As a young boy my favorite sport was baseball and my town’s
baseball leagues were set up just like the professional. We had Little League, for the boys to learn
the game and practice their skills. And
we had Babe Ruth League—where the better, older players, went on to play at a
higher level. The transition from one to the other took place through the
draft—the selection process by which coaches picked the players for the upper
division teams and Little League player graduated to the “Big Leagues.”
Draft day was important.
If you were drafted by a big league coach, it was confirmation that you
had skills. The Babe Ruth games were
watched and followed by everyone in town.
The newspaper covered the games.
Box scores were published each evening. It was a big deal in a small
town. It preceded fame and glory. Next
stop, High School baseball and just maybe a professional scout would see you
and . . Well, you can see where this is going in the mind of an adolescent boy
in small town Indiana.
But being chosen for a major league team in the Babe Ruth
league meant that desire and rough skill were no longer enough to perform well
for your team. As a pitcher, I knew that I needed to work hard in order to
pitch against the bigger, older boys and be successful. Being drafted—my goal
as a Little Leaguer—was just the start. You could not take anything for
granted. In my first Major League game I threw my best stuff at an average
opponent—and they hit my pitches all over the park. My curve ball didn't curve enough, my fast
ball was only average fast, and my slider hung and found the center of every
bat that swung at it. I was obviously
poorly suited for this league.
My coach knew I was despondent and after my first game he
told me, “You had a rough outing, but you have the talent to play on this
team—you have the skill—just get serious and work to improve. Remember, in the
draft, I chose you, now you need to get with the plan and choose me.”
On a much bigger and more important level, God chose
you. Now we need to step up our game and
choose Him.
Peace,
Father Mark+
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