Tag Archives: Spring Training

The Opening Pitch

Posted on March 22, 2018 by expressyourself4him

As baseball’s Spring Training season is winding down this year, opening day is quickly approaching.  The 2018 Major League Baseball Season will open in a more traditional manner.  On Thursday, March 29th, all 30 teams will begin play on the same day.  This is the first time this has occurred since 1968.  One of the pre game festivities for baseball is the ceremonial first pitch.  Teams will invite celebrities, former players or popular people from the area to throw out the opening pitch as cameras recount this special moment.

Make yourself an ark of gopher wood; make in it rooms (stalls, pens, coops, nests, cages, compartments) and coat it inside and out with pitch (bitumen), Genesis 6:14.

The Bible refers to a different kind of pitch.  Hebrew uses 3 variations of this term. Viz refers to a mineral pitch, similar to modern day asphalt.  The King James Version of the Bible chooses figo: to fix and unite planks.  The final description of pitch in the context of the Bible refers to sealing.  After using gopher wood to built an ark, Noah used pitch as a coating to waterproof the exterior so that this boat would not leak once fully occupied by the animals and his family.  Without this opening pitch, the ark would have sunk.

He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed, 1 Peter 2:24.

Sometimes Greek and Hebrew words don’t always translate grammatically into English.  Thus, when you break down the structure of this term in a literal sense, pitch is symbolic of atonement.  After original sin separated Adam and Eve from God, the Lord devised a way for mankind to restored, reunited into fellowship with God.  In the passage above, Peter points to Jesus as the atoning sacrifice.  After denying Jesus publically, guilt haunted Peter, struggling to forgive himself for what he had done.  Yet, when Jesus suffered, died and rose again, this opening pitch by God started a whole new ball game, offering human beings a second chance, by grace through faith.  In view of this, make the most of the bats that the Lord provides for you in this life.

by Jay Mankus

 

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Chef: Minus the Bleeps… Its a Snapshot of the American Dream

Posted on June 24, 2014 by expressyourself4him

From 1999 to early 2002, I was a golf critic, writing travel reviews for upscale golf facilities from Florida to the Jersey Shore.  During Major League Baseball’s Spring Training in Florida or on vacation with my family, I sought to lead visitors toward golf destinations which matched their income as well as enhance their stay.  Beyond the course, I wanted to help people have a good time without going broke.  In the process, I may have hurt the feelings of owners whose imperfections were exposed in the pieces I wrote.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Hsh7zxUtI8

Over the weekend, I had flashbacks to these days while watching the movie Chef with my oldest son James, a high school junior concentrating on Culinary Arts.  Before agreeing to take him, I watched the trailer on you tube to see if it was worth my time and money.  Concerned by the rating, I warned my son going in to expect some bad language.  Instead, I felt like I was in the presence of a few co-workers over lunch, listening to one unedited bleep after the other.  Unfortunately, this has become the norm in many cultures, an accurate depiction of how people think out loud without any filter.

For those who can withstand the urge to tune out early or cover their ears, the last hour of Chef is a snapshot of the American Dream.  When a popular chef receives 2 stars by the most famous restaurant critic in America, his life is turned upside down.  Feeling suffocated by a controlling owner, Chef Carl Casper (played by Jon Favreau) quits, confronts his critic and humbles himself by becoming a nanny until he gets back on his feet.  If you’re not satisfied by the life you are currently living, watching Chef may prompt you to quit your job, do what you love and hopefully achieve the American Dream.  This film provides a blueprint of how maximizing technology can generate business for future entrepreneurs.  Minus the bleeps and beyond the laughter, Chef challenges individuals to re-examine who they are, where they excel and what job will provide for you the most joy in life, John 10:10.

Please share your thoughts on this film.

by Jay Mankus

 

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The Final Out

Posted on March 5, 2014 by expressyourself4him

As Spring Training games began last week in Arizona and Florida, it won’t be long before sports enthusiasts celebrate Opening Day baseball in the Major Leagues.  While winter continues to interrupt spring sports, those trapped inside are getting anxious for dryer and greener pastures.  Nicknamed America’s favorite pastime, baseball seasons coincide with the start of warmer weather and conclude as fall descends upon this country.  Before the final out is recorded, individuals will experience the smell of freshly cut grass, longer hours of daylight and blooming flowers that brighten up neighborhood landscapes.

I’ve spent more than 1/3 of my life playing and or coaching ball.  In the days of my youth, I never fully enjoyed this game.  Perfection, success and winning stifled my ability to appreciate 9 years of playing baseball.  However, when I got a second chance through 7 years of highly competitive softball, I savored every moment on the field.  I treated each at bat and play as if it was my last, flying, diving and sprinting around the bases.  Although I still haven’t achieved the promise in John 10:10, I discovered the abundant life on a softball field, considering each obstacle a pure joy, James 1:2-4.

My last game on a baseball and softball diamond were nearly identical, reaching the championship.  Despite playing a different position, a pop fly came my way, giving me an opportunity to secure the final out.  I blew my first chance, getting lazy as the ball glanced off the edge of my glove.  A comfortable margin postponed the inevitable victory, ending my baseball career on a good note.  However, the second time I seized the moment, using 2 hands, squeezing my glove and embracing my teammates as God had chosen me to record the final out.

by Jay Mankus

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