LYNN – Different sports require different things. Some are about strength, others are about speed, and so forth. And when it comes to baseball, Lynn English head coach Esteban Paula believes it requires… failure.
“Baseball is a game with 30 percent success and 70 percent failing,” Paula said. “You’ve got more failures in this game than success.”
And if his players know that, this upcoming season will be a good one according to Paula. His reasoning – “if you lose, you learn.”
“They need to understand that part of the game,” Paula, who said he doesn’t care about highlight-reel plays, said. “Just keep going.”
That first step begins Monday when the Bulldogs begin tryouts. When asked what makes a good baseball player, he pointed to simplicity.
“The fundamentals – they’re extremely important,” Paula said. “The little things… those will take you to the next level.”
Those little things don’t include a wrong-footed snag down the left field line, but rather, scooping ground balls and making good throws.
“The way that you practice is how you’re going to play in the game,” Paula said. “The highlight plays – I’m not expecting that, those will come.”
Speaking of games, English was eliminated last season at the hands of Framingham – to which Paula admitted was a tough one to swallow.
“It’s hard, man, it’s really hard,” Paula said.
But when they’re down, good teams get back up. Paula said he’s working on finding the right pieces. And some, he already has.
Mateo Rodriguez and Brendan Falasca are just two of the (many) players he’s expecting great things from.
“They’re the ones who are going to be huge. They have more experience [and] I’m expecting a lot from them,” Paula said. “They’ve been working so hard in the offseason… I know those guys are going to have a great, great season.”
He also knows not every loss – and, frankly, not every win – is indicative of a season.
“I’m not expecting to beat every team. You know how baseball is – it’s a crazy game,” Paula said. “Even if you fail, that’s okay… the results will come, but you’ve got to be patient.”
However, when asked which matchups he’s most excited for, a laughing Paula couldn’t help but mention those Rams.
“Every game is so important for us – every single game,” Paula said. “But against [Lynn] Classical, that’s something different… that’s the game that gets us pumped.”
The Bulldogs begin their season Monday, April 3 at Medford (4 p.m.). Two days later, English begins a three-game homestand, starting with Revere at 4 p.m.
And if there’s one thing Paula wants, it’s for his players to play the game they love.
“When the opposite team shows up to the ballpark, they’re going to be like … they know how to play baseball,” Paula said. “They know how to play the game the right way.”
