October is here and that means the good ol' American Baseball Playoffs!

Baseball has always been my favorite sport ever since my dad took me to a Texas Rangers games. Heck, my high school graduation gift was seats behind home plate during a Texas Rangers vs Red Sox game! So when I went to a Billy Elliot Masterclass at the Kravis Center in West Palm Beach, Fl, you can bet my ears perked up when one of the cast members spoke of the coincidences of Baseball and Musical Theatre (and no, I'm not just referring to the upcoming musical A League of Their Own (although you can bet I'll be there)).

Here are just a couple of those coincidences (some I have learned from others, and some are my own):

Stats and Auditioning: There's the saying that "for every 300 auditions, you get one job". Now, I'm don't sure if 300 is the right number, but it is true that an actor must audition many many times before a job might happen. Surprisingly, it's the same in baseball. No, not with being put onto a team, but with hitting baseballs. Wait? Isn't hitting a baseball supposed to be the job of a baseball player? Haven't they been doing that since they played Little League? Well, aren't we actors supposed to perform? Haven't we been in training since that first-grade show we did? Yeah. A player's batting average is the way the baseball world determines how good a batter is. Generally a .250-.275 is a nice batting average. Those over .300 are considered to be very good. But a batting average is determined by how many hits (or times a player safely reaches first base) divided by how many at-bats (how many times they are at the home plate hitting). So if Bob the Baseball Player is at the plate 540 time and reaches first base 142 times, his batting average is .262. That's only first base though! Not even how many times they score a run. Why? Because it's the player's job just to get to first base. That's how they start. An actor is the same. We need to stop thinking of getting a job, but a callback. Our batting average is our callback average. So thinking that I have to go to 540 auditions to get 142 callbacks just to receive an average of .262....wow. But I also have to remember that an average of .262 is pretty good! Don't think about getting the job, but getting the callback. Know your average and always try to improve it.
Teams and Putting on a Show: This isn't a hard one. To put on a production requires a lot of people contributing their own skills. You have the cast comprised of the leading man, the ingenue, the sidekick, the ensemble, the dancers, the singers, whoever. And right behind them is the stage manager, the props master, the spotlight operator, the house manager, even the producer. In baseball you have your 25 man team. The lineup is specifically constructed for every game starting with the leadoff hitter, followed by the contact hitter, including a cleanup and a designated hitter (American League only). And those same 25 men also contribute on the defensive side of things: pitcher, catcher, first base, centerfield etc. Right behind them is the team manager, general manager, CEO, presidents, and of course, the field mowers. Every loss game is for the entire team-not just the 25 man roster. Every theatrical production hinges on the contribution of everyone. Everyone is important.
Agents and, well, Agents (and you): It's no secret how important agents are. They get you in with the right people. Even baseball players know that an agent can be your career saver and its important to respect these people and listen to their advice. An agent, in baseball or theatre, is your representative. They are on your side. At the same time they re a business and you are an asset. So, if in baseball, a player is not doing too hot (a low average or poor conduct off the field), then that agent might not represent them as much. It's the same in theatre. An actor must play their part and not expect their agent to do all the work. If they can't perform (have the skills needed to succeed or impress others) then their agent won't be as effective. It's an invaluable partnership that is constantly fluctuating.

It just proves that Baseball, like the American Theatre, is a unique art. It's a place where the individual dn the community meet. Neither can succeed without the other.

&nbs… — Meeting Texas Rangers player Josh Hamilton. Go Rangers!