You Get What You Ask For
CBN.com - The season just keeps getting worse and worse for Major League Baseball (MLB). Presented with an opportunity to mend some fences with fans at last weeks All-Star Game in Milwaukee, Commissioner Bud Selig further inflamed the situation by stopping the Midsummer Classic after the 11th inning due to a shortage of players.
This was evident in the reactions of the people in attendance. The sellout crowd at Miller Park voiced their displeasure by chanting various unprintable epithets while tossing scores of bottles onto the field. Many had spent upwards of $200 dollars per ticket to view what they believed to be an important contest showcasing the Major Leagues finest. And for the first 11 innings that is exactly what they got a grand spectacle of hardball wizardry. However, the ending was nothing short of a public relations disaster.
David Cuscuna, a fan who had traveled from Florida to watch the game told the Associated Press, "They treated it like it was a meaningless game. They are telling the fans this game doesnt matter. Not to mention the $175 dollar face value for tickets. It sends a lot of bad messages."
In a season that has felt the dark undercurrent of steroid allegations, the deaths of legendary broadcaster Jack Buck, St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Darryl Kile, and legend Ted Williams, and the daily threat of a players strike, MLB was hoping to put the focus back between the lines. Instead, they apparently darkened a divisionary line between themselves and the fans.
But what could Bud have done to avoid such ridicule? Upon the recommendations of managers Joe Torre and Bob Brenly, Selig was forced to make a knee jerk decision as 42,000 fans in the stadium and millions more watching on television looked on. Talk about pressure.
His decision, while certainly not the correct one, was not the wrong one either. Declining suggestions from Brenly and Torre that included a home run derby and grooving batting practice fastballs to hitters, Bud opted to just stop the game.
The correct response could and should have been for Selig to take the field after conferring with Torre and Brenly, explain the situation to the fans, and then award the Most Valuable Player trophy to a player from each team. While he still would have been subject to a fair amount of criticism, over the course of time his honest response would have been widely accepted by both fans and the media for its integrity.
Instead we were treated to a vague announcement from the public address announcer with two outs remaining in the bottom of the 11th inning. No explanation, no MVP award presentation, no ending. Thats like flying on an airplane to Los Angeles and having the pilot come on the public address system to announce that the plane will be landing in Denver instead. The only problem is he does not offer a valid explanation as to why. For good reason, there would be some very panicked people aboard. Conversely, while announcing the sudden ending to a baseball game is certainly not a life or death situation, it does create a confused response. In this case, jeering and harsh feelings directed at Major League Baseball.
Many would argue that the game is nothing more than exhibition anyway, an opportunity to showcase some of the best athletes in their given sport. Fans should just enjoy it for what it is. Why all the fuss? This is ultimately true but try telling this to the thousands who ponied up $175 dollars each to watch a game that has no outcome. Games are to be played to their conclusion, exhibition or not. Without an outcome, a game of this caliber takes on all of the luster of a glorified spring training game.
Baseball, unlike any other sport has a responsibility to be much more than that. In this tense new era of terrorism and uncertainty, America needs to latch onto something that provides a sense of normalcy and pride. Baseball is Americas game. Despite all of the unfortunate circumstances that have clouded the game this year, MLB had a golden opportunity re-stake its claim on the American consciousness through the All-Star Game. Instead they gave themselves yet another black eye.
Maybe you are in a similar situation in your own Christian walk. Despite a desperate effort to live by principles of faith, you can never seem to quite live up to the standards set forth in the Bible. Like Major League Baseball, as hard as you try to make things better, you continue to be on the receiving end of several "black eyes." You feel like you are constantly letting God down due to your love affair with what the world has to offer you. It is a never-ending battle that you can never seem to overcome completely. However, there is hope.
In the book of Psalms, King David writes, "Remember, O Lord; your unfailing love and compassion, which you have shown from long ages past. Forgive the rebelliousness sins of my youth; look instead through the eyes of your unfailing love, for you are merciful, O Lord. The Lord is good and does what is right; he shows the proper path to those who go astray. He leads the humble in what is right, teaching them His way." (Psalm 25:6-9)
There is no denying that God will help you through any situation. All you need to do is reach out to Him, ask for forgiveness, and live by His leading. As much as you may not like yourself as a person, or a situation you have created, you must accept His love unconditionally. The results will be tremendous.
