baseball

What Will People Remember?

Frank

I remember as a kid debating his “worth” with a friend. We were trading baseball cards and I needed his to complete my All Stars. But he wouldn’t give it up. “He’s the best hitter in the game, and one of the best all-time.” I didn’t believe it. I’m a National League guy myself, so the best hitter in the game was obviously Tony Gwynn. And as far as all-time? At that age, my knowledge began and ended with Ted Williams. So of course I figured fair value was one of my “doubles” like Jerry Hairston Sr. (respect the specs!)

But the numbers don’t lie. One of only four players to have hit 300 home runs, 3000 hits and hit for .300 average (Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, and Stan Musial being the others). He’s a Hall-of-Famer. He is the only player to have won batting titles (for best average) in three decades, and his best season is the closest anyone has come to .400 since Williams did it in 1941.

With that last one, if you’re a baseball fan you’ve figured out who I’m talking about- George Brett.

For the die-hard baseball fan, stats mean everything. They offer comparisons across generations and eras (no, I won’t get into steroids here) which means you can say George Brett and Ted Williams in the same sentence. (Or even George Brett and Hank Aaron, but that feels weird)

But ask a casual baseball fan about the legacy of George Brett and they are likely to remember this:

This happened 30 years ago; an outburst memorialized with an anniversary. I don’t even have to play the video. I’ve seen it so many times I know exactly how Brett looks as he storms out of the dugout. I know, because I see that face in the mirror sometimes. And sometimes I see it in my son.

I showed this video to my son not long ago after one of his epic temper tantrums. I told him, “here is one of the best players to ever play baseball, but all most people remember is this.” I continued with the fatherly pep-talk of he can be anything he wants to be in life, do anything he wants to do, but if he can’t control himself none of that will matter. All anyone will remember about him are his outbursts.

I think he took the lesson well. Of course, I don’t set a good example. My temper is probably my greatest vice.

There’s a story about a boy who struggles with his temper. His dad tells him to go pound a nail in the fence every time he gets angry, to take out his frustrations there. Over time the son grew tired of pounding nails into the stubborn old wood so one day he approached his father and handed him the hammer. “I’m done,” he told him. “Good, now go out and take out all the nails,” the father replied. “But dad, the fence will be filled with holes!” His father then explained how that’s what anger does. And no matter how much you try to fix it, it does damage that can not be so easily repaired. Anger leaves holes.

Yes, this lesson was for my son. But it was just as much for me.

“In your anger do not sin.” (Ephesians 4:26)

Fools, Baseball, and an Empty Tomb

Frank
Today is April Fools’ Day. It is also baseball’s opening day. (No, I don’t count the Astros debut in the American League last night. In fact, I don’t count the Astros much at all… Just kidding!) And in an odd twist of the calendar (and the cycle of the moon) it is also the day after Easter, celebrating the resurrection of Jesus.
So today is a day of new beginnings, tricks and treats.

I haven’t done the research but I wonder if Easter has ever fallen on April 1st. It would be easy fodder for the skeptics who doubt the existence of God, no less the resurrection of his Son.
The empty tomb is one of the most controversial events in all religion. Besides rationalizing how a God can die, one also has to accept that a person rose from the dead. Obviously miracles defy scientific or even logical explanation, but this miracle is particularly challenging.
Yet it is fundamental.
Paul argues that if there is no life after death [as evidenced by Christ’s resurrection] then our faith is “useless“. For this reason skeptics and those who oppose Christianity have tried for centuries to explain away the empty tomb.
One of the best ways to attack this foundation of the Christian faith is to question the reliability of the Gospel accounts and the objectivity of the writers.

Before I head down the rabbit hole of apologetics you’re probably wondering, I thought this post was going to be about baseball? Ok, let me relate this to one of baseball’s more infamous legends.

Grover Cleveland Alexander was one of the best pitchers in his era, if not all time. But he was also an alcoholic, suffering from PTSD from his service in World War I. Legend has it that he came in relief to pitch in the 7th inning of the 1926 World Series. He struck out Tony Lazzeri of the fabled Yankees with the bases loaded and two outs; and he did so drunk.

