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<\/a>IF I KNEW THEN WHAT I KNOW NOW<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\nBy John Paciorek<\/strong><\/p>\n Page Publishing, Inc., 2018<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Available in print or electronic form.\u00a0 It can be found\/ordered at bookstores, or online at the Apple iTunes store, Amazon, Google Play, or Barnes and Noble.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n FIELDS OF DREAMS<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Most baseball fans share a \u201cdream\u201d \u2013 getting that one appearance on a major league mound or in an MLB batter\u2019s box.\u00a0 You know, getting that notation, no matter how short, in The Baseball Encyclopedia<\/em>.\u00a0 If I Knew Then What I Know Now<\/em> is about a different kind of dream.\u00a0 The kind of dream that drives a player who made it to the big leagues (if painfully briefly) \u2013 the dream of rising toward true perfection as a ballplayer.<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Baseball Roundtable<\/strong><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Let\u2019s get one thing straight right from the start; If I Knew Then What I know Now<\/em> is not your typical baseball book.\u00a0 Even author John Paciorek says he would assign it to a newly coined genre \u2013 \u201csemi-autobiographical fiction.\u201d<\/p>\n It is generally acknowledged that John Paciorek had <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n the most successful one-game MLB career in history\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n It is also not written by a typical baseball player \u2013 more on the baseball playing part of that observation in a minute, but first a look at the \u201cwriting\u201d side of this baseball story.<\/p>\n I mean, seriously, in what other book would you find a former player (or even a sportswriter or biographer) correctly and effortlessly using the term \u201cequipollence\u201d in describing a batter\u2019s swing or in what other baseball book would you find a chapter headed \u201cEinstein\u2019s \u2018Home Run\u2019 Principle\u201d?<\/p>\n Ultimately, If I Knew Then What I Know Now<\/em> is both thought-provoking and thought-requiring. Oh yes, and the chapters are best read in the order they are presented.<\/p>\n A “THOUGHT” FROM BBRT’S INTERVIEW WITH JOHN PACIOREK<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n \u201cNothing productive happens without thought. ‘Thought precedes action\u2019 is an expression with which most people will concur, at least until they are asked to delve deeply into its true practical significance. Throughout my book, reference is made to \u2018physical prowess\u2019 that is enhanced only as it proceeds from conscientious thought.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n The book is unique in its approach because its principle lays a foundation that supersedes that standard batting protocol of\u00a0 \u2018See ball, hit ball.\u2019\u00a0 For example, ‘Einstein\u2019s Home Run Principle’ offers this approach \u2018Most analysts subscribe to the notion that a batter must be extremely strong to be a consistent home run hitter.\u00a0 While strength is an asset, mechanics play a more important role! If a person can hit one home run, he can hit seventy or more, if all the required conditions are present every time.\u2019\u00a0 I would add that those conditions include both the physical (mechanics) and mental approach to the at bat.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n I believe that, gradually, this book will become the \u2018standard textbook\u2019 for ultimate baseball success.\u201d<\/strong><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n This review \u2013 like the book \u2013 will not be typical.\u00a0 It will include notable excerpts from the book and finish with an interview with Paciorek, looking in more detail at the principles he brings forth.<\/p>\n In the book, Paciorek describes his pursuit of his dream of perfection on the baseball diamond as a combination of the physical and metaphysical. He delves deeply into the physical aspects of the game, detailing the mechanics of building the perfect swing, laying down the perfect bunt or making the perfect pitch. He also looks, perhaps even more in-depth, into the mental aspects of reaching for perfection on the ball field – the power of positive thinking; mind\/body balance; visioning; patience and expectations; and perfect practice.\u00a0 Clearly, Paciorek is a dedicated student and teacher of the game.<\/p>\n Along the way, Paciorek cites a diversity of personal influencers – a range that stretches from:<\/p>\n Note: I must admit, at times I had to make the effort to further familiarize myself with the work of these influencers in order to better understand Paciorek\u2019s message.