The Young Player and the Old Guy

Have you heard the story about a young ballplayer? He was quite good, quick, powerful, with a good eye, but made many, many mistakes in his game. For some time an older gentleman watched this young man play. After a couple of weeks, on a bright sunny day, the old man walked up to the younger man and whispered in his ear for a few minutes something no one else could hear.

Afterward, in the weeks and years following, the young man became a truly exceptional ballplayer, making few mistakes, hitting well, and often executing brilliant plays. He went on to be a professional of great fame (and fortune).

Often this story was recounted in the press, and often he was asked just what the old guy had said. All the ballplayer would ever say was, “I don’t quite remember. It happened so fast. I got excited, and just wanted to play and play.”

So, the riddle is this: “What could the old man have said in just a few minutes that could affect a lifetime?”

Answer to come...

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