Corey Koskie was a major-league third baseman from 1998-2006. He posted a career batting average of .275. In 2001, Koskie clouted 26 homers and drove in 103 runs for the Minnesota Twins.
Yet when he thinks back to his career, Koskie is drawn to the offseason between the 1995 and 1996 seasons, when he learned that less can actually lead to more.
Today, Koskie operates the website Linklete.com, where here and other athletes share aspects of their journey with the desire to encourage, inspire and mentor those playing youth sports.
It was under these auspices that Koskie shared a message of how year-round baseball nearly derailed his big-league dream.
As a second-year pro with the Fort Wayne Wizards of the Midwest (A) League, Koskie hit .301 with 16 home runs. He was suddenly viewed as a legit prospect in the Twins minor-league system.
Looking to keep moving up the ladder, Koskie threw himself fully into 12-month-a-year baseball. From the end of the season through to the start of spring training, Koskie went to the batting cages at least three times a week.
He expected that this extra work would keep his hitting stroke in a groove. Instead the opposite happened. Koskie's numbers slumped the following season. He felt mentally and physically drained.
Read about his experience, and how getting away from baseball turned Koskie into a big leaguer here.