Great story, but is it true? Check out this article from a couple of years ago (halfway down). Notice how the commonly accepted legend is attributed to a single witness, catcher Bob O’Farrell. Meanwhile, two other witnesses gave nearly identical accounts contrary to the myth. Now notice the dates- the accounts from player/manager Rogers Hornsby and third baseman Les Bell came 27 and 52 years after this event is said to have taken place respectively. The source of the legend, O’Farrell, gave his testimony in the 1966 book The Glory of Their Times: The Story of the Early Days of Baseball Told by the Men Who Played It by Lawrence Ritter. Yet whose is the more reliable account? (If you have the chance, read the entire linked article- there’s a lot of anecdotal evidence that works in favor of both sides of the story)

Now relating this back to the empty tomb- the Gospel accounts were written 30-60 years after the life of Jesus. Although there are only these four (technically two- Mark was a contemporary of Peter and Luke interviewed witnesses) eye-witness written accounts, in the letters written to the early church as well as other apostolic writings there are also several witnesses described. At any point, someone could have come forward to say it was all a hoax- that Jesus “swooned” or that the event didn’t happen at all.
But there isn’t.
So what does that tell us? I’ll leave it for you to come to your own conclusions, but I implore you not to be an April Fool.

(I also recommend this blog post from Think Christian relating baseball to faith, also in the context of Easter and also appropriate for April Fools’)

Hallowed Hall

Frank

There have been several blog posts analyzing the contrast of legalism and grace between Valjean and Javert in the recent movie (and older musical and even older book) Les Miserables. I’ve been wanting to tackle the subject myself but I haven’t seen the movie yet (do any of you want to volunteer to watch my kids so my wife and I can go?). So instead you can check out these posts.

But I am still going to hit this topic, just with a different backdrop. Wednesday the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA) failed to elect any player to baseball’s Hall of Fame. I already vented on Facebook, so I’ll spare you my tirade. But this article by Jayson Stark at ESPN got my wheels spinning and turned my thoughts back to the subject of legalism and grace. Stark asks this fundamental question which then shapes how we view the Hall: do we want the Hall of Fame to be a museum or a shrine?

To me, baseball is practically a religion. I already wrote about one of baseball’s “angels” and his effort to get into the Hall. And before about being child-like in our view of the game. Like any compelling drama, baseball has a diverse cast of characters- heroes and villains, or for the purposes of this argument saints and sinners- while trying to maintain an image of holiness outside its sacred walls.

Not much different than the church you or I go to, is it? We are just a mass of saints and sinners and our attitudes towards one another depends largely on to what degree we embrace legalism or grace.

The Hall of Fame voters made a statement against the steroid era by not enshrining any player to its stained glass shrine. The universal condemnation against all (assumed by the rejection of Mike Piazza-best hitting catchers in history, Jeff Bagwell-one of the most durable first basemen in history, and Craig Biggio-who had over 3000 hits) because of the recognized sin of a few (Barry Bonds-all time home run record holder and Roger Clemens-most Cy Young awards) despite the open repentance of some (Mark McGwire who said, “I wouldn’t even have voted for myself”).

On the other end of the spectrum are the vocal fans, more than willing to overlook a player’s sins because of the statistics they produced or because he played for their favorite team (though I’m still having a hard time forgiving Sammy Sosa). It’s hard to like a player who is standoffish when he’s hitting .200, but if he hits 60 home runs in a season, suddenly he’s not so bad.

While it may look like the latter group is extending grace towards these players, they are instead exhibiting the worst kind of legalism- that these players earned their forgiveness, that their performance speaks for itself, the the ends justified the means. The former group are more like Pharisees, upholding a measure of law that can never reasonably be met.

So who in this story is Jesus? Certainly not Bud Selig- he’s more Pontius Pilate. To be quite honest, I have yet to see anyone come out and say to those accused of cheating the game, “I forgive you.” I’ve seen forgiveness conditional on the assumption that others in the Hall have cheated. I’ve seen forgiveness in the guise of acceptance- “well, that’s just the way it was in that era.” But I haven’t seen anyone rise above the petty arguments over statistics and legacies and forgive just because. The writers haven’t. The fans haven’t.

