 |
Recreation
|
City of Roswell
P.O. Drawer 1838
Roswell, NM 88202-1838
(505) 624-6700
Fax: 624-6889 |
THE LEISURE INCIDENT
"Thoughts on Economic Development from
Baseball"
May 8, 2026
Mr. Kim Elliott, CPRP
Recreation Director
City of Roswell, NM
We looked at the baseball experience and
compared it to "Life" last month. However, we can learn a lot more
from baseball, if we pay attention.
Everyone who knows baseball has heard of Bob
Gibson, the great Cardinal pitcher. His teammate, Tim McCarver, had this to say
about Bob Gibson. "Bob Gibson is the luckiest pitcher I ever saw. He
always pitches when the other team doesn't score any runs." That is
definitely looking at Gibson's pitching from another perspective! Of course,
McCarver was a catcher and I am sure had a lot to do with the other team not
getting any runs, too!
Maybe we can learn about economic development
by listening to people who have a little different perspective. Maybe the
leisure incident has a lot to do with the positive economic development of a
community.
A lot has been said and written about economic
development. Most of the emphasis appears to be from the perspective that we
need to bring more businesses into our community which will cause "economic
growth", which will increase the tax base, which means there will be more
money to spend in the community. This perspective has been the working
perspective for the last fifty years! The world has changed and now the world is
showing us a different perspective on economic growth.
We need to pay attention!
Babe Ruth played almost every position in the
game of baseball, but he started as a pitcher . When he became a Yankee, he was
traded to play as an outfielder. Tris Speaker, an Indians player and manager had
this to say about Ruth making the switch to play as an outfielder. "Ruth
made a grave mistake when he gave up pitching. Working once a week, he might
have lasted a long time and became a great star." The perspective that
Mr. Speaker had of Ruth was probably correct as far as it went, but…he was
also quite incorrect in his thinking. Ruth was much more than a pitcher! Our
perspective on economic growth needs to encompass more than just the focus of
"bringing new businesses into town."
Consider what Sandy Koufax of the Dodgers said
that helped him became a better pitcher. "I became a good pitcher when I
stopped trying to make them miss the ball and started trying to make them hit
it." Still the same game, but a different perspective.
Maybe the perspective on economic growth needs
to focus on the people who are going to have the jobs that will create the tax
base that will bring in more funding for the community. With a new national and
even world economy, we need to change the way we view economic growth. Maybe we
need to emphasize the person that does the work and not the work itself.
This really is not a new idea. This perspective
has been around for many years. It is just now being recognized as one of, if
not the most, important aspect of creating economic growth. People are the most
important factor! People will live where they want to live. They no longer have
to live where the jobs are! The new economy requires that this be the case!
How is this perspective different? It can be
stated very simply.
Economic growth will occur when you create a
community atmosphere where people want to work and live. True economic growth
occurs when the people are satisfied with their own quality of life. When the
people are satisfied, they will stay in the community and spend their dollars in
the community. When the people are satisfied, they will not balk at the
opportunity to create a better atmosphere for their families, friends and others
who may decide to move into the community. When the people are satisfied,
outside businesses will see a satisfied community and want to move their
business into a community where the quality of life is second to none.
Yes! Leisure does create new jobs. Positive
leisure opportunities create a community that desires quality of life. If we can
create that quality of life for our own people first, then we will be better
able to say to outside business that this is the community that your company
should be a part. Quality leisure incidents are important to the health and well
being of a community by creating positive economic growth.
One last quote from the famous baseball hero,
A. Nony Mous, "You can't steal second base and keep one foot on
first!" Second base economic growth is ours for the taking. We just
have to let go of where we have been in the past to advance!
Remember! Parks and Recreation
do create endless benefits!
