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| Point and Counter-Point; Jim and Chipper | |
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| Topic Started: Aug 26 2007, 07:29 AM (519 Views) | |
| Post #1 Aug 26 2007, 07:29 AM |
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I was subjected to an object lesson in civility while watching a Baseball game yesterday. Late in the game, the St. Louis Cardinals led the Atlanta Braves by a single run. The Cards were threatening with two men on and two outs when Jim Edmonds came to the plate. If Edmonds knocked in an insurance run (or, better yet, three, with a dinger), the task of closing out the game would be considerably easier when Isringhausen came on in the top of the ninth. Edmonds blasted the ball. I knew it was gone. The St. Louis center fielder thought so, too, as he began to trot the bases. Unfortunately, the Atlanta center fielder was not so sure. Andruw Jones turned around and peeled out for the stadium wall. To everyone's surprise, the ball stayed in the park, barely, and Jones made a near-Maysian catch. With a huge smile on his face, clearly appreciating his own hitting prowess and the fielding prowess of his opposite number, Edmonds promised to get Jones back. Jones was due up in the top of the ninth. After his spectacular catch (with which I was not pleased, but duly impressed), Jones' smile was even bigger than Edmonds', as the two joyfully shared the moment of a well-hit and even-better-caught ball. I smiled, too. Even though I am a die-hard Mets fan and root heartily for them and whoever is playing the Braves, I love to see good Baseball, and that play constituted great Baseball. What made that play really stand out, though, was another well-hit ball in the next half-inning. Jason Isringhausen was on to close for the Cards. Chipper (no relation) Jones, the Brave third baseman was at the plate. The first pitch was a called strike. Chipper nailed the second, sending a scorcher to the left side. His counterpart at third leapt and grabbed, miraculously snagging that ball for the second out, all but killing the Braves' hopes of winning. Chipper turned and barked at the umpire about the first pitch. He has a naturally angry-looking face, and, as he yelled at the umpire, his angry face was even more contorted. There seemed to be intense hatred in his expression. I don't know if there was or wasn't, but I could not help but contrast his reaction to Edmonds'. In both cases, the player showed remarkable skill with the bat. In both cases, their counterpart in the field made a sparkling play that potentially changed the outcome of the game. One batter enjoyed the moment. The other could only look for someone at whom to be angry. On a somewhat less-than-ironic and anti-climactic note, the other Jones (Andruw) struck out to end the game. He didn't seem to know that, in order to make this story even more interesting, he was supposed to hit the ball hard, either over the fence in Center for the game-tying run, or into Edmonds' outstretched glove as he made an unbelievable running and leaping game-ending catch. Unfortunately, Andruw didn't get the script. The object lesson in civility still stands though. I learned from it. We all can. |
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| Post #2 Aug 30 2007, 06:11 PM |
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Wow. Even though I am a fairly new fan to the sport of baseball, I believe that I understood all of what you so eloquently written. However, I don't know the players of whom you spoke. So, if I may speculate, perhaps Chipper is fairly young himself. Fairly hotheaded and not adept in the manner of good sportsmanship. Your scenario reminded me of the father who goes to the little league game and gets in the umpire's face and fights for every run and every hit that his kid can make. We don't need to speculate on the kind of example that sets for the child. Somehow, sometime, somewhere in his training, from the time he was a child, someone failed to teach him the stronger points of bowing to one's opponent and enjoying the challenge of the game. |
Civilian
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| Post #3 Aug 30 2007, 07:46 PM |
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| I am a coach by profession and I seriously think athletics is a way for children to learn to be better people. Very few of these young participants are growing up to be athletes, all are growing up to be members of society, so which should we spend the most effort on teaching, the sport or people skills (including civility)? I focus on the latter. Once the children have mastered their people skills, they wind up with a better environment and manage to get as much sport education or more than programs that don't spend any time on people skills! |
Civil Servant
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| Post #4 Aug 30 2007, 08:58 PM |
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Chipper has a young-sounding name and has a bit of a baby face (an angry baby face), but he is a vet of many seasons. |
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3:07 PM Feb 6