Hi, my name is Evan Frederickson. The best way to describe myself is that I’m a 33-year-old proud husband and father. My wife, who I met playing pro ball for the Brewers in Wisconsin, and I had our first child a little over a year ago, and could not be happier.
For the first 25 years on this planet, I spent the vast majority of my time focusing on baseball. I was drafted in the 27th round out of high school as a ‘draft and follow’ by the Twins. And, after deciding to attend college, I was selected 35th overall in the 2008 draft to the Milwaukee Brewers.
What I wish I had known when I was drafted…
“Hustle beats talent when talent doesn’t hustle.” Ross Simmonds
I wish I would have known that being a first-round pick does not guarantee you a long MLB career.
Many players (including myself) fail to realize how much more competitive professional baseball is than their previous experiences in the sport. The transition will be a shock to many. A few will adapt better than others. Some won’t adapt at all.
What separates the “merely good” players from the great is how they carry themselves through the ups and downs of professional baseball.
I wish I would have known that being a first round pick does not guarantee you a long MLB career.
My take is this: professional baseball is just that: Professional. You need to spend eight-plus hours a day refining your craft if you want a chance to make it to the top. Most young men aren’t ready for this advanced level of commitment, particularly when natural talent made the game come easily to them. Your first year in professional baseball can be overwhelming.
With that said, I believe that if you can adjust and put forward a level of consistent effort, train hard, stay healthy, and believe in yourself, you have the capacity to enjoy an amazing career.
There’s certainly luck involved, especially when it comes to the organization that drafts you and the talent pipeline within. Use that as fuel and welcome the challenge that talented players bring to the organization. The challenge to push yourself to come out on top.
If I could go back, I wish someone would have emphasized and prepared me for the “grind” it would take to get to the MLB.
It’s the grind that transforms a person into a stronger version of themselves. It’s the grind that makes an 18-year-old ready to face the pressures of thousand fans screaming in the bottom of the ninth under the stadium lights. I wish someone would have better prepared me for what I was about to go through, to safeguard me through the turbulent times that were initiated by factors beyond my control.
At Pando, my team and I have the opportunity to be a major part of a support system during a ballplayers’ career.
What I’m up to now
After pro ball, I went back to the University of San Francisco and completed my degree. I graduated with a degree in Business Finance and Financial Management Services and from there I worked in the financial industry, started my own business, and headed up a sales organization for a startup. Following that, I joined Pando as the Head of Baseball.
Of all the things I’ve done post-baseball, none compare to the passion for what I’m doing now at Pando. Where, on a day to day basis, I am making an impact on ballplayers’ careers providing them with a product and support system that is gravely needed. Despite the current climate, Pando has a really unique opportunity to support baseball and am anticipating great things in the future for Pando.
Originally published at https://www.pandopooling.com on May 27, 2019.