Which brings us back to our own position on the diamond. Is the sinner next to you in the dugout Sunday morning any better or worse than you? Is someone else putting up herculean numbers at the giving plate that deserve special recognition for their feat? Or are we all just players in this game and no one is keeping score?

My stats aren’t worthy of induction. Thankfully, because of the grace of Jesus Christ, I don’t ever have to worry about being voted in.

The Hall of Character

Frank

This is the time of year when the Baseball Writers Association of America (BWAA) submit their ballots for baseball’s Hall of Fame. Last week columns have been written, letters of support submitted, and players debated ad nauseum on blogs and message boards.

This year poses a dilemma for many voters: it is the first year that many of the “steroid stars” are eligible for induction- Barry Bonds, Roger Clemons, and Sammy Sosa join Mark McGwire who was on for the first time last year,and others like Jeff Bagwell are guilty by association. I could take up most of this blog listing off the pros and cons of these players, comparing their performance and their public image, ranking their statistics and advanced metrics. Then I could do the same for the players already on the ballot who are desperate for enough votes to stay on the ballot another year. But I’ll spare you.

Instead I want to bring up an interesting dichotomy that jumped out at me as I read the endless articles from beat writers and columnists making the case for their favorite players- this is the first time on the ballot for Barry Bonds, arguably one of the greatest players in history and the last time on the ballot for Dale Murphy, arguably one of the greatest hitters in the 80’s.

If you list their stats side-by-side there is no comparison, Bonds blows Murphy out of the water. In fact, Murphy’s statistics fall on the “great, but not Hall-worthy” line that seems to shift every year, which has afforded him his longevity on the ballot (if you don’t get enough votes you’re dropped from the ballot and you can only be on the ballot a limited number of years)- there are just enough voters who think he belongs in the Hall that he’s been able to stay on the ballot, but not enough yet to be enshrined.

What hurts Murphy is the argument that he played too long. In other words, he didn’t retire as his skills were declining, instead spending his last few years as a journeyman getting spot-starts for the Philadelphia Phillies and Colorado Rockies (in fact I was at one of Murphy’s last games as a Rocky).

The argument I’ve seen some make for looking past Bonds’ steroid transgressions is that he was a surefire Hall-of-Famer prior to his alleged use. I remember debating, at the turn of the century when it was en vogue to argue such things, that I considered Bonds to be the best player who ever lived, better than Babe Ruth and neck-and-neck with Willie Mays. So if you discard the seasons after 1998, when Bonds says he began to use, you still have a Hall of Fame career.

But players who “play too long” (like Ron Santo who passed away never being elected by the BWAA, instead being inducted posthumously by the recently revised Veteran’s Committee) are not given the same benefit of the doubt. Never mind that until Chipper Jones, Murphy held the record for most home runs by an Atlanta Brave. Ever hear of some guy named Hank Aaron? He hit most of his in Milwaukee. Murphy hit the most home runs of any player in the 1980’s (or is barely behind Mike Schmidt, depending on if you go 80-89 or 81-90). But his career tailed off steeply after roughly 1988 and he continued to play until 1993.

I know all this because Murphy was one of my favorite baseball players as a kid growing up. I’m sure if I asked my mom, she could dig up my old powder blue faux jersey with Murphy’s #3 on the back. Like I mentioned, I was at one of his last games and I was also at the game where the Atlanta Braves honored Murphy by retiring his number.

But that’s not the only reason I bring this all up. It is hard to argue against Barry Bonds being in the Hall of Fame. But nobody likes him. He was a put-off by the media, surly towards fans, and even rubbed fellow teammates the wrong way. Meanwhile Murphy, on and off the field, was practically a saint (instant religion tie-in!). His Mormon faith was exhibited by the class he carried as a baseball player, as a father (his strongest supporters right now for the Hall are his own children, a testimony to his fatherhood), and in his off-field charity work (which is too numerous to list here, this blog is already too long).

