Baseball bats. Those things are pretty durable, right? Right. Sending a ball thrown 90mph 200-400 feet through the air. It's not the bat that hits the ball. It's the player. Baseball is a pretty tough game. It takes strength, endurance, strategy, and teamwork.
A pitcher throws the ball 60ft to the homeplate at speeds faster than a car on the freeway. What he does influences everyone else. He's like a world leader. The entire crowd is watching him, hoping he doesn't screw up. Most of the time, the pitcher needs some guidance (like the president's VP, cabinet, and the like) so the catcher is there to catch the ball. The batter is the guy with his own agenda. He does whatever it takes to go the distance. He jumps over, slides under, and goes around whoever is in his way. Let's say the batter hits the ball about 300ft out into the outfield. That takes an insane amount of power and skill. He's got to know where the ball is going, he has to hit it on the correct part of the bat (too close to either end and the bat will break), then on top of all that he has to run 90ft just to get to first base. There are three outfielders: left field, center field, and right field. They've all got to plan out exactly who's going to catch exactly what. They work together to strategize. The outfielder's also need to know where they're going to throw the ball once they catch it. The first baseman needs a lot of concentration because usually that's where the ball ends up. He's the first person the batter has to get by and usually the most difficult. The pressure's on at Base One. The second baseman has to be quick in order to make the double play. He also has be fast to field the ball in time. If the runner gets past first base, it's all up to the second baseman. And if the runner still gets through, it's the third baseman's turn. The third baseman needs to have good reflexes, as do all the other basemen. Third base is known as the "hot corner" because the batter hits a lot of line-drives straight down the third-base line, so he's got to be quick enough to catch those. He also needs a lot of strength because he often has to throw the ball 127ft to first base. Finally, the shortstop. I played baseball for a while and this was my position. The shortstop is between second and third base. It's his job to field the ball in the infield, go out into the outfield if needed, AND cover second or third base if the second or third baseman is off his base. The shortstop is like that friend you can count on to always have your back.
I love to play shortstop. I like to know that people can count on me to be there for them. That's what I want to do for the rest of my life. Be there for people.
Batter - Isaiah 40:31 "But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."
Pitcher - 2 Timothy 1:7 "For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline."
Catcher - Proverbs 3:6 "In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight."
Outfielders - Ecclesiastes 4:12 "Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A chord of three strands is not quickly broken."
Basemen - Matthew 24:13 "But he who stands firm to the end will be saved."
Shortstop - Proverbs 20:6 "Many a man claims to have unfailing love, but a faithful man who can find."
Everyone - 1 Chronicles 16:11 "Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always."
I think everyone knows that these players could accomplish nothing without their uniform and gear. Ephesians 6:14-18 says, "Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints."
It's getting kind of late, so I'll leave you with this:
Ephesians 6:14-18 (slightly modified by me, Chelsea) - "Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the jersey of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with cleats with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the glove of faith, with which you can extinguish all the fly balls of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the bat of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the players."
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