How a Losing Pitcher Taught Me to Keep Going

In this episode, inspired by my Brunch essay “The Happiness of the Cleanup Pitcher,” I reflect on an unexpected moment at a Korean baseball stadium with my daughter. What began as a simple family outing turned into a meditation on losing, resilience, and the quiet strength required to stand on the mound when the game is already slipping away.Watching a young relief pitcher—assigned to finish a game his team was destined to lose—I wondered: What motivates someone to walk confidently toward a certain defeat? What keeps them throwing with such dignity and power?I realized that his mindset mirrors moments in my own life: job rejections, shattered confidence, and seasons when I felt like the pitcher sent in only to “manage the loss.” But the pitcher’s presence told a different story—one about hope, tomorrow’s possibilities, and the small acts of courage that keep us moving forward.This episode explores:Why a “cleanup pitcher” embodies a unique form of hopeHow losing situations reveal our deepest mindsetWhat Korean baseball culture teaches about resilienceHow to recondition the mind when the scoreboard says you’re losingA reminder that even when today feels like a loss, tomorrow is a new game waiting for us.