If you want the numbers, the blog This New Geometry breaks them down well. For my own edification, I also looked up his stats on Baseball Reference, which lists him as a “probable” Hall-of-Famer based on “JWAR“. But what stands out to me is the qualifications given by the Hall of Fame itself: “Voting shall be based upon the player’s record, playing ability, integrity, sportsmanship, character and contribution to the team(s) on which the player played.” (emphasis added)

They say nice guys finish last. They say it is hard for men and women of faith to get ahead in their careers against peers who are more willing to take shortcuts or stab others in the back. We, as Christians, take comfort that our reward is in heaven. But every now and then, men of character get the recognition they deserve. Here’s hoping Murphy gets his.

I Can Do All Things

Frank

Everybody recognizes John 3:16 at sporting events. It is so over-used it has become cliche. Another popular scripture to athletes is “I can do all things through him who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:13) But where does that strength come from, really? EPO, as is allegedly the case for Lance Armstrong? Amphetamines in baseball? (Not only have offensive production numbers dropped since MLB started to get serious about steroids, but the ban on “uppers” has also had an effect. Look at the stats of several players and you can see measurable declines in production as the 162-game season wears on.) Or what about another baseball cliche, smokeless tobacco?

Nolan Ryan recently criticized Josh Hamilton’s decision to quit using smokeless tobacco in the middle of the season. His statistics show an obvious difference between before and after. His decline was so great that the Texas Rangers are allowing Hamilton to file for free agency, indicating they’d be happier if he wasn’t around to deal with. (Don’t know josh Hamilton? Check out this post from a coupe of years ago, and this one more recently that foreshadowed this latest headline.)

Hamilton, a notorious addict, has been feeding his monster with nicotine. It even sounds better for you: “smokeless” tobacco; you know, because smoking is so bad for you smokeless is obviously better. Never mind that nicotine is more addictive than heroin, and smokeless tobacco- let’s just be honest and call it chew- is a more direct ingestion of nicotine; it is absorbed directly into the bloodstream through the gums and doesn’t bother messing around with filters on cigarettes.

The stats on the baseball field indicate that Hamilton wasn’t getting his strength from God alone. And while it may be easy to cast a stone because he is a public figure, we are not immune. How many cups of coffee did you have this morning? (I had two) Aren’t you convinced that you can’t face the day without it? (True story: I was recently at a meeting where someone brought in a cup of coffee, a Red Bull and a Five Hour Energy. She returned from lunch with a cup of hot tea and another Red Bull. It was a long day, but not that long)

What about cigarettes? I can’t count the number of times someone has justified smoking noting that it isn’t explicitly prohibited in the Bible. And if I try and play the “your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit” card, I better also ask what your favorite comfort food is. I have two: donuts and hot wings. Neither are any good for me. And on my last business trip I explicitly stayed at a Holiday Inn Express just so I could have their cinnamon rolls.

We all have a crutch that we lean on for strength when we are weak. It may be a narcotic, it may be food, it may be shopping, it may be escaping into sports. What would happen if Jesus walked up to you today and kicked that crutch out from under you? I’d probably fall down, just like Josh Hamilton.

By the Power of the Holy Spirit

Frank

I almost cried when I heard the news. I don’t know him, and this wasn’t a case of celebrity worship where I would be so moved. But I was near tears because I knew exactly how he was feeling and what he was going through. My heart sank as I feared for what may happen next.

“I feel like I was fine not to have anybody,” Josh Hamilton, baseball superstar and recovering addict, told a local radio station three weeks before he fell off the wagon. Then after a night out that I know lasted longer than the hours ticked off the clock he told reporters, “Understand, I’m going to do everything I can and take all the steps necessary…”

The problem with what he said, and my fear for him (which began when I read his book, Beyond Belief), is that there’s a lot of “I” in his apology. Although that’s just a public statement, God only knows what exactly he prays for or what he shares with others to be held accountable. But I know through my own recovery and ongoing support through a recovery ministry, that “I” get in the way of true healing.

