This is Baseball
I started my next ordination class this week, Teaching the New Testament. I am in love. I am once again the nerdy person who's word count is way over on every assignment because "every thing's important"! I can now tell you about the Maccabees, the New Testament canon and the important differences between a Sadducee and Pharisee.
In addition, the kids have a quiz meet this weekend, so we've been attempting to immerse ourselves in the book of Acts as much as possible while waiting for flu shots (yes, we do that...), driving to the allergist, and getting ready for baseball.
Which brings me to the point of this blog post. This is about baseball.
On top of everything else this week began fall ball playoffs. Fall ball has been fairly low key but playoff schedule has been anything but that. Whoever made up the brackets must have thought themselves quite funny because these things happen for us about every other night at EIGHT O'CLOCK AT NIGHT! In the freezing cold. If you're not from AZ don't laugh. But when you love someone who really loves baseball, you do crazy things like put your kids in the car at BEDTIME and head into the darkness. And you kind of start to love baseball even if you never pictured yourself as "that mom".
Once, when I was at ASU, one of my religious studies professors gave an entire lecture on why he felt that baseball, more than any other sport, could be considered an American Religion. Ritual and mythos (a narrative behind a set of beliefs) both exist. We pass on stories of Satchel Page, Jackie Robinson and the Great Bambino's called shot. Everyone knows the liturgy of the 7th inning stretch and, if you're a Cub's fan, that odd song they all sing at the end of the game that makes us tourists feel kind of out of place. My professor gave a lot of other details, and I kind of laughed while I was writing down notes. I definitely prefer my Christian eschatology of eternal life in Christ and am glad we don't actually worship baseball. But, he has a point. Baseball is special.
Some of my favorite quotes come from baseball...
"There's no crying in baseball!"-Tom Hanks. Also, Daniel's coach, Ryan, after the boys lost their first play off game by a disputed one point at 10:15 p.m. last Monday.
"Never allow the fear of striking out keep you from stepping up to the plate" Babe Ruth.
"In Baseball as in life, all the important things happen at home." Unknown
"You're killing me, Smalls" Ham Porter, The Sandlot
"Progress always involves risk...you can't steal second without taking your foot off of first." Unknown.
"Get your cup off the table takes on a whole new meaning during baseball season." Unknown. But I think I want to be her BFF.
My proudest moment as a mom happened during a baseball game a few years ago. During a heated playoff game (because really is there any other kind of playoff game), an umpire made a "bad call" in Daniel's favor as he reached third base. I believe it had to do with whether or not he'd been tagged. The other coach (who happens to be his current coach and a family friend), turned his question from the ump to Daniel directly. And he told the truth. We lost the game and I have never been more proud.
There have been some magnificent plays and excellent team work happening with our yellow jackets over the past few games. Last Monday's first play off game was equally as intense as the one I mentioned from a few years ago. We're headed into tonight's game one lose away from elimination. And, tired as we are, I hope our boys play to win. I hope they play for each other, because the beauty of this sport is the teamwork. But, more than anything, whether they win or lose, I hope they play for the love of the game. Because, this is baseball.
In addition, the kids have a quiz meet this weekend, so we've been attempting to immerse ourselves in the book of Acts as much as possible while waiting for flu shots (yes, we do that...), driving to the allergist, and getting ready for baseball.
Which brings me to the point of this blog post. This is about baseball.
On top of everything else this week began fall ball playoffs. Fall ball has been fairly low key but playoff schedule has been anything but that. Whoever made up the brackets must have thought themselves quite funny because these things happen for us about every other night at EIGHT O'CLOCK AT NIGHT! In the freezing cold. If you're not from AZ don't laugh. But when you love someone who really loves baseball, you do crazy things like put your kids in the car at BEDTIME and head into the darkness. And you kind of start to love baseball even if you never pictured yourself as "that mom".
Once, when I was at ASU, one of my religious studies professors gave an entire lecture on why he felt that baseball, more than any other sport, could be considered an American Religion. Ritual and mythos (a narrative behind a set of beliefs) both exist. We pass on stories of Satchel Page, Jackie Robinson and the Great Bambino's called shot. Everyone knows the liturgy of the 7th inning stretch and, if you're a Cub's fan, that odd song they all sing at the end of the game that makes us tourists feel kind of out of place. My professor gave a lot of other details, and I kind of laughed while I was writing down notes. I definitely prefer my Christian eschatology of eternal life in Christ and am glad we don't actually worship baseball. But, he has a point. Baseball is special.
Some of my favorite quotes come from baseball...
"There's no crying in baseball!"-Tom Hanks. Also, Daniel's coach, Ryan, after the boys lost their first play off game by a disputed one point at 10:15 p.m. last Monday.
"Never allow the fear of striking out keep you from stepping up to the plate" Babe Ruth.
"In Baseball as in life, all the important things happen at home." Unknown
"You're killing me, Smalls" Ham Porter, The Sandlot
"Progress always involves risk...you can't steal second without taking your foot off of first." Unknown.
"Get your cup off the table takes on a whole new meaning during baseball season." Unknown. But I think I want to be her BFF.
My proudest moment as a mom happened during a baseball game a few years ago. During a heated playoff game (because really is there any other kind of playoff game), an umpire made a "bad call" in Daniel's favor as he reached third base. I believe it had to do with whether or not he'd been tagged. The other coach (who happens to be his current coach and a family friend), turned his question from the ump to Daniel directly. And he told the truth. We lost the game and I have never been more proud.
There have been some magnificent plays and excellent team work happening with our yellow jackets over the past few games. Last Monday's first play off game was equally as intense as the one I mentioned from a few years ago. We're headed into tonight's game one lose away from elimination. And, tired as we are, I hope our boys play to win. I hope they play for each other, because the beauty of this sport is the teamwork. But, more than anything, whether they win or lose, I hope they play for the love of the game. Because, this is baseball.
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