<\/em><\/p>\n Paciorek delivers his message from the \u201cstage\u201d of 1964 baseball Spring Training \u2013 and the scenes are populated by such characters as: Paciorek himself; teammates like Jimmy Wynn<\/strong>, Walt (No-Neck) Williams<\/strong>, Rusty Staub<\/strong> and Joe Morgan<\/strong>; and opponents like Mickey Mantle<\/strong>, Don Drysdale,<\/strong> Dick Allen<\/strong> and Casey Stengel<\/strong>.\u00a0 And, Paciorek illustrates the impact of his \u201cinfluencers\u201d with plenty of baseball action on the field and in the club house.<\/p>\n Excerpt from If I Knew Then What I know Now \u2026 <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n The Scene: John Paciorek batting against Whitey Ford in Spring Training.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n I saw an uncommon sense of frustration (probably in himself) on the face of Ford, so I knew he didn\u2019t want a \u201crookie\u201d to be a \u201chero\u201d in this situation. He was a \u201chard-nosed,\u201d as well as \u201csmart,\u201d pitcher.<\/span><\/p>\n Sure enough, his first pitch to me was a fastball, high and tight. I\u2019d guess he would have expected a rookie to hit the dirt. Just before the pitch, catcher Elston Howard said, \u201cBe alert!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n From my low and quiet stance, I could see clearly the release point of Whitey\u2019s pitch. It started inside and never deviated from its straight-line trajectory. It was about shoulder high, so from my slightly \u201cleaned-over\u201d position, I simply leaned back and watched the ball skip past my left shoulder.<\/span><\/p>\n As the pitch was coming, Elston yelled, \u201cDown!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n After he reached to his left to catch the ball, his eyes indicated a surprised look that I hadn\u2019t \u201chit the ground.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n No need for me to panic \u2013 from my low and stable stance, I saw the ball clearly, and casually leaned back to avoid it.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n The book can be a bit of a roller coaster ride \u2013 or more aptly \u201croller coaster read\u201d \u2013 and, as I noted early on, it is both thought-provoking and thought-requiring (with some fun and considerable insight into the national pastime to be had along the way).<\/p>\n IF I ONLY KNEW THEN WHAT I KNOW NOW \u2026<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Going back to the source can explain how Paciorek got to the destination that resulted in this book.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n John Paciorek grew up in what he describes in the book as a \u201clow-middle-income, Polish-Catholic\u201d Detroit neighborhood. He also grew up in a baseball family \u2013 John and his brothers Tom and Jim made it to the major leagues. Young John Paciorek emerges as an individual driven towards perfection in all endeavors \u2013 capable of dedicating himself (sometimes) to a fault to being not just one of the best, but the very best, every time he took to the competitive field.<\/span><\/p>\n What happened? Paciorek\u2019s major league potential was cut short by a back injury that required surgery in 1964, sidelined him for all of 1965 and limited him to four minor league seasons going forward.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Paciorek has written two previous books:\u00a0 Plato and Socrates, Baseball\u2019s Wisest Fans<\/em> and The Principle of Baseball and All There is to Know\u00a0 about Hitting<\/em>.\u00a0 He also has a blog at www.johnpaciorek.com<\/p>\n <\/p>\n A final observation from the pages of <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 If I Only Knew Now What I Knew Then ….<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Center field was the easiest of the three outfield positions to play because you can see the batter-pitcher relationship most clearly and directly \u2026 The angles of vision were not as direct in right and left fields.<\/strong><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n <\/p>\n —–THE JOHN PACIOREK BASEBALL ROUNDTABLE INTERVIEW—–<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n BBRT: What prompted you to write the book \u2013 and is there an overriding message (about baseball and\/or life) you would like readers to come away with?<\/strong><\/p>\n JP:\u00a0\u00a0<\/b>Steve Wagner\u2019s book (Perfect: The Rise and Fall of John Paciorek, Baseball\u2019s Greatest One Game Wonder<\/em>) was so well written, but I knew he didn\u2019t have the information that would complete the story. So, I was inspired to offer a new and more complete version. A consistent message across the book\u2019s pages is that in baseball and in life, always remember that no matter how poorly your day may have gone, you always have tomorrow to resurrect and reestablish your formidable prospectus.