101 Lessons From the Dugout

BY KEVIN KERNAN

The greatest thing about baseball is that you never stop learning … about baseball, and life.

Never.

With that in mind there is a wonderful new book about the game called 101 Lessons From the Dugout. This is 216 pages of baseball and softball knowledge that can be put to good use in everyday life, written by nationally renowned pediatrician, Harley A. Rotbart and accomplished baseball writer Ken Davidoff, who has been covering the game for over 30 years.

Together they blend 101 Lessons From the Dugout into practical life and the timing is perfect with spring training underway in Florida and Arizona. The book is published by Bloomsbury Academic.

We all need a little baseball right now to warm our sports souls.

“I hope this gets people in the mood for baseball,’’ Davidoff told BallNine this week.

Yes, this is the perfect way to kickoff BallNine’s 2026 coverage. It is all systems go from here. I have known Ken for three decades from his time working with The Record of New Jersey, Newsday and then later as teammates at the New York Post.

In fact, Ken and I are both past winners of the Dick Young Memorial Award, presented by the N.Y. Pro Scouts Hot Stove League, a tremendous baseball-loving organization from the amateur to the major league level run by former Cubs scout Billy Blitzer.

These 101 Lessons are based on a lifetime of being around baseball and baseball people. The forward is written by David Wright, who is in the Mets Hall of Fame, and included in the book is praise from Cooperstown Hall of Famer and Yankees World Series hero Reggie Jackson.

These are baseball heavyweights. And there also is praise from Carol Hutchins, winningest softball coach in NCAA history who spent 38 years at the University of Michigan.

After a long, cold, snowy winter, let the sun shine on the diamond.

“This book is like a palate cleanser after football,’’ Davidoff told me. “You go back to the George Carlin routine about football vs. baseball, the gridiron violence of football and now it is time to turn the page to the brightness and joy of baseball – and this book is a love letter to baseball and softball and celebrating all its wonderful attributes.’’

By the way, on a cross-country flight I once sat in first class with George Carlin seated right next to me and we had a wonderful trip, but that is The Story for another day.

The 101 lessons are divided into short chapters, perfect for coaches, players and parents. Young players can learn from this but so can the pros – and all you had to do is watch some of the mistakes made last October to realize that indeed lessons need to be learned at all levels.

The book starts with the most basic baseball fact. Chapter 1 is titled:  Keeping Score. “You are much more than just a list of your accomplishments. It’s not only what you do, but how you do it … Making the spectacular diving catch says much more about you than the simple ‘out’ that is recorded in the scorebook.

“You will earn the self-respect and peace of mind that comes from knowing you gave your very best – even if you don’t end up making the catch.’’

All that is so important. This is a life mindset. There is joy to be carried on and off the field.

“Not only is baseball wholesome, but it’s healthy, it’s good for you.’’

“Not only is baseball wholesome, but it’s healthy, it’s good for you,’’ Davidoff said, promoting the game and his book.

Lessons come in many different ways. This is not just about the game. To illustrate his point, Davidoff pointed to Japanese star pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto cleaning the visitors dugout at the Rogers Centre after his complete game victory for the Dodgers in Game 2 of the World Series. By that time the book had been signed, sealed and delivered and was set for print.

“It was a beautiful thing,’’ Davidoff said. “My co-author Harley Rotbart and I could not believe it because we had already written about this, it was Chapter 92: Dragging the Field, Cleaning the Dugout. Clean up your messes, take pride in your spaces.’’

Yamamoto, who would go on to win three games in the World Series, was a shining example of this chapter. “Yamamoto exemplified that lesson for us,’’ Davidoff said. “The joke was, ‘how did he get a copy of our book early?’ What a perfect illustration of these lessons at the very highest level of sport.’’

That is a lesson that needs to be carried out from T-ball to travel ball to pro ball. Clean up your mess. And clean up other messes while you are at it. Speaking not only as a longtime baseball writer but as a longtime youth coach and all-around helper in both baseball and softball, I have prepped many fields; this is something that needs to be drilled home to the youth of America, and bring it into the classroom too. Take pride in your performance and your ballpark.

Take ownership.

“Don’t leave today’s mess for someone to clean up tomorrow,’’ Davidoff added.

Chapter 47 details The Grounder and explains how little details make a big difference. “What starts out looking like a routine grounder may be the toughest play on the field … problems happen when you let things slip.’’

Mistakes happen at the Little League level and in the biggest of games. Such was the case in the 11th inning of Game 4 of the NLDS between the Phillies and Dodgers last October when Phillies pitcher Orion Kerkering committed a season-ending error on a come-backer to the mound with two outs and the bases loaded. Kerkering struggled to pick up the ground ball and then panicked, throwing it away over the catcher’s head at home when the play was to go to first base, resulting in the nightmare 2-1 walkoff loss for the Phillies.

“He’s going to have to grow from that mistake,’’ Davidoff said of Kerkering. He then pointed to Chapter 57: Errors.

And again, this chapter was written before the fatal play for the Phillies, but it pointed out: “Errors frequently pile up on top of each other. A fielding error may lead to a rushed and bad throw … Once fielders bobble a grounder, they may be so desperate not to make another mistake that mental errors creep in.’’

That is what happened to Kerkering.

The chapter goes on to note: “People are not perfect, and they make mistakes. One way to measure yourself as a player – baseball and softball, and in life – is what you do and how you do it, after you make an error … Tomorrow the sun rises, and another game begins. Errors are lessons learned the hard way, but also chances to grow before the next day and before the next play.’’

That was the last play of the season for the Phillies and Kerkering is learning how to grow from that mistake, reporting early to Clearwater for spring training and telling Phillies writer Matt Gelb: “It’s one of those things that is going to linger on. It’s always in the back of your head, to where it almost feels like a death in the family. That’s how this feels with the play. And I can either accept it and say, ‘Yeah, it sucks,’ and move on from it. Or I can let it affect me. I can’t let one little thing, f— this up.’’

Kerkering, 24, has a pitching career ahead of him. Yes, even in Philadelphia the sun comes up the next day.

Davidoff now works as an adjunct professor at Endicott College in Beverly, Massachusetts, teaching writing and journalism courses.

“Every element of these games you can take into your everyday life,’’ he explained. “And we break it down into six parts. There is in the dugout, at the plate, on base, in the field, on the mound and extra innings.’’

“My co-author Harley Rotbart is a pediatrician and a parenting expert,’’ Davidoff said. “He has written multiple books about parenting. He has a perspective of dealing with young people and their parents for his entire professional life, and he has coached his kids, and grandkids in baseball and softball, loves the sports dearly, and then he invites me to come in and offer my professional perspective, which is covering the game of baseball at the highest level for multiple decades. And I think our two perspectives really blended beautifully.’’

Rotbart and Davidoff form an excellent battery, pitcher and catcher, or a double play combination, if you will. And this is a lot more than just baseball and softball.

In Chapter 51: The Stretch at First offers this advice about when to reach out and when to pull back at first base and in life.

“To stretch off the field, you don’t need to have a certain body type; you only need to have an open mind. Join a new club or try a new sport. Be part of a group doing good work in your school or community. Even if it is difficult, reach out to support a friend who needs your help. Not everyone can or will make these stretches, but if you do, the rewards are great, those you’ve helped will be grateful, those who saw what you did will know the kind of person you are, and you will feel great for the good you’ve done.’’

Wise words, indeed, and like spring training, this is only the start of the baseball and softball seasons and 101 Lessons From the Dugout.

You can order 101 Lessons From the Dugout by clicking here, from Bloomsbury Publishing.