I’ve been thinking about my hometown, St. Louis, a bit over the last few days since the tornadoes that brought destruction to the region.
(For anyone who asked or is curious, all my family is a-ok! But still a very shocking situation for the whole city.)
And thinking about St. Louis has had me thinking about baseball..
So, forgive me in advance… this is a sports story.
In St. Louis, baseball is king. As the old joke goes: “St. Louis is a drinking town with a baseball problem.”
And while the St. Louis Cardinals have been blessed to have many legends wear their uniform, including (just in my lifetime), one of the greatest hitters and one of the greatest catchers of all time, St. Louis fans have always gravitated towards a particular type of player: the gritty “utility” man.
A “utility man” in baseball is a guy who has learned to be proficient at multiple positions just to find a way into the lineup. They’re not glamorous. They’re usually not the best hitters. But they find a way to add value in any situation they’re in.
And in my opinion, the absolute prototype of a “utility man” is Daniel Descalso, who played five seasons in St. Louis, and ultimately helped them win a World Series.
Descalso played every position on the diamond in his career except center field. He even pitched 6 and ⅔ innings over his career. And he never complained.
He was never the flashiest batter, maybe not the best fielder at any position, but he learned how to be competent enough at everything to always make an impact on the game, always help his team, always be an option, and always earn the next paycheck.
And Cardinals fans adored him for it.
Descalso’s career reminds me of a lesson we talked about last week.
I mentioned how, on his appearance on the Opening Playbook, Kane Shieh talked about how volatility acts like a stock market switch.
When volatility is low, it’s great for long-term investors and long-term swing traders.
When volatility is high, it’s good for day traders and short term opportunists.
But I think the best traders will figure out how to do both. Be a long-term trader when the markets call for it, and be a short-term opportunist when volatility elevates.
Be the Daniel Descalso of trading, in other words.
Our experts are here to help you do that:
- Geof can help you with commodities
- Nate and Graham can help you with options
- Jack can help you with long-term dividends plays
- Chris Pulver can help you with day trading
- Jeffry Turnmire can help you hone your technical strategies
It’s an incredible team and I’m proud to be a part of it.
And we’re glad you’re here.
Happy Monday! Let’s have a great week in the markets.
Stephen Ground
Editor-in-Chief, ProsperityPub
P.S.: Another skill you have to learn if you want to be a “utility trader” is how to follow the BIG money when it moves — it’s the #1 reason stocks make big, unexpected swings. And today at 1pm ET, Lance and Jack are gonna tell you exactly how to do it. Join them LIVE here
