Sunday Thoughts: Baseball

Just the thought of Central Dallas Ministries' Night at the Rangers Ballpark makes me smile. We enjoyed that evening a few weekends ago. It was a fun night with a good turn out from across our team. As always, I enjoyed it immensely!

The club is not playing well. . .yet. I remain optimistic. . . against any semblance of rational thought!

Actually, it is the game that keeps me coming back, not the outcomes of individual games. But, I've said this before.

Baseball is a game of childhood memories.

It is a game of right angles and leisurely conversations among friends, as well as perfect strangers.

Baseball, for me at least, is a metaphor for community life. Team work, surprise, order, strategy, problem solving, overcoming weaknesses, celebrating victories and all-out, slam-against-the-wall effort.

Baseball is the long play. It is the slow down. Baseball allows equally for deep, private thought and/or mindless daydreaming and the banter of silly chatter. Baseball can involve the concentration necessary to fill in a scorecard. Or, it can be a glancing experience, when the people around you are actually why you came to the park!

Baseball is about kids. . .and crazy adults with gloves, just certain that the next ball hit or fouled away will be theirs for the catching!

Baseball is salted peanuts, hot dogs, cotton candy, the 7th inning stretch and "Take me out to the ballgame" and, if you're really lucky, extra innings!

Baseball makes the Texas heat worth it.

I love this game.

It gives me hope, no matter how bad our team is hitting!

Baseball can be cruel, though.

As in a couple of weeks ago when my son-in-law called me from Yankee Stadium during a game against the Rangers just to rub it in that I wasn't there. Where's the justice?

[FYI--I took the photo with my Treo while sitting up in the "cheap seats"--not a bad vantage point to watch a game. But then, there's not a bad seat in this house in my view.]



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