One encouraging quote out of all this mess, “I cannot take a break from my recovery. My recovery is Christ.” So he has that going for him. His faith is no secret to those who have followed his story. He is an encouraging speaker, frequently appearing for youth groups, churches, and especially recovery groups. In his book, he speaks of how he came to know Christ so he is no stranger to the Holy Spirit. Yes, the past few years he has been sober much more than he has not, but I wonder how much he is relying on the power of the Holy Spirit on a daily basis to help him with his recovery versus relying on himself.

Chapter six of Kyle Idleman’s book, Not a Fan, “self empowered or spirit filled?” focuses on the Holy Spirit. He’s right in that the subject makes many a Christian uncomfortable. He describes the third member of the Trinity like Cousin Eddie that no one knows exactly what to do with. He’s the drunk uncle (but it’s only nine in the morning!) that no one understands. And if it wasn’t for my own experience in recovery, I would have responded the same way.

I remember going to my first meeting, then as a mentor/discipler for another addict (oblivious to my own need). The meeting opened up with prayer and someone prayed for the Holy Spirit. Huh? I grew up Catholic so I have prayed for Mary, for Saints, and of course for Jesus to walk with me. But to pray for the Holy Spirit? I was afraid we’d step out of that meeting speaking in tongues and with the hair on top of our heads singed. (Not really, but I wasn’t sure what was going to happen next)

It wasn’t until later when we were discussing a meeting that did not go at all as we planned. “Sometimes we just have to get out of the way and let the Holy Spirit work.” And it clicked. Honestly, this epiphany transformed my relationship with God. Yes I’d pray to Him for things as if he was the cosmic Santa Claus. And I’d pray “in Jesus’ name”. But I began to pray for God to move me out of the way and let the Holy Spirit work in my life. I began to relate to the Holy Spirit as a force of motion, which we need to move anywhere in our spiritual life, especially overcoming addiction.

Going back to my subtle reference to the book of the Acts of the Apostles above, I’ve read several commentaries that suggest this book of the Bible should actually be called the Acts of the Holy Spirit. I couldn’t agree more. The early church could not have moved without the Counselor guiding them.

Idleman describes in his book how fans of Jesus get burned out because they rely on their own power. I still struggle with this, to be honest. I need to learn to rely on the Holy Spirit in the “non-spiritual” (work, family, as if those things shouldn’t be spiritual to begin with) Followers of Jesus know to rely on the Holy Spirit to give them strength. I could go on and on with scripture references to back this up, but I’ll save that for another day. Instead, I will simply speak from experience. Simply put, I owe my own sobriety to the Holy Spirit.

Kyle closes the chapter with a list of what friends on Facebook have seen the Holy Spirit do in their lives. If the Holy Spirit is the weird cousin in your spirituality that you just don’t know what to do with, consider that the Holy Spirit has enabled others to:

  • finally forgive my dad
  • lose 150 pounds and stop smoking
  • forgive my ex-husband for his infidelity
  • adopt two boys from Ethiopia
  • overcome a drug addiction
  • overcome a gambling addiction
  • overcome a sex addiction
  • overcome a shopping addiction
  • overcome an eating disorder
  • be four years sober
  • raise my special needs child, even as a single mom
  • save my marriage
  • conceive after being told it would never happen
  • return my child home after three years of silence
  • find peace when my husband passed away and I thought my life was over
  • remarry my ex-husband after a long, nasty divorce (pg 98)

I pray for the Holy Spirit to move in Josh Hamilton’s life and to empower his sobriety. What do you need the power of the Holy Spirit in your life? Please share so we can pray together.

This post continues my series blogging through the book, Not A Fan by Kyle Idleman. I encourage you to follow along by clicking on the Not A Fan label to the right. And I urge you to pick up a copy of this book for yourself.

