A few weeks ago, toward the end of a festive holiday meal, the rabbi of my synagogue threw out a light-hearted challenge to us. This was back when both the Mets and the Yankees were still in the playoff hunt, and the rabbi’s question was straightforward: How is baseball like Judaism? A few people tried making the connection, but nothing satisfactory came from it, and the rabbi moved on to more serious topics.
Now, having had this past weekend to ruminate on the Mets’ heartbreaking loss to the Cardinals last week, I’ve developed my own answer to the question of how baseball, if not like Judaism as a whole, is at least like one piece of the Bible: the book of Ecclesiastes.
In baseball, as in life, you never know the outcome, and any one at-bat–like any game, season, or even career–seems to rest on little other than chance. A weak-hitting catcher belts a ninth-inning two-run homer, while a genuine superstar MVP candidate strikes out looking with the tying run in scoring position. Whether a line drive falls for a two-run double or is caught by charging outfielder; whether a pitch curves in for a perfect strike or stays outside for a ball; whether a high fly ball soars over the fence for a homerun or veers left for a foul ball or is caught on the warning track for an out; whether a ground ball skids past a diving shortstop for a single or is stopped for an easy ground-out–all of these can go either way in any situation.
Sure, talent and effort count, but so do field conditions, weather, what ballpark you’re playing in, and a million other known and unknown factors.
In the face of this unpredictability, what do we do? It’s easy to turn away, overwhelmed at the randomness, and withdraw. Or we can adopt an abiding pessimism, a fatalistic certitude that there is no justice and that fate is against us (see: Red Sox, Boston, pre-2004). But neither of these responses is satisfying. Instead, all we can do in the face of seemingly arbitrary fate is to get up day in and day out and play the game. We must not let yesterday’s victory go to our heads and lead us to think that we are, indeed, fully in control of the outcome, nor can we let yesterday’s defeat weigh us down and convince us that victory will forever be elusive.
All we can do is remember that talent and effort are important factors–ones that we can control–and try our hardest to be the best players and teammates we can be, to face our challenges and hopes and fears, and to work our hardest toward our goals. And to leave the rest in God’s hands.
posted October 25, 2006 at 8:22 pm
I’m pretty sure it’s all vanity, since the Mets lost. I’d probably be singing a different tune if we were in the Series, though.
posted July 7, 2007 at 1:15 pm
Nice analogy… I agree, set your goals, trust in God, and keep moving… the trust comes into play as our ideals and goals get challenged and reshaped, but when I try to stay conscious about committing my ways/paths/goals to God, I believe that He helps shape/reshape the desires of my heart… thus the scripture re: God giving us the desires of our hearts… I don’t interpret that as God fulfilling my “wishlist”, but rather changing the true desires I think I have to be more in harmony with the ones He has for me.
I really believe what you said is key when you said not to dwell on your past success or failure, but to recommit each new day to walking onward, regardless of the outcome, with the peace of knowing that God’s love is enough to meet my daily needs as well as my ongoing goals and “desires”.
posted August 31, 2007 at 9:15 pm
A great writing and stated so well. God bless you for your gained daily knowlege and blessings. I lost Poppa about 6 months ago and was blesseed to be with him until he was called home. the 16 in my address is in his honor, as it is a number that we; my brothers and sisters; all wore; when we played sports. Pop told the stories of he and Preacher Rowe in the minors and the way the game was played back in ‘his’ day. The funny thing is I was seriously injured and my claim to fame, became me staying alive and using all of my body parts. Baseball burned DEEP in my soul and still does and always will in my heart. I LOVE BASEBALL, but, I came to grasp reality and taught a whole lot of kids how to pitch, field and swing a bat. I was told many, many years later by my son, how respected I was; from the kids I coached. Hence, my blessing. Now for a pass along: 1st where do you find teenagers most times in the morning? Easy – You know it- RIGHT – Looking in the bathroom mirror! So to the top of that mirror I pasted a
saying that came from the Spirit to me at work one day. My request was simple; I told my sons that they were to read the afore mentioned sign.
It read:
Good morning Dear Lord JESUS,
may everything I say,
and everything I do,
be a reflection of:
my LOVE for YOU!
It seems 2 work and puts things in perspective. R there any brothers or sisters out there that have access to a means of printing up this saying and mounting it w/ a two sided tape so that we can make it available to thousands, if not more brothers and sisters in need. For I am in need of assistance. God bless all whom I have been blessed to have read these words. Amen