Feldman's Faves: March 31, 2025

GOOD MORNING EVERYONE

Congratulations to our students who did a phenomenal job last week raising money in their Give a Night auction. I think this year you broke our firm record.

For those celebrating Eid al-Fitr, Eid Mubarak! Wishing you a very happy and peaceful Eid. And a reminder of our firm wide celebration taking place at Eddie’s this afternoon.

For those of you who like theatre, I saw a really cool show this weekend entitled, “Inside American Pie”, which breaks down the lyrics of that classic song and provide a really interesting interpretation with both music and words. Highly recommended if you like this kind of stuff. Also, it’s the creation of a Canadian (PEI) based theatre company. So GO CANADA!!

Finally, I want to wish our record winning auctioneer, Duncan, a very happy (and belated) birthday and a very happy birthday to Cailey (on Thursday) (as long as she promises to never leave us again).

This week’s theme is difficult things (and I guess, Teds)….

THE SCIENCE OF HITTING By: Ted Williams –Well with baseball season now underway I thought now would be a good time to  discuss a book about baseball.  Every athlete will probably tell you that what they do is the most difficult “thing to do” in sports. But if you ask them to be truly objective, most will admit that hitting a baseball at the major league level is probably at the top of the pyramid.  So if you want to learn to perfect this skill all you have to do is read the Ted Williams’ book The Science of Hitting and you will be good to go. Well not, exactly,  Williams is the GOAT when it comes to hitting and his book is very interesting and instructive but it would be like Michael Jordan telling you jus to jump really high if you want to be able to dunk like him. That said, for those nerds like me who are interested in the mechanics and science of sport Williams does an incredible job of breaking down all of the physical and mental elements involved in perfecting the art /science of hitting. The narrative is really interesting as are the graphs and graphics he shows. The coolest graphic of them all (which you can find in Cooperstown, if you ever visit) is a picture of every point in the strike zone and his batting average in each part of the zone (written on baseballs) – analytics he figured out long before there were analytics.  This book is not for everyone but it is for anyone who wats to learn about this topic. As one reviewer notes, “Ted Williams was arguably the greatest pure hitter who ever lived. A lifelong student of hitting, he sought advice from every great hitter—and pitcher—he met. Drawing on that advice, as well as his own legendary life in baseball, Williams produced the all-time batting classic, The Science of Hitting. Using its detailed illustrations, anecdotes, and concise coaching, players of all skill levels will learn how to improve their fundamentals and gain keen insights into the finer points of hitting, including: -How to Think Like a Pitcher and Guess the Pitch -The Three Cardinal Rules for Developing a Smooth Line-Driving Swing -The Secrets of Hip and Wrist Action -Pitch Selection  -Bunting -Hitting the Opposite Way.  The Science of Hitting is a must-read for all baseball players looking to improve their turn at bat and for all coaches and parents teaching the sport.”  I’m quite sure the 2025 Yankees read this book in light of their 20-9 win over the Brewers on Saturday (that included nine home runs). Here’s a good review from Daniel Scrivner-  https://www.danielscrivner.com/best-books/the-science-of-hitting-the-classic-book-on-hitting-from-the-last-baseball-player-to-break-the-magic-400-barrier

TED Business - The trick to powerful public speaking | Lawrence Bernstein – Warren Buffet is famous for many things but one of the most profound life lessons he gives is on the power of public speaking.  According to Buffet, ‘if you can't communicate and talk to other people … you're giving up your potential’.  But so many of us are terrified at the prospect of public speaking and I believe it is something we can all overcome with a bit of work. In this PODCAST expert, Lawrence Bernstein shares some of his tricks that gets people to treat public speaking as a more natural occurrence and to learn how to speak like a normal person instead of something that is giving a lecture – and boy is that good advice. My best trick when I am public speaking is to focus on someone in the audience who I know is a friend and speak to that person like we are just hanging out. Bernstein’s advice is quite similar. Here’s an excerpt from the PODCAST itself, “Why do so many of us get nervous when public speaking? Communication expert Lawrence Bernstein says the key to dealing with the pressure is as simple as having a casual chat. He introduces the "coffee shop test" as a way to help you overcome nerves, connect with your audience and deliver a message that truly resonates. After the talk, Modupe explains a similar approach in academia called the "Grandma test," and how public speaking can be as simple as a conversation with grandma. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.” https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/ted-business/id470622782?i=1000685581854

Thank you for your ongoing engagement and participation.

And remember to stay safe, stay healthy and to docket daily.

Jon