Tag Archives: baseball

First, Catch the Ball

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Okay. I wasn’t the best in the little league, though I thought I was better than the coach thought I was. One thing I will say, I never missed a ball during a game while I played first base. It was because of something my brother taught me. First, catch the ball.

That is to say, no matter what you plan to do after you catch it, make sure to catch it. It seems so obvious but I have seen even the pros start to throw someone out at first before he caught the ball. That is embarrassing. Even more, it can cost the game. Not only can’t you not make the play without the ball, but if that ball goes on out into the field, it can cost runs. Worse, it allows that other batter to come to the plate and hit the little pill over the fence.

To be sure, it takes determination. The instant that hard hit grounder starts in your direction, you must make the determination to catch, or at least stop that ball. No matter what else you did before or will do after, that is the number one concern.

Strange as it might seem, I saw first one football player, then the other a short time later drop an almost perfect pass. They had both their hands on the ball and it was very catchable. In both cases, they started making their plans for what they were going to do after getting the ball… then they dropped the ball.

Excuse me, but aren’t these guys getting at least 6 figures a year. Perhaps I have it wrong, but I would think the coach would really want a receiver who would first catch the ball. I mean I’m not one of those high paid coaches, but as I have said before, I am available. I mean, I do understand the basics, like catching the ball.

It is really nice to be the fastest on the field. However, it won’t do you a bit of good if you can’t put your hands around that ball and secure it firmly. Then you can run. Then you can go through all those elusive moves. But first catch it. As I said, I learned that in Little League. My guess is that most of the football players learned the importance of holding onto the ball in high school. I am sure it has been stressed repeatedly in college.

It is as that architectural engineer wrote, “The most important thing, is to keep the most important thing, the most important thing.”

It is important in baseball. It is important in football. Actually, it is the most important thing in just almost everything. This means, it is really difficult to keep a nation a representative republic when you can’t even keep the elections honest. I mean, it is sort of the most important thing.

I Must Admit Some Disappointment

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I wrote a post that strongly suggested that Pete Rose should never be put in the Hall of Fame. Apparently, I am mostly alone. I have heard many suggest that, now that he is dead, we should go ahead and put him in now.

Of course, who am I to decide. It just is that, I am disappointed. Many, both conservative and liberal have taken the attitude that it really wasn’t that big of a deal. One thing I have noted is that, the more that folks are in favor of gambling, the more they are in favor of letting Rose in.

I have no say in the matter. I have no TV or radio program. Maybe I just have a few hundred who even know of my blog. However, I do have my ideas of what is right and wrong. I have written many times of the downsides of gambling. Indeed, I keep hearing the advertisements of how fun it is to gamble, though it isn’t but for a second.

A couple of decades ago, it was not that way. I was in the majority in condemning those who gamble and encourage to gamble. It was in that world in which Rose was gambling, not our current world, which loves the lotteries and scoffs and me. It was in that world in which he chose to do his gambling and set the bad example for our youth. Indeed, to some degree, the stories of his gambling might have even added to the desire to loosen the laws on gambling.

As I say, little old me, I have little to say about it. It is an observation. It is one where few agree with me. It leaves me with a statement and two questions. I am disappointed. Is this a good thing, really? Is this the world we want our children to be brought up in, or the one that condemned Pete Rose for blatantly breaking the rules and then refused to repent? I kind of like the way it was, but that’s me.

As an aside, we all make mistakes. Mostly, they are simple mistakes we ignore, other than to try not to make the same mistake again. On the other hand, sometimes we make mistakes that live with us the rest of our lives. In some cases, we make mistakes that outlive us. I suspect, despite all I say, Pete Rose will be in the Hall of Fame one day. Still, it won’t change the fact that Pete Rose made one of those permanent mistakes that will live far beyond his grave. No one will ever be able to say that he didn’t do that which was wrong and he set a bad example for our youth.

When and if he ever gets in the Hall of Fame, it will send the message that, given enough time, given enough ability, all will be forgiven.

A Truly Incredible Ball Player

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I must admit, begrudgingly, that Pete Rose was one of the best ball players ever was. About the only part of baseball that he didn’t set records in was in pitching.

The problem was he played for Cincinnati. My team was the Dodgers. There was someone I had more than one “discussion” with, some rather heated. Sorry to say, he was usually right.

The fact is that the only reason he didn’t have more stolen bases was cause he had so many home runs.

Nonetheless, he, as many others, did have a weakness, gambling. Some quickly say it should be ignored and he should be permitted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Some who are reading this probably agree.

Perhaps one day it will happen. I hope not. The game has rules, both on and off the field and these rules have reasons. If the rules have no penalties, then why have the rules.

I shouldn’t have to explain the reason for this rule. It should be self-evident as to why the rule. Gambling by those in the game will ruin it for everyone. Indeed, it almost did a long time ago. I can’t remember the details but you are welcome to look it up.

So it is you make an exception for Rose. Who will be the next exception? After a while, the exception becomes the rule. Then no one will have a reason to follow the rule.

Then too, what if others get caught gambling? Do we toss him out or just slap his hand? If we toss him, does he have a cause to take it to court? It looks to me like he would have a valid argument, legal and ethical.

Sometimes, we make life long decisions as Rose did. More than that, it was a decision he was well aware that it might follow him to and beyond the grave. Despite this, after he was caught, he spent the rest of his life looking for his own personal exception. This makes me doubt his true repentance.

He was saying that he knew he did wrong, but because he was a really great player, he should have an exception.

On the other hand, because even his being an exceptional player, all other players, especially exceptional players will make sure to avoid gambling if they hope to make it into the Hall of Fame. Hopefully, it will do as the rule intended. It will keep baseball clean.

Hopefully, most will agree that this is good and important for baseball, as well as other sports.

As an aside, we all make mistakes that we must pay for. Sometimes for a while; sometimes for the rest of our lives; sometimes even longer, as with Rose. It should encourage us to do that which is right, as well as avoid what is wrong.