Doing What the Game Demands

One of my mentors, Clint Hurdle, shared his wisdom on a Zoom call with our baseball team. Clint has taken the “dirt road” in life.  His scars and his triumphs are earned.  When he speaks, you are on the edge of your seat because you know a gem is right around the corner.

At one point during the conversation we discussed facing an elite starting pitcher. When competing against an ace- Tom Seaver, Nolan Ryan, Bob Gibson, Greg Maddux- winning the game is a daunting task.  Clint said your only chance to defeat an upper echelon pitcher is to,  “do what the game demands.”

In baseball, this can mean several things. Here are a few examples:

• The hitter gets two strikes early in the count, but he battles and drives the pitch count up.
• It’s taking 3-1 when leading off an inning, increasing the odds of getting on base while simultaneously increasing the odds of striking out. 
• With a runner on 2^nd and nobody out, the hitter executes a sacrifice bunt or finds a way to move the runner to 3^rd.
• It’s fighting for 90 feet: reading a ball in the dirt, taking a HBP, drawing a walk.

Doing what the game demands isn’t sexy. It requires sacrifice. It requires doing things you may not want to do.  It requires doing things that the average fan doesn’t recognize and appreciate. Often times it may reflect poorly on your stats. 

And, doing what the game demands doesn’t guarantee you will get the outcome you desire.  However, failing to do what the game demands gives you no shot of success. 

Sports are packed with life lessons.  Couldn’t we simply say, “do what life demands?”  There are times where the odds are stacked against us (we are facing an ace) and we have to step up and do what’s required. 

• Your spouse is asked to work longer hours and you have to do the lion’s share of work at home.
• Your elderly parent needs to be taken to doctors appointments but you also have a plethora of other responsibilities.
• You are short staffed at work and there are jobs that need to be completed outside of the job description. 

 And sometimes there are massive disruptions:

• An unexpected death in the family
• Loss of a job
• Being forced to relocate 
• A serious health concern

In these situations, much like facing an elite pitcher, we are forced to do what life demands.  Life demands that we sacrifice and pour ourselves into doing the right thing; not what is most comfortable and self-serving.    

In baseball, every team eventually runs into an ace. It’s inevitable.  In life, we will all face challenging circumstances- that’s inevitable too.  Facing a dominant pitcher reveals the character of the team.  Will they fight? Will they compete?  Facing challenging times in life reveals character as well. Will we stand up? Will we do what’s necessary?

When the Phillies are facing the Met’s Jake deGrom (arguably the best pitcher in baseball) they can’t cancel the game.  They have to figure out what the game demands and execute.

When adversity strikes in life, we can’t quit.  We have to step up for those we love. 

2020 is like facing an ace.  Let’s take the challenge to do what life demands.

Mike

Reflection Question: What is life demanding of you right now?