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n BBRT: If you really did know then what you know now, is there something you would have done differently in 1963-64?<\/strong><\/p>\n JP:<\/strong> I would never have had the back operation that ended my major league career. The book explains why!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n BBRT: Can you describe, for those of us who will never realize that dream of a big league at bat, the feeling when you first stepped to the plate in an MLB game?<\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0JP:\u00a0<\/strong>My experience may have a different tone and feel to it than that of Moonlight Graham \u2013 as portrayed in Field of Dreams. Here again, I\u2019d go to an excerpt from the book, this one describing my first major league plate appearance.<\/p>\n \u201cWith utmost confidence, Johnny stepped into the right-handed batter\u2019s box. He\u2019d been there before \u2013 not only in his mind, but in big-league Spring Training camp. It\u2019s not going to be any different. I hit \u2018em then. I\u2019ll hit \u2018em now. \u2018This is where I belong, here I\u2019ll stay\u2019 were the thoughts resonating through his mind.\u201d<\/p>\n The fact is, I was excited, but also \u201ccocky.\u201d I thought I belonged in that setting, so I wasn\u2019t nervous or intimidated, just ready to do something good.\u00a0 I walked.\u00a0 The rest of the story of my major-league day is found in Chapter Four.<\/p>\n John Paciorek\u2019s \u201cView\u201d on Baseball, Teaching and Life (and even physics)<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Change the way you look at things, and the things you look at change.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n The preceding principle, made practical by Dr. Wayne Dyer applies to physics, baseball and general education. Physicists Albert Einstein and Max Plank proved that merely observing a particle of light changes its composition and position in space. Expanding the application of that concept, a teacher who views a particularly poor student from a more positive perspective will see improvement in that student that an otherwise negative view could not have imagined. And, a baseball batter, who assumes a low and stable stance, with little or no head and eye movement, will see the \u201cdescending:\u201d pitched ball more clearly, enabling a better approach to hitting it.\u00a0 Conversely, a less stable stance \u2013 and, therefore, less stable way of seeing the ball, will detract from a hitters\u2019 potential.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n BBRT: What is it that most attracts you about the game of baseball?<\/strong><\/p>\n JP:<\/strong>\u00a0 I think an excerpt from the last chapter of the book says it best: \u201cBaseball\u2019s enduring attributes, to all levels of civilized society, are those which foster relevance to equal opportunity for the individual and a sense of genuine contribution to a collective effort. Every player in a lineup bats.\u00a0 Every position is held equally accountable for mental and physical errors. The same standard for all players! What can be a fairer way of evaluating performance? Is there any other arena in \u201csports\u201d that epitomizes the universal \u201cAmerican Experience\u201d more than that displayed on baseball\u2019s level field of play?\u201d<\/p>\n BBRT: Is there any specific piece of advice you think is most important when it comes to the mechanics of hitting?<\/strong><\/p>\n JP:<\/strong> In my first book (The Principle of Baseball: And All There is to Know About Hitting<\/em>), I expounded on the Principle of Simplicity. To make hitting a baseball simple, a batter must remove many or all of the margins for error that would prevent the batter from effectively contacting the ball with the bat.<\/p>\n The foremost advantage for attaining a mechanical advantage in hitting a pitched baseball is clarity of vision. Thus, the more stable the batter\u2019s head and eyes, the clearer the focus on the moving ball. Whatever the length of a batter\u2019s stride, the head and eyes are moving to that same degree. If a batter wants to be as perfect as possible in the approach to hitting a baseball, that batter should eliminate the stride<\/em>.\u00a0 \u00a0My first book and posts on my website go into more depth on all the margins for error<\/em> in a hitter\u2019s swing, and provide further explanation for those who cannot fathom eliminating the stride.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n BBRT: From personal observation, who are the most \u201cperfect\u201d hitters you have ever seen?