We are in an age when athletes not only make millions but make headlines

for anything from attacking camera crews to attacking coaches. When linemen

promote soap, and point guards push underwear, it is difficult to look past

the facade. They light up the highlight reel like a Christmas tree with

their slam dunks and home runs. And, though it is these sparks of

brilliance that attract the millions of fans, it is the undeniable human

spirit that makes ballplayers.

In this weeks’ athlete of the week, Vols second baseman Jeff Pickler, lies

an undying love for the game of baseball. His desire to exceed limitations

radiates from within. Not only his ability, but his need to dissect the

fundamentals of the game and utilize every tool to achieve the desired

result, become evident to all who watch him play.

Beginning his senior season with astronomical stats, Pickler’s passion and

hard work is paying off. He has three home runs, 26 RBIs, and seven stolen

bases to date this season. Though he is currently leading the Vols with a

.514 batting average, the Santa Ana, Calif., native maintains his

focus.

“Stats are here today and gone tomorrow,” Pickler said. “They are fleeting,

but there will always be another challenge waiting for you.”

It cannot, however, go unmentioned that Pickler was named SEC Player of the

Week for his phenomenal play against Mississippi State last weekend. The

Vols took 2 of 3 games from the No. 8 Bulldogs with Pickler slugging a pair

of home runs, two doubles and stealing two bases.

Though baseball may seem to be a simple game, there is more strategy and

skill involved than the average fan would recognize. Perhaps at the Little

League level outfielders can daydream and second basemen can wave to their

moms, but the level of play at Tennessee requires constant attention to

detail. It is his diligent practice on the intricacies of the game that has

propelled Pickler to lead the Vols in batting average, hits and doubles and

to lead SEC second basemen in fielding percentage.

“He has worked very hard in all areas of the game and it has truly paid

off. He is doing it all,” said head coach Rod Delmonico, who can’t remember

the last time one of his players was hitting .500.

Pickler says it is working on the fundamentals of the game that make it

fun. It is obvious, too, if you watch the slugger step to the plate and

take the field. You can feel his energy and almost see the wheels turning

in his head as he makes tiny adjustments to maximize the results and help

his team to victory. Whether it is turning a double play or knocking

through a single to drive a run in, Pickler makes his presence felt.

“You don’t play against the team in the other dugout,” he says, “You play

against the game.”

No matter what the stats may dictate, there is more to baseball than

numbers. For Pickler, who has been dominating the diamond since he was 4,

baseball is more than a sport. He credits his father, a junior college

baseball coach in California, for instilling within him a passion for the

game.

“Everything I do out there is a product of what he has given me,” said

Pickler, who shares the streaks as well as the slumps with his father. But,

knowing that you are only as good as your next game, Pickler and his father

look to tomorrow’s challenges.

“It is exciting because true motivation comes from within,” Delmonico said.

“And Pick is truly motivated to make himself a better baseball

player.”

Pickler also knows that there is something bigger than the awards,

something that overshadows home runs. Working together to be a better team

than yesterday, executing the fundamentals and the team experience both on

the field and off — that is what is left when the day is done and the fans

go home.

There are so many factors that can suck the love out of athletics. Aware of

this, Pickler continually reminds himself of the big picture. No matter how

tough practice may be, or how low the wind chill is on game day, he tries

to remember that he is playing baseball, fulfilling the dreams of so many

little boys, and his own.

Especially now, as his collegiate career comes to an end, Pickler must

take each inning as it comes, for once he leaves Tennessee, nothing is

promised to him.

“Baseball has been my reason for waking up since I was 4, ” Pickler said.”

I never want to think it is time to hang ’em up.”

But with two-thirds of a long season left to play, Pickler can only control

that which lies in front of him.

“All I can worry about is playing the game and having fun,” he said.

And that is exactly what he does. He becomes so alive and so inspired when

talking about his sport, it is obvious that he is not just an athlete, not

just a slugger, but a ballplayer.

He truly loves the game of baseball, a game so many of us have grown up

with and welcomed into our home. Even when you’re not sitting in front of

the TV watching, the announcer’s voice can fill your home like the aroma of

Thanksgiving dinner. It is the great American pastime.

And so it is refreshing to meet an athlete like Jeff Pickler, whose passion

is contagious and who takes such pride in being a student of the game. He

does not strive for personal recognition, but rather for a sense of

satisfaction at the day’s end. Though it cannot be denied that he is an

outstanding athlete and will certainly leave his mark at Tennessee, he is

so much more. He is an inspiration as both an athlete and a person, and a

reminder that the human spirit lives on in the world of sports.