Ben McDonald’s Honest Story About Failure Goes Viral During CWS
Omaha, Nebraska - LSU might not have made the postseason this year, but former Tiger Ben McDonald is once again in Omaha to work the Men's College World Series on ESPN. During one of the games at the tournament, Big Ben shared a story during a recent broadcast that quickly went viral.
McDonald is more than just an LSU baseball legend. The former Tigers star was a two-time All-American, Golden Spikes Award winner, Olympic gold medalist, and the No. 1 overall pick in the 1989 MLB Draft.
During a recent broadcast, McDonald shared a story from his freshman season at LSU, a moment of failure on the biggest stage that ended up becoming one of the most important lessons of his career.
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McDonald was the #1 overall pick back in 1989, but it wasn't always roses for the Tiger right-hander. During his first trip to the College World Series, Ben was called out of the bullpen to pitch against Stanford, but quickly found himself in trouble.
“I come in against Stanford, and coach Skip Bertman puts me in relief,” McDonald said. “I hit the first batter. I load the bases. We’re in extra innings.”
McDonald then gave up a walk-off grand slam to Paul Carey, ending the game.
For a player who had always been successful, the moment hit hard. “I’ve never failed at anything in my life,” McDonald said.
After the loss, McDonald said he questioned whether baseball was really for him. He even called legendary LSU basketball coach Dale Brown and considered focusing on basketball instead. Ben said he stayed in his room for three days before LSU coaches encouraged him to keep going. They reminded him that failure happens, even to the best athletes.
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Eventually, McDonald decided to play in the Alaska Baseball League that summer. When he arrived, he learned he would be the starting pitcher for opening day. But before the game, he received a message that would change everything.
A clubhouse worker handed him a piece of paper. It was a lineup card from the opposing team. The opposing coach had written “Paul Carey” as the batter for every spot in the lineup. The funny part? Carey wasn’t even on that team.
McDonald said he folded up the paper and placed it at the top of his locker. “That was the kick in the rear end that I needed,” McDonald said.
Later that day, McDonald went out and dominated. He threw a complete-game shutout and struck out 14 batters. McDonald said after the game, he sent the lineup card back to the other coach with a thank you.
“Failure is tough, man,” McDonald said. “When you fail on the biggest stage, it didn’t seem like it at the time, but it made me better in the end.”
McDonald obviously went on to have a successful Major League Baseball career. He now serves as the color analyst for the Baltimore Orioles TV Broadcast and is one of ESPN's main color analysts for their College Baseball coverage.
For many athletes, failure is part of the journey. For Ben McDonald, one of the biggest failures of his career became one of the moments that helped make him great. Here's the full video from the ESPN telecast...
Famous LSU Alumni
Gallery Credit: Chaston Tavares