22 Innings of Baseball…

     Being the huge baseball fan that I am, Thursday, April 17, 2008, a game was played that I would have loved to have been at! The Colorado Rockies were hosted by the San Diego Padres. This one game lasted 22 innings––2 1/2 regular games, 6 hours and 16 minutes––the time of 2 normal-length games. Some of the guys were at the plate 9 and 10 times! Holy Cow! (That is for all of you Harry Carey / Chicago Cubs fans!)…
A couple interesting things jump out from the box score of this game…

• The first run was not even scored until the top of the 14th inning.
• 15 pitchers pitched in this one game!
• Over 650 pitches were thrown––that is lot curve balls!
• This game is tied with 8 others as being the 9th longest game in MLB history!

I can’t even imagine! As I ponder this great game of baseball, I think to myself of standing in the field for 22 innings; kneeling as a catcher for 6, 7, or 8 pitchers; swinging the bat in 10 plate appearances. “There is no way that I can do that myself!” The mental focus, the physical strength, the perseverance that one would have to have––yet those guys were playing a game that they knew had an ending. Clint Hurdle, the manager for the Rockies said in the 16th inning, “Hey boys, no matter what’s in front of us, there’s a world of people out there who’ve got harder rows to hoe than we do. No matter what happens the rest of the night, have some fun with this thing.”

As you read this, maybe you feel like you are in the late innings of a game in your life, thinking, “I need to get this game done.” May I encourage you; God has your place in this particular game settled in the palms of His hands. Remember that the Maker of the universe is the same one that holds you right now in your batter’s box! The pitches He is seeing do not scare Him at all! Those are some pretty amazing hands!

Remember the words of Joshua in chapter 1, “Be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” He absolutely loves having us on His team!

You know, a double ended that game––not a home run, not a grand slam––just a double. This double would have been a single or maybe even a routine fly ball if the game was in the regular 9 innings. But due to tired legs, loss of concentration, and plain ol’ just ready to be done––a routine hit stretched into an RBI double! ROCKIES WIN!

Stay in the game, there just maybe a great fireworks show at the end!

Keep Swinging, and have a wonderful day!