The Soft Pitch

Been gone for 12 days in Chi-town…a great time. Family and friends can be enough to have a good time, but this was a perfect week…here is how it flowed.

On July 19th, my fellow board members of the Chicago 16 Inch Softball Hall of Fame unveiled our new beautiful inductee park which displays over 350 inductees at Forest Park, Il. Our opening ceremony was attended by approx. 1,000 people including a few customers (Insight)…a lot smiles and tears made the long road to do this all worth while. Thanks to March Manufacturing (pumps) for being our largest donor. Oh did I say, two State of Illinois Senator’s committed $500,000 to build our phase two museum. WOW 

The event continued with a wonderful ball game played by celebrities like Mike North and Bob Sirott and hall of fame players (Northside vs Southside) sponsored by Rich Melman from Lettuce Entertain You restuarants. Alot of laughs and good play especially by the ladies. One the da Bears’ our kicker, Robbie Gould was darn good/nice guy too.

The day garnered unprecendented coverage on all TV channels, major radio shows and online, thanks to our superb pr team lead by Kathleen Henson. The Chicago Tribune ran a full page story ! 500 Photos of the event are on 16inchsoftballhof.com.

Thanks to our Chicago brand sponsors, Vienna hot dogs, Affy Tapples, Lettuce and now Old Style beer..4 reasons I’m overweight…and March, any help from my Avnet folks,  and our national brand leader KODAK !

My family and relaxed for 3 days in New Buffalo, Michigan, on the beach,  inland we won $33 in their cool casino; Four Winds after wiping out their buffet.  Then we saw our Cubbies win and go into first place after a lousy start. Singing Go Cubs Go is awesome.

The final good thing is probably the best, our 19th annual Maag Toy Foundation golf outing in OakBrook sponsored by Avnet…our friends, family, Avnet, suppliers like Intel and Molex, customers, and vendors raised over $17,000 for toys for kids…even two competitors were there. Special thanks to Hearst and Electronic Products for donating another full page add that NDK bought.

Coming back to AZ I’m so thankful to so many folks…it was great to touch so many and know we can do so much more both with softball and toys…we are going to add memories for  a lot of people. Now back to reality with my great communication team and helping Avnet beat the bad guys.

We announce our numbers this week for the past Q and year.

It was a good summer vacation, one of my best.

I’m 60 years old June 12th, so someone, somewhere is losing a bet. I hate to debate the quote of Lou Gerhig, but really I’m the luckiest man on this earth. First due to my wife and son, parents, brother and family, friends , softball team mates and folks I have met in the business working for Molex, Cahners, Magnecraft and Avnet. Especially the talented people and vendors that I worked with and made me look awful good. To the Krehbiels, Vallee, Gardiner, and McDermott the men who hired me (when I had my own biz too) and my bosses who let me have more rope than deserved to see what I would do and were great mentors…u know who you are. Thanks

What a great time to live and with technology advancements which will be taken lightly by future generations. Just think since 1949: color TV (remember Bonaza?), internet, digital cameras, cell phones, electronic games, pda’s, laptop computers, copying machines, Wrigley Field with lights and on and on. Great moments from Shepard’s 1st take off, Apollo 13’s return, landing on the moon, “do you believe in miracles”, Da Bears Super Bowls, M.J., The Golden Jet, and Disneyland opens as do the dreams of children. Then tough moments like Martin, Bobby and John being gunned down.

We played with soldiers and used our imaginations, played outside and threw snowballs and “skitched” hung onto cars in the winter. I must admit boy scouts was ok until we went camping…I hate tents and hiking etc. Eventually went to the drive-in movies, not this HD 800,000 pixels 90” tv on your wall stuff.

Throughout it all I have always been attracted to teams. My starting point was Farnsworth grammar school on Chicago’s north side where we hung out and played non stop from swift pitch to softball to football on gravel. I hate when I see little league teams play on manicured fields with scoreboards…how dare they, earn it kid. And do not get me started about parents…we played 2 zillion games without help from a parent. We handled the umpiring and our own disputes. We picked sides with a bat. Uniforms? are you kidding. In the winter? Habetler Bowl was just fine. Today if we have not planned our kids week and been at their games, after taking them to a private coach…we have failed. Geez.

Starting in 1961 our gang was the Baggers. In the 60’-70’s if you saw one of us there were 6-12 more nearby. We played hard every sport, partied, and went back and played some more. We were in a few fights (which now sounds kind of cool, it was scary) and I was in quite a few alone, which usually started with my smart ass comments. Hurt both my thumbs in one. At 5’5” 145 ya think I would have toned it down. But that is when you know you have friends, when in a fight is anyone standing behind you for support. The Baggers did.

A game, party and dances were our goal every weekend. Our band (with Baggers in it) was the Blueberry December. They were good, attracted girls, which was key. IF we were allowed in anyone’s home for a party they made a huge mistake…let’s just say there never let us back for an encore The smart move was road trips to Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. Fun was always the goal and we had it.

We were very good at softball and football, which leads me back to this team thing. We watched the best softball teams like the Bobcats and Sobies practiced and would play anyone, tried hard and when we lost didn’t get uptight, went for a beer and laughed. We only wanted to know when was next chance to redeem ourselves. No fear.

