His Bat Is His Calling Card

This is George Gilliams informative account of how he combined discipline, physical fitness training, tennis principles (which were fine-tuned while he was in the air force and working at E. R. Squibb & Sons), as well as techniques learned from reading different baseball books to help teach his son Isiah how to play baseball. He also read books and magazines about great players, like his cousin James William Junior Gilliam. Learning about past and present Major League players, especially the Negro league players, helped to serve as an example to help motivate Isiah to study players, especially switch hitters that had similar characteristics and played similar positions as Isiah. The game of baseball mirrors our society, and working hard every day is one of the main keys to success. The journey Isiah has traveled revolves around several important key points that help to make the game of baseball more than just a game. First, His Bat Is His Calling Card shares with the reader how the game of baseball has helped Isiah to build bridges with other nations. Learn the value of cultural diversity, the importance of staying in shape, being a proactive citizen, staying focused in school, having short- and long-term plans to achieve success, taking into consideration the decline of African American baseball players in professional baseball. These taught Isiah the importance of understanding the past and present history of Major League Baseball as it pertains to African Americans; this was one of main goals as he ascended from playing T-ball and started playing for the NY Yankees organization. I felt compelled to share his journey with parents and kids who also have dreams of someday playing baseball in high school, college, or the Major Leagues.
About the Author:

The time George Gilliam spent in the US Air Force greatly added in his life because it taught him the importance of interdependence, which he shared with his two sons at an early age. He wanted both of his sons, Omar and Isiah, to know that he tried to replace in them a part of what was missed in his life when his dad died when he was just twelve years old. Joining the military helped him develop into a proactive citizen and learn the importance of the motto Service before self.

Travelling around the world in the military helped him to understand the importance of serving others as well as belonging to something that was larger and more critical than just himself. He also learned in the air force his process supplier input became someone elses process customer output in the army and that both their processes, when combined, provided quality service and support to help protect the American people and our allies.

He learned this concept is also true in the game of baseball. For instance, the pitcher and the catcher are both at different times each others customer and supplier and each of their processes inputs and outputs help to benefit the whole team. As air force flight medic, Mr. Gilliam served in different hot spots around the world. He is a Vietnam -Era Veteran, served in Korea, supported Operation Just Cause, and participated in Operation Desert Storm. He was injured while on active duty. Mr. Gilliam is a member of the Foreign Legion, Former member of the Atlanta Chapter of Tuskegee Airmen, and served as a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars.

After his military career, he served as a student government president of Georgia Perimeter College Clarkston, Georgia campus, and was awarded member of the National Deans List, All-American Academic Team, and member of Phi Theta Kappa. While in college, he published a rewrite of a sonnet written by William Shakespeare. He also served as an intern for former governor of Georgia Sonny Perdue and as an intern for Georgia State representative Dr. Bob Holmes, who served as the director of a think tank called the Southern Center for the Study of Public Policy, and W. E. B. Dubois Institute.