AccessMyLibrary provides FREE access to over 30 million articles from top publications available through your library.

Building a winning team of products.(comparison between baseball teams and telecommunications industry )

Rural Telecommunications

| May 01, 2006 | Brunner, Michael E. | COPYRIGHT 2006 National Telephone Cooperative Association. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan.  All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)Copyright

In late winter, when frost still covers the ground in many of your service territories, baseball's spring training brings together pitchers, catchers, infielders, outfielders, coaches and managers to hone their crafts on fields doused in sunshine.

For the most part, veteran players report for duty and produce the same impressive results on the field. But each year, coaches and players alike are looking to see if a standout emerges from the ranks of the rookies. A pitcher with a killer curve ball? A slugger reminiscent of Babe? Anyone who can help to turn an ordinary team into an extraordinary team.

One can draw a comparison between the goings on at spring training and those in the telecommunications industry. As rural telcos, your "veteran players" are those tried and true services like plain old telephone service (POTS) and long-distance. Your commitment to providing those services to your customers--despite the obstacles--is what has given you staying power.

Baseball teams count on contributions from their veteran players to make things run smoothly on the field. Similarly, your telcos rely on your basic services to keep customers connected and your operations running smoothly. But just as there are upstarts waiting to show their stuff on the baseball field, there are new telecommunications services ready to prove their usefulness and appeal to consumers.

A good baseball manager knows he must strike a balance between his old, reliable veterans and the exciting, new, and sometimes untested, rookies. Those rookies could well be the catalysts that spark his team to a championship season. The trick for telco managers isn't all that different. You, ...

Related articles from newspapers, magazines, journals, and more
TALKING POLITICS: FOR MANY BASEBALL TEAMS, THE SEASON IS ALREADY OVER.
Magazine article from: Crain's Chicago Business MINKOFF, RANDY March 15, 1999 700+ words
...right through autumn for a majority of baseball teams this year -- and for years to come...ended for a majority of Major League Baseball teams that haven't a ghost of a chance...The White Sox are among the 60% of baseball teams that must hope that a rash of injuries...
Fox Sports Online and Baseball Manager to Offer Fans First-Ever 'Winter Fantasy...
Press release article from: Business Wire November 20, 1998 700+ words
...com) and GameLine, operators of Baseball Manager (www.baseballmanager.com) are...world sports. GameLine, operator of Baseball Manager, is a creator, developer, and operator...games on the Internet. In 1997, Baseball Manager was named Best Fantasy Site on the...
Income and the locations of AAA minor league baseball teams.(ANTHOLOGY)(Report)
Magazine article from: Atlantic Economic Journal Davis, Michael C. September 1, 2007 700+ words
...of population. The locations of AAA baseball teams provide an opportunity to study the...are important for the presence of AAA baseball teams in metropolitan areas. The probit...States that do not have any major league baseball teams and have a population of at least 100...
Prep teams are being stung by little-known league rule; Softball and baseball...
Newspaper article from: Star Tribune (Minneapolis, MN) Augustoviz, Roman April 22, 2003 700+ words
...brought up." About 20 softball and baseball teams in Minnesota are canceling up to 12...spring. About 19 other softball and baseball teams have notified the high school league...softball, is canceling 12. Softball and baseball teams can play a maximum of 20 games before...
Joe Maddon, Manager of the Tampa Bay Rays, Selected as the Second Annual "Chuck...
Press release article from: Business Wire October 7, 2008 700+ words
...selected as the Chuck Tanner Major League Baseball Manager of the Year for 2008. Mr. Maddon...recipient. This award named for legendary baseball manager and World Series Champion Chuck Tanner...information on the Chuck Tanner Major League Baseball Manager of the Year award or to ...
Baseball Teams in Florida, Texas and Washington Benefit from No State Income...
News wire article from: Ascribe Higher Education News Service October 25, 2007 700+ words
...says free agent baseball players do so, too. Major League Baseball teams in Florida, Texas and Washington benefit from having no...Colorado, the study said. Five of the 30 Major League Baseball teams have no state or local income taxes: Florida, Tampa Bay...
Major League Baseball Teams Take Their Hats Off to Nurses.
Press release article from: PR Newswire April 20, 2007 700+ words
...Nursing Students' Association (CNSA), three major league baseball teams in California have designated at least one "Nurses' Night...California. "We are fortunate to have these major league baseball teams recognize the contributions of nurses and importance of...
College baseball teams, geese flock to Runyon Field: Snowy weather has forced...
Newspaper article from: Pueblo Chieftain (Pueblo, Colorado) February 6, 2007 700+ words
...Byline: Jeff Letofsky Feb. 6--Colorado college baseball teams are like geese heading south for the winter. They...schedules of nearly all of the college and junior college baseball teams in Colorado have been affected by the heavy snows...
For more facts and information, see all results
©2009 Gale, a part of Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.
About us | FAQs | Contact us | Privacy policy | Terms and conditions
Other Gale sites: Encyclopedia.com | HighBeam Research | Acquire Content | Books & Authors | Goliath | MovieRetriever | Smart QandA