"Jim has either left me a phone message or spoken to me in person or on the phone for every game of my career. Every game. For more than 2,000 times he has said to me the following statement: 'I hit solid with an accelerated bat head.' And I've repeated to myself the same mantra at least 10,000 times over the years."

S: self-discipline

C: concentration

O: optimism

R: relaxation

E: enjoyment

A-Rod has used Fannin’s system (and his daily personal support) to get through some tough slides despite increasingly obnoxious heckling from fickle Yankees fans. His latest slump is his 4-for-29 record since returning from a brief bout with the flu earlier this month (including 3 strikeouts yesterday), and fans in the Bronx are getting frustrated. Unfortunately for A-Rod, the mounting pressure only seems to make things worse in the short-term. It may be tough to imagine a 6’3” legend having confidence issues, but A-Rod’s dedication to personal improvement—and willingness to share it with his fans—only endears him to me more. Time and time again A-Rod has pulled himself up out of these slumps, and he credits his "life coach" for his help. Perhaps A-Rod should pass some of Fannin's business cards around the dugout...

Labels: a-rod support, a-rod trouble