Maryland RBI Hitter's Creed....

This is my bat. There are many like it, but this one is mine.

My bat is my best friend. I must master it as I must master my life.

My bat, without me, is useless. Without my bat, I am useless. I must swing my bat true. I must hit harder than my opponent who is trying to defeat me. I must out hit him before he out hits me. I will...

My bat and myself know that what counts in this game is not the swings we take, the bunt we fake, or the foul ball we make. We know that it is the hits that count. We will hit...

My bat is human, even as I, because it is my life. Thus, I will learn it as a brother. I will learn its weaknesses, its strength, its parts, its end cap, its handle and its barrel. I will keep my bat clean and ready, even as I am clean and ready. We will become part of each other. We will...

Before the Umpire, I swear this creed. My bat and myself are the offense of my team. We are the masters of our opponent. We are the saviors of my position in the Line-up.

So be it, until the season is over and the Championship is ours.

-- Ray Albaugh, Maryland RBI Baseball Club (2012), with all due respect to the USMC !