Lent Day 37: A Night at the Ballpark

Even though today was the last day of March, today's 82 degrees made for one of the best weather days St. Louis can ever expect:  clear skies, beautiful sunlight, just slightly toasty in the afternoon, and just a slight chill in the night.

It was so nice today that my work team decided to hold its weekly meeting outside on an office patio, and then our bimonthly happy hour (just for our team) was outdoors as well, at a rooftop bistro.

And that might have been the end of today's outdoor activities except for a phone query from my daughter Amy:  would I like to see the high school baseball team play tonight (in its only night game)?  Her boyfriend is on the team and he had watched her during softball season.  The game wasn't far from the office, and I've made a habit of watching more high school sports this year, partially because Amy has been in marching and pep bands, but also because I know a lot of these student athletes as Amy's contemporaries and have seen them literally grow up into young men and women.

So I headed south on the highway and eventually found the field:  "Heine Meine Field."  No kidding.  I got there before Amy, who was getting a ride from her boyfriend's family.  The teams were warming up but I could tell something was wrong:  there were no umps.

Long story short, the umps arrived late, delayed by their previous game; Amy arrived, the game got underway and it was a tight contest.  Our team took the early lead 2-0, fell behind 4-2, then tied it but fell behind again at 6-4 and tied it again at 6-6 in the sixth and penultimate inning.  It had been a long day and I thought about leaving early but as long as the score was close I was going to stay.  In the top of the 7th inning, our guys bust out with a huge rally taking the lead 12-6 and then holding their opponents to only one run for a final score of 12-7.

The numbers don't tell the whole story but the fact that I can rattle off the lead changes tells me two things:  (1) I am obsessive about recalling the ebb and flow of any game; and (2) it's the small things that can make a difference, in baseball and in life.

I won't wax poetic about baseball -- so many have already done that so well, like Bart Giamatti and George Will.  I will, however, liken the return of baseball season to Lent being the theological transformation of winter and dying to spring and living.  This is the 'right time,' the time of energy and renewal, the time of hope.  And even though there can be only one World Series champion, every fall/winter the other teams take their winter break and think/hope "