Flashback Friday: That’s Just Jesus Being Jesus

Frank

***Originally posted June 23, 2009, right after Manny Ramirez’ first suspension under Major League Baseball’s new Performance Enhancing Drug policy. Earlier this week, Manny chose to retire from baseball rather than face his second suspension (and third total) which would have lasted 100 days. I guess that’s just Manny being Manny and I wouldn’t have mentioned it again if not for this post from GetReligion which includes the following quote from Manny when asked about his future plans: “God knows what’s best (for me.)” Huh? Meanwhile just for fun, head over to the blog Flip Flop Fly Ball to see just how much time Manny actually “played” for the Tampa Bay Rays.***

Today Manny Ramirez will begin a ‘rehab’ assignment with the Albuquerque Isotopes (I miss the Dukes, but love the Simpsons, so I’m conflicted) after serving a 50 game suspension for violating Major League Baseball’s Steroid policy. For some reason, ESPN is going to give us each of his at-bats. As far as I know, this is the first time ESPN has had such media coverage of a rehab stint. But you know, it’s just Manny being Manny.

That’s a quote, from him speaking in third person, in response to criticism of his play with the Boston Red Sox. If you don’t follow baseball as religiously as I do, I’ll give you the quick summary. Manny Ramirez reported late for Spring Training and loafed for half a season in an effort to force a trade from the Red Sox last year. The Dodgers were the only takers. Even after he lead the Dodgers in a surge to the playoffs and a first round sweep of the Cubs (weep), the Dodgers were reluctant to re-sign him for this season. Contract negotiations dragged through Spring Training before being resolved and Manny played almost a month before being suspended for using Performance Enhancing Drugs. The other day I was in a local Wal-Mart and saw on many clothes racks t-shirts with the saying ‘Manny’s Back!’. Everybody loves him, even though everybody hates him.

But that’s just Manny being Manny. It goes to show that you are what you do. At work, someone could say of me, “that’s just Frank being Frank.” At home my wife could say the same thing. The question is though, is the “Frank being Frank” at work the same Frank as home? Is Manny being Manny the same Manny all the time? In both cases, it should be.

One of my favorite Proverbs is Proverbs 12:17 which reads, “A truthful witness gives honest testimony, but a false witness tells lies.” It’s so simple it took a commentary to help me figure out what it means. It simply means our character is reflected by what we do. So Manny Ramirez is a cheater not just by baseball policy, but also in character (as evidenced by his departure from the Red Sox). So when I lose my temper at home, or slack off at work, that’s my character. And those parts of my character are in need of repentance. We should forgive Manny for being Manny, but we should not accept Manny for being Manny. Baseball fans are willing to forgive (see Jason Giambi) but ESPN wants to force us to accept. I’m sorry, but acceptance won’t change until the character changes.

“Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.” (1 Timothy 4:16) In other words, don’t say you’re something you’re not. Don’t call yourself a Christian and not act like it. If you’re truthful, you will be honest. And if you’re Manny, you’ll be Manny. I hope by the end of my life someone will say of me “that’s just Frank being Jesus.”

Of Sandlots and Cathedrals

Frank

This post continues the conversation Glynn Young, Nancy Rosback and I are having over the book Mere Churchianity. They always have a head start on me, so be sure check out their thoughts on Chapter 13, “Leaving Behind the Church-Shaped Life” over at Faith, Fiction, Friends and Bend the Page. Melissa at In Silence, Humming Softly has also joined the discussion so be sure to check out her thoughts as well.

Michael Spencer, being a baseball fan, uses the analogy of Big League ball versus his childhood playing in empty lots. He notes that despite all the scandals (steroids, salaries, sex), it is the kid’s game that captures our imagination and fanhood. As soon as the game under the lights and in the cathedrals to the game forget this, then interest will wane and seats will empty. The same is true of the Church, that it is the Jesus-shaped Spirituality that exists inside each of us, outside of the “big-time” walls, that drives us to the Church. And like Major League baseball, churches who forget this may fill the pews for a time, but will find many leaving for the purity of the sandlot.

To keep myself out of trouble, and being a huge baseball fan myself, I’m going to continue with the analogy. I grew up watching Minor League baseball. Rookie level as a matter of fact, where “kids” fresh out of high school would try and show of their talents, earning measly pay, and hoping to someday earn their “cup of coffee”. I lived far from any major market team so I relied on TBS and WGN to watch the Braves and Cubs, respectively, and the network Game of the Week. I would follow my favorite players through the box score in the local paper. When traveling to visit family, we would catch a big-league game if we could and the enormity of “the Show” was magical compared with the rookie league I was used to watching. The players were faster, their moves more crisp and polished, their talents far surpassing the kids scraping by at the lower level.