<\/strong><\/p>\n JP:<\/strong>\u00a0 First is Barry Bonds. Second is Ted Williams. Both Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton have the potential to be among the greatest ever, if they altered one aspect of their batting mechanics. I go into some detail on both Judge and Stanton in posts on my website at\u00a0\u00a0 johnpaciorek.com<\/p>\n BBRT: You built a long career as a teacher and coach.\u00a0 What did you find most satisfying about that part of your life?\u00a0 And is there a coaching\/teaching philosophy you could share?<\/strong><\/p>\n In the most straightforward of terms, it would be that \u201cTeaching is a constant learning process \u2013 for both teacher and student.\u201d<\/p>\n I actually present that teaching philosophy in the new book.\u00a0 At one point in the story, Plato and Socrates are heard reading a treatise by a mysterious extrapolator of wisdom: \u201cEducation is a circular evolution of thought, whose cultivated experiences are predicated on learning and teaching, and teaching and learning. To teach is to learn. Teacher and learner are the same. To teach is to demonstrate what I learn and believe. Teaching is a constant learning process. From my teaching demonstration, others learn, as well as I. It is in constant learning that teacher and learner are the same.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n BBRT: One \u2013 and only one \u2013 big league game.\u00a0 Are there any regrets from the standpoint of would it have been better not to taste that \u201cmajor league fan adulation\u201d if it was going to be a one-game experience.<\/strong><\/p>\n Then, of course, there is the game itself \u2013 and records that will probably never be broken. How could it ever be imagined that someone would make their MLB debut in the last game of the season, play the field flawlessly, bat five times, collect three hits and two walks, score four runs and drive in three – and then have an off-season back operation that would prevent him for every playing in the big leagues again.<\/p>\n ________________________________________________________<\/p>\n Baseball Roundtable\u2019s John Paciorek Award<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n In 2014\u00a0 BBRT launched its annual John Paciorek Award, recognizing players who had brief \u2013 but in some way significant or notable \u2013 major league careers.\u00a0 To check out the stories of those recognized, use the links below.<\/p>\n 2018 … Keith McDonald here<\/a>.<\/p>\n 2017 … Chris Saenz here<\/a>.<\/p>\n 2016 … John Allen Miller here<\/a>.<\/p>\n 2015 … Roy Gleason here<\/a>.<\/p>\n 2014 … Brian Dallimore\u00a0here.<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n\n
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<\/a>John Paciorek\u2019s drive got him onto a major league field by September 29, 1963 \u2013 at the age of 18 \u2013\u00a0 for the Houston Colt .45s (that\u2018s what they were called then). Batting seventh and playing right field, Paciorek had an auspicious debut.\u00a0 In addition to four errorless outfield chances, he racked up five plate appearances, three hits, two walks four runs scored and three RBI.\u00a0 As surprising as his debut major league performance is the fact that the game also represented Paciorek\u2019s major league finale.\u00a0 It is, in fact, generally acknowledged that John Paciorek had the most successful one-game MLB career in history (a 1.000 batting average; on-base percentage; slugging percentage; and fielding percentage).\u00a0 That assertion is successfully chronicled in Steven K. Wagner\u2019s book \u2013 Perfect:\u00a0 The Rise and Fall of John Paciorek, Baseball\u2019s Greatest One Game Wonder.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<\/a>As you move through If I Knew Then What I know Now<\/em>, you see how Paciorek\u2019s Polish-Catholic upbringing, sports-oriented (particularly baseball) family, relentless pursuit of perfection and brush with greatness laid the foundation for this book. Paciorek\u2019s life after professional baseball provided the finishing touches to that foundation.\u00a0 He earned degree in physical education from the University of Houston and enjoyed a long career \u2013 retiring\u00a0 in 2017 \u2013 as a physical education teacher.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/a><\/p>\n\n
<\/a>How can you regret realizing the big-league dream? Just as that old-saying might be paraphrased: It is better to have fought and lost than to have never fought at all.<\/em>\u00a0 But, in my situation, It is better to have fought, even if never to fight again, than to have never fought at all.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\nI tweet baseball @DavidBBRT<\/strong><\/h3>\n