he compares to baseball and is compared to Ravizzas theory.
Comparing these two novels The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway and
Heads-Up Baseball by Ken Ravizza shows how similar baseball and fishing can be. The
metaphors that were used throughout the novel by Hemingway connected to Heads-Up Baseball
in many ways, such as the mental toughness, goals, and superstition. Not many people would
think to compare these two sports but they have so many connections as pointed out by
Hemingway.

Work Cited
Hemingway, Ernest. The Old Man and the Sea. New York: Sribner, 1952. Print
Ravizza, Ken, and Tom Hanson. Heads-up Baseball: Playing the Game One Pitch at a Time.
Indianapolis: Masters, 1995. Print.
Plath, James. Santiago at the plate: baseball in The Old Man and the Sea (protagonist of
Ernest Hemingways novel) The Hemingway Review 16.1 (1996): 65+. General
OneFile. Web. 24 Nov. 2015.
Tilman, Travis S., Major, Ken Ravizza Dr, and Traci Statler Dr. "CLEAR YOUR MIND TO
CLEAR THE WAY: MENTAL PREPARATION." Engineer 41.3 (2011): 32-5. ProQuest.
Web. 3 Dec.2015.