I had my favorite players, enshrined with posters, jerseys, and baseball cards. I didn’t care about the value of cards, I would trade away a valuable rookie for a card of my hero (but I at least knew not to put them in my bicycle spokes). The first World Series I remember watching, I laid out all my cards from each team and I followed the game using the cards to keep score.

Times changed and I grew up. I realized that none of the players I watched in the minors made it to the majors. An expansion team came to my region. Still not close, but drivable. TV expanded, ESPN gained in viewership, and I could catch a game every night. The Internet came and instead of following my favorite players through the “simple” box score, I now could follow their “splits” and “advanced metrics”. The Internet and Cable TV enabled the 24-hour news cycle and sports followed suit. I could find out what my favorite player was doing at almost any moment. They would soon become unable to hide from the public eye, so every misstep, every harsh word, every bad decision would be highlighted for the world to see. And the magic of the game, the childhood awe, waned.

Today I live walking distance to a high-A club and I love taking my son to watch the game at this level. I go to Major League games on occasion, but the price and the publicity for the most part has discouraged it. There’s something about watching these kids trying to make their way that maintains the childhood purity I remember.

So what does this have to do with the church? The megachurch, the spiritual superstars the big crowds can drown out the child-like awe we should have before Jesus for the sake of the show. Just as the Internet as created instant experts out of every fan who voices an opinion, so it has for Christians and the blogosphere  who have no expertise other than their opinion (myself included). And I think myself, like many who relate to Michael Spencer in this book, are longing for Jesus-shaped Spirituality that can be found in the sandlots, being played by kids, free from all the trappings, glitz, and glam. When Michael was sharing this analogy, I was thinking about how the game is the same, whether played in the Major League cathedrals or at a beat up Little League field. Jesus is the same, whether worshiped within walls filled with thousands, or in a beat up old church filled with a dozen. And in both places, Jesus is found by the awestruck child who just loves the game.

“Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:3)

Flashback Friday: Beyond Belief

Frank

***Originally posted March 12, 2009. Reposted as Josh Hamilton is tearing up the Yankees so far this ALCS and I know many are rooting for him to reach the Fall Classic. His story of overcoming his addiction is compelling and could have been cliche when he fell off the wagon last year. But instead he has persevered through his personal demons, being injured most of this season, and has made this year’s playoffs worth watching (of course Cliff Lee, Roy Halladay, and Tim Lincecum are more than worth the cost of admission). His teammates recognized his battle and instead of showering him with the usual champagne, instead cracked open bottles of Canada Dry.

I’m curious if any of you have read Josh’s book and what you think. Being an alcoholic and working regularly with addicts there were several warning flags I picked up on in his book. I think his experience last year woke him up a little and I hope matured him. I know I’m rooting for him this fall.***

Every season I find a baseball-related book to read during the season (ok, I’ve really only done that a couple of times, but I want it to become a tradition). Last season was Crazy ’08 by Cait Murphy about the 1908 season, arguably the best season in the history of baseball. I also posted last season a list of books I want to get to. But I just got my monthly Family Christian catalogue and saw this book about Josh Hamilton.

If you haven’t heard of him, he’s a phenom for the Texas Rangers who had an incredible season last year and lit up the Home Run Derby. What’s so special about that, you ask? Well I said he’s a phenom, but he’s not young. In fact he’s soon to be 28 (middle aged in baseball years). What took him so long to get to The Show was a complete derailment of his life by his addiction to drugs and his subsequent redemption through his faith in Jesus Christ. Given that background, as soon as I saw this it moved right to the top of my must read list. I love this kid and cheer hard for him. Sorry Free Byrd, but you’re going to have to wait until next season.