Music? To name a few I have seen live; Elvis, Frank, Chubby and Bill Haley and his Comets, to Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis, Platters and Sonny and Cher. Then came the smoke era and saw Hendrix, Rolling Stones, Who, Rod, and eventually Barbara, and McCartney, Prince and the Jackson 5…do you really believe your going to be hearing some of the crap on the air now in 50 years? Hell the Stones will still be heard and probably still alive rockin the house. I do miss Ed Sullivan on Sunday nights.

Laughs are imporatnt and pleased to say we have seen Rodney, Seinfeld, Jay, yes even Johnny Carson and even Woody Allen live.

I laugh today about business and communications tactics and the way people interact. They say social media tactics like text, twitter, LinkedIn, games, internet, e-cards and 2nd Life etc are social…geez far from it. Get off your butt and go in the next room and talk to a live person. Call someone. How often do get a personal hand written note? As often as you get calls from your Governor. Use some damn personality.

As noted above we had each other to rely on, and our bond was our word and if need be the handshake was key, especially to make sure we showed up at the right time and place (yes with rotary phones). Most young people have no clue on street smarts or how to work as a team. The parents do too much for them now. In my day if you had a problem you handled on your own or went to Mr V explained it and he helped take care of it. Today parents gotta know and help with everything…let them figure it out.

Today kids expect to get great seats at ballgames…we snuck in a few times at Wrigley or sat in the bleachers for 60 cents.

Helping in the community…sounds great, it is great. But not then, spring break in the 50’s-60’s was our parents saying it was “clean up week” to help the community clean the house…party in Mexico and Florida? Right, there were no parties at 5544 Catalpa…escaping to go out was the vacation.

This is a blog not a book…so the oldie’s story ends here, just wanted to give u a little glimse into my little world…today I will take my wife and son, two friends from grammar school, my best man, and two great athletes I played with on the excellent Molex softball team to see the Cubbies…tomorrow the same with other great friends…then Sunday 50 folks will show for another wish; a 16” softball game. Then Disneyland. That is what I wanted to do. Celebrate with those who made my life fun, challenging and memorable. So far it’s been a great ride. Retire? No way baby…too much left to do.

I believe 60 is the new 50…because of all the excitment around me and technology that makes life fun and interesting. I’m falling apart but a lot still in the tank.  I have tried to be with people who will take a risk, passionate about team play and laugh. The folks who have and continue to help us with the Toy Foundation and 16″ Softball Hall of Fame. Alot of kids to help and positive things to do in the community and Avnet to kick butt. Time to pay back some of the good stuff. The bucket list gets smaller, we have seen the world. I’m ready for another great ride with my Avnet teammates…wish they were in Chicago for the game too.  Love and Thanks to everyone who has made an impact on my life…really. I’m sooo lucky.

PS Please Cubs win a world series.

I always enjoy watching the NCAA Women’s Softball World Series, but tonite was unbelievable. ASU is wining 2-0…but now bases are loaded and the Bama coach Patrick Murphy takes out his leadoff hitter, Brittany Rodgers who is batting .350…oh she is an All-American senior…for a freshman Jazlyn Lunceford. Talk about controversy…talk about egos and upset people…well Brittany never complains, pouts or sits dejected and is the biggest Bama cheerleader at the top of the dugout…Lunceford is 2-2, 2 outs and then jacks it deep to LF for a grand salami…everyone goes nuts and eventually ASU loses. What a moment in sports.

Brittany was being watched by everyone, the pressure was on the coach…replacing a star with an unknown was a potential alumni killer…well it paid off. Brittany was a class kid no matter what happened she was a winner. Her coach is a winner to not because of the decsion but because she handled it so well, sportsmanship is a great word. Team first…what a concept

As we all know thousands of people have been laid off in our industry…Avnet is no exception. What hurts and I wonder about are a few decsions I have seen when a few veterans here laid off…they did nothing wrong…been here 25 plus years, but someone made a tough call to replace them with someone or just drop the resource for now. What has truly amazed me that I know 4 people who just left in the last few months and 2 have sent very kind emails wishing us well and saying how great it was to work with us…and one person gave me a hug and said she understood why and hoped to be back one day…another person still showed up for an event because he said he would be there and held no grudge because he loved the Avnet people and culture. What? Laid off reactions are not that way. These people should be pissed and throwing things and saying why me?

Just like Brittany tonite who held her own and showed alot of class not getting uptight and understood the coaches decision (he was going for the big blast, she is punch/slap hitter)…her parents should be proud of her and the coach they sent her to play for…he has developed a great culture.

Makes me think, Roy Vallee and our executive team have  established a great culture at Avnet too, and that will pay dividends…just as it did Bama with their win.

O goodness I’m not drinking all the Kool-Aid, sure some folks did not write letters or say good bye or show up for anything and they are probably still looking at their ceilings…but the facts are people do like it here…our employee engagement scores say so…when business picks we will see how voluntary turnover goes. In any case it makes me very proud when folks walking out the door still say goodbye and give best wishes. Culture… maybe thats one reason why we are the Fortune’s Most Admired Company in our indutry…maybe. I know one thing dont bet aganist our people or right now Bama.