The Soft Pitch

Our 3rd annual outing in the spring was enjoyed by approx 300 employees at Avnet Day at Ho Ho Kam stadium with 14,000 other Cub and Angel fans. The highlight was when one of our lead warehouse guys threw out the first ball (low and outside one bounce), while new EM president in Americas Ed Smith was helping out on the sideline. We could have sold more but we had a early deadline. Anytime Avnet’s name was mentioned it drew a nice cheer from our faithful, not bad when biz is slow…the moral of this story is morale and team.

Our folks invested most of their own money to be there…so no one made them come. Warehouse staff, lead executives, middle managerss, sales people, HR, and admin, came from both groups and Inc. Nice folks enjoying great AZ weather and the rights of spring…when everyone feels their team has a chance to win it all. Right now we are trying to win it all too and it feels like spring training again. A year ago is when biz starting going south and biz is still tough, but my gut feel is we are performing well aganist the competition.

The basics which are taught at spring training seem to be the key here too…employee engagement, great customer service and the needed supplier products. One advantage we have right now is our financial strenth helping customers get through these dark days. It’s like having a great clean up hitter who knocks in the runs.

Again these venues are great for morale. In tough biz conditions morale is even more important. It is an investment we still make…like prudent marketing. We are here for people who need our support.  And like spring training we are playing in front of smaller crowds but the season will begin soon…and our lineup looks damn good and we feel good too.

O…my Cubbies lost…because it spring training I do not get upset…I’m saving my blood pressure pills for the season.

If you follow my blog you know I’m a huge Cub fan, where have I been? With no comments so far with spring training starting, I assume a few of you thought I was in debtors prison or dead. I think it was the Cardinals in the super bowl that threw me off.

The PHX valley weather is awesome here…tomorrow I’m going to the Cubs vs the hated cross town rival White Sox game in Mesa…All Cub fans for generations have looked down on Sox fan because they are blue collar, don’t have cell phones, they buy used cars, and worst of all from the southside. Obama, his replacement and Daley are Sox fans, sad.  WE hate them because of they won the series a few years ago when they had no clue what was happening and got lucky.  They wear black. We wear a very nice shade of blue.  We have passports to travel.  Travel to Sox fans is going to Wisconsin.  My parents (God rest their souls) were huge Sox fans, so was the whole family but me…the debates were legendary…I was easily the bad seed.  The first time I ever said the F word in front of my 80 year old Mom and Dad was when some idiot Sox fan got me going for no reason at a crosstown classic (before the games counted) at Wrigley Field. My wife was holding me back and my Mom grabbing her heart like Red Foxx’s girlfriend…I’m getting jazzed already…hot dog, beer, hot dog, beer and peanuts….bring it on baby!!!!

So what does this have to do with Avnet…nothing. I’m going to kickback and enjoy some friends and not even think about the grueling 162 game schedule and playoffs my body and brain pain I will need to go through again this season. Another season of hope and enthusiasm…time to enjoy the moment.