Pop artist Andy Warhol famously said that everyone, at some point, would enjoy 15 minutes of fame. Whether that happens or not, we are all known somewhere and within that circle of influence we have the opportunity to use whatever profile we have been given as an influence for Christ. Tony Dungy used his position…
Read More »The idea of the MLB All Star game is to reward the players who have had the best performance during the first half of the major league baseball season, but there is always a certain amount of mumbling and grumbling, and moaning and groaning when the American League and National League All Star Rosters are…
Read More »Throughout the World Cup finals in South Africa, soccer fans around the world have lamented a seemingly endless string of bad calls by referees and their assistants (see England’s loss to Germany this past Sunday). However, when pressed to add technology (instant replay) options to be able to reverse bad calls, FIFA, the sport’s governing…
Read More »Baseball is a game of choices. As a hitter, do I bunt, take, or hit away? As a pitcher, do I throw a fastball, curveball, or slider? As a baserunner do I steal, stay, or fake? As an outfielder, do I hit the cutoff man, go to second, or throw home? One of the game’s…
Read More »Sometimes the worst of moments can bring out the best in us. This was certainly the case last Wednesday night in Detroit when, on what should have been the final out of a perfect game, umpire Jim Joyce made a now-famously terrible call—depriving Armando Galarraga of what should have been only the 21st perfect game…
Read More »Today, as a nation, we remember those who have given their lives for our country. There will be parades, graveside services, and other activities to mark out the significance of sacrifice and service. These memorials are not only the fabric of a national holiday, however, they are widely seen on the sports landscape as well….
Read More »All my life, I have heard the top-tier of Major League Baseball players referred to as “five-tool players” because they excel in all aspects of the game. The five tools, of course, are hitting for average, hitting for power, running, fielding, and throwing. When watching a recent MLB broadcast, however, the announcers referred to Albert…
Read More »In baseball, they are called “innings eaters.” Pitchers who go deep into games and consume 250, 275, or 300 innings in a year. They often do not have the best stuff, the lowest ERA, or the most strikeouts. They usually don’t have the largest number of wins. But what they do have is consistency— guys…
Read More »Two of my favorite baseball movies are “The Natural” and “Field of Dreams,” and the two films share a common theme—that, to a great extent, baseball is about fathers and sons. In “The Natural,” Roy Hobbs is taught the game as a boy by his father, who then dies prematurely. When Roy reaches big league…
Read More »I have two favorite baseball films—and they share a common theme. It is the message that baseball is about fathers and sons. In “The Natural,” Roy Hobbs is propelled to playing in the major leagues because of the love for the game that was instilled in his heart by his father. By contrast, in “Field…
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