MONDAY MORNING REFLECTIONS: REBUILDING SEASON

.

BY STEVE DUNN

Last Saturday I celebrated my 68^th birthday doing something that I really love.  I managed my first trip to Spring Training in almost 10 years.  Dianne and I journeyed to Lakeland FL to spend a week with friends Dennis and Ruth, who have recently retired to Lakeland.  Lakeland is the spring training home of the Detroit Tigers.

Those of you who have followed my blogs for very long know that I a diehard Detroit Tigers fan, the love of both the game and that team planted in my DNA while still a young boy.  The Tigers were hosting the Pirates, the favorite team of my friend Dennis.  The baseball “gods” favored me that day with a Tigers win and my friend Dennis was quite gracious about it.  In fact, he even had arranged for the announcer at Joker Marchant Stadium to wish me a happy birthday.


The joy of that day may be short-lived.  The Tigers are in the second of what may be several “rebuilding” years.  That’s baseballese for “a losing season”, maybe even a “big losing season.” Although Rod Gardenhire’s charges looked pretty good, I suspect there will be some disappointing days ahead in the next few months.

Rebuilding times are often tough to endure.  We have seasons of fruitfulness and success but as the world changes, we find that those changes have rendered us ineffective or out-of-touch.  Successful teams age.  New players come into the league.  Injuries happen and players lose their speed.  For teams to win they often have to stop, shed some old players, disengage from old tactics, and learn how to win in that new day.


In our faith life we can experience the same dynamic.  What used to inspire has lost its edge as we have lived more by habit than expectancy.  Distance from when we first believe has a way of tamping down the holy fire.  The insistence on holding on to past practice keeps us from exercising the faith that steps forward into a fruitful future.


As Christians we affirm the constancy of Christ.  “Jesus is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow.”  But we also embrace the truth that “behold I am making all things news.” Psalm 30:5 tells us, “Weeping may come in the night, but joy comes in the morning.”  The grief and frustration of those times of rebuilding when we are anchored in faith will be bring joy in the morning.  Count on it.

MONDAY MORNING REFLECTIONS - PLAY BALL, FINALLY

BY STEVE DUNN

 

It was 36 degrees in Pittsburgh when the 2016 MLB season officially began Sunday afternoon.  If I had been closer, I would have welcomed the opportunity to be a semi-popsicle in the sunshine at Three Rivers.  As it was, I watched it from the warm comfort of my living room on my computer screen. Like millions of Americans, joy had returned to Mudville.  The baseball season was underway.

I have LOVED baseball since a child, a love that was multiplied when my Great Uncle Ernie Watkins would take us to the nosebleed seats of old Crosley Field to watch the Cincinnati Reds in play.  Playing it as a kid and coaching added to my love of the game.  And when living in northwest Ohio I discovered WJR in Detroit and Ernie Harwell, I was hooked on the Detroit Tigers  for life.  In high school, I still remember teachers who "cancelled" classes to allow us to watch the World Series.  

And I remember the joy of watching my Tigers take down the vaunted Bob Gibson and the St. Louis for the World Series.  That joy was repeated in 1983 when The Tigers led their division wire-to-wire, from opening day and every day thereafter, culminating in the World Series championship against San Diego. This had not been done in the major leagues since the 1955 Brooklyn Dodgers.  With that win Sparky Anderson became the first manager to win the World Series in both leagues.

I started playing Fantasy Baseball in 2007 and have had a few winners along the way.  In 2012, the house I was renting was connected  with Direct TV and MLB Baseball, a service I have kept since as my daily thirst for baseball is fed by a plethora of baseball shows and games--and the sleepless nights redeemed by  Quick Pitch. Heidi Whatney and her crew.

My Tigers collapsed last year, a collapse hastened when the general manager sold or traded the heart of the pitching staff and the explosive Yolando Cespedes.

But already MLB is predicting that my Tigers have a chance to reclaim the AL Central and some have suggested that will represent the AL in the World Series against the San Francisco Giants.  

I am ready,  Play Ball Already!

MONDAY MORNING REFLECTIONS - GOOD BYE, YOGI

BY STEVE DUNN

One of the true stars of Major League Baseball passed from this life to the next last week.  Yogi Berra died at age xxx.  Although he did work with other clubs in his lengthy career, Yogi will be always be remembered as one of the “most memorable” of the pin-striped clan  from the Bronx.

Although I have been nor ever expect to be a Yankee lover; like many I loved this Yankee catcher.  His prowess on the field was certainly to be admired, and I did; but what endeared him to me was ability to enrich the English language and human discourse with his quotes.

Some of his most memorable and intriguing were:

“IF YOU SEE A FORK IN THE ROAD—TAKE IT”

“ALWAYS GO TO THE FUNERALS OF YOUR FRIENDS OTHERWISE THEY WON’T COME TO YOURS”

“LITTLE LEAGUE BASEBALL IS A VERY GOOD THING BECAUSE IT KEEPS THE PARENTS OFF THE STREETS?”

‘YOU CAN OBSERVE A LOT BY JUST WATCHING”

“TAKE IT WITH A GRIN OF SALT”

‘”IT WAS HARD TO GET A CONVERSATION STARTED. EVERYBODY WAS TALKING TOO MUCH.”

“NEVER ANSWER AN ANONYMOUS LETTER”

“THE FUTURE AIN’T WHAT IT USED TO BE”

We will miss your wisdom Mr. Berra.