Flashback Friday: Take me out to the ballgame

Frank

***Originally posted 8/02/08. Posted again in honor of the Midsummer Classic and the upcoming trading deadline (the hot stove is as much fun to follow as baseball itself, IMO)***

So we’re now officially in the playoff race with the passing of the trading deadline. Just a couple no-name players got moved. I mean, who’s this Manny Ramirez guy anyway? And Ken Griffey Jr? Who does he think he is, Ken Griffey Sr? Of course I’m kidding. But in the spirit of trying to get away from my obsession with politics, I want to instead focus on my greatest passion here on earth, baseball. And of course, I’ll make it relevant.

In college, I was given the opportunity to lead a small group Bible study. I was filling in for the brother who would usually lead and he left me with this valuable advice, “do whatever you want.” Of course, as a young Christian that was intimidating since all I knew was what we’ve done before. But I was tempted to think outside of the box. The Fellowship of Christian Athletes had Dave Dravecky as a speaker that same night. Besides the “pitch heard ’round the world,” he was a well known inspirational speaker and was very open about his faith. In 2004 he wrote the book Called Up, which I still need to get around to reading. But like I said, all I knew was what we’ve always done before. So I regret to this day not going, and instead offered a re-hashed discussion on one of Jesus’ parables which everyone had heard before.

There’s another book that’s recently been released that I want to get my hands on too, called Free Byrd by Paul Byrd and John Smoltz. Smoltzie you’ve probably heard of but if the name Paul Byrd doesn’t sound familiar, do a Google search of Paul Byrd and HGH. That’s right, you could lump him in with “roid heads” like Barry Bonds. But instead of being all surly to the public and press following getting busted, he’s instead been openly repentant and just as open about how his faith has seen him through.

But this isn’t just a book review either. Kathy Orton, over at her [now defunct] Praying Fields blog at the On Faith online community has several blog posts related to baseball including an interview with Luke Scott, pitcher for the Baltimore Orioles.

And if that doesn’t inspire you to follow the pennant races, let me finish with a couple of songs. No, not Take Me Out to the Ballgame, written by a couple of guys who hadn’t ever seen a game. But a couple more heartfelt and spiritual.

The First Ballgame
Lyrics by Johnny Mercer, 1947

My sermon today
Said the Reverend Jones
Is baseball and whence it came
If you take the Good Book And you take a good look
You will find the first baseball game

It says Eve stole first
And Adam second
Solomon umpired the game
Rebecca went to the well with the pitcher
And Ruth in the field made a name

Goliath was struck out by David
A base hit made on Abel by Cain
And the Prodigal Son made a great home run
Brother Noah gave checks out for rain

Now ole St Pete was checking errors
Also had charge of the gate
Salome sacrificed Big John the Baptist
Who wound up ahead on the plate

Delilah was pitching to Samson
When he brought down the house with a clout
And the Angels that day made a double play
That’s when Adam and Eve were thrown out

Now Jonah wailed and went down swinging
Later her popped up again
A line drive by old Nebuchadnezzar
Made Daniel warm up in the pen

Satan was pitching that apple
It looked as though he might fan them all
But then Joshua let go with a mighty
And he blasted one right at the wall
Shoutin come along and let’s play ball

Life is a Ballgame
Sister Wynona Carr © 1952

Life is a ballgame
Bein‘ played each day
Life is a ballgame
Everybody can play
Jesus is standin‘ at home plate
Waitin‘ for you there
Life is a ballgame, but
You’ve got to play it fair.

First base is temptation,
The second base is sin
Third base tribulation
If you pass you can make it in
Ol‘ man Solomon is the umpire
And Satan is pitchin the game
He’ll do his best to strike you out
Keep playin‘ just the same.

Daniel was the first to bat
You know he prayed three times a day
When Satan threw him a fast ball
You know he hit it anyway
Job came in the next inning
Satan struck him in every way,
But Job he hit a home run
And came on in that day.

Prayer will be your strong bat
To hit at Satan’s ball
And when you start to swing it
You’ve got to give it your all in all
Faith will be your catcher
On him you can depend
And Jesus is standing at Home Plate
Just waitin for you to come in.

Moses is standin‘ on the side lines
Just waitin to be called
And when he parted the Red Sea
He gave Christ is all-in-all
John came in the ninth inning
When the game was almost done
Then God gave John a vision
And he knew he’d all ready won.