The number 9 has been my favorite number since I was a little kid. I have worn it for every sport I have played and I often get asked why I love it so much. It could be that Robert Redford as "Roy Hobbs" wore it in one of my favorite movies, The Natural. Or it could be that there are nine players that take the field together as a team, a family. Well whatever the reason, I love the number 9 and baseball. Here now are somethings that baseball has taught me about life, family, and relationships.

9. Sometimes it's ok to steal, especially if it helps your family. I don't condone or marginalize the basics of stealing, but I've been around long enough to know that sometimes black and white make gray, and sometimes stealing is a necessity.

8. Go home once in a while. They say that you can never go home again, but baseball teaches us you can and sometimes it's good. I think of baseball like life. The single is when you head out on your own. The double is when you get hitched up. The triple is when you family is hitting it's stride. The homerun is when it all comes together. And it never hurts to visit your parents once in a while.

7. Life, like baseball, is all about the little sacrifices. Whether it's compromising on a movie or heading to the in-laws for dinner, sometimes we all have to do things we don't want to do to in order to make sure our partners are happy. Life is cyclical, so remember what goes around comes around.

6. A little goes along way. Much like sacrifice, it's little things that add up to a happy life. Christmas is only once a year because it should be the culmination of all the good things we do throughout the year. Next time you are faced with doing something small or nothing at all, go small. You'll always win.

5. Cheer on other's accomplishments. Nothing angers me more than when someone turns their back on the success of others. You see it all the time in sports, where a player makes a great play or wins a race and a teammate doesn't celebrate the feat because he wants that spotlight. It happens in families all the time, too. The next time your brother gets that promotion, try a genuine congratulations.

4. Have patience. Rome wasn't built in a day...Good things come to those who wait...Take it one day at a time...yada, yada, yada. You all know the cliches about having patience and baseball teaches us that if we take our time we can find our pitch, our chance to really knock something out of the park. So don't blow all your money in one place...

3. Embrace diversity. Nothing was better for baseball than Jackie Robinson kicking the door open for blacks to play in the White-only Major Leagues. Since then thousands of blacks, latinos, asians, and a host of other races have provided baseball with countless hours of excitement. In life you can't just have one kind of friend. You only better yourself if you experience other cultures, travel to other countries, and make as many types of friends as you can.

2. Be there for your family. It's ok to fight with your family. But you better always have each other's backs, no matter what the argument.

And finally:

1. Sportsmanship. Win or lose you should be proud of your efforts. If your best wasn't good enough, learn from it and improve on your efforts the next time out. Nobody likes a person who needs a pity party. Don't be afraid to congratulate someone who has outdone you because you'll earn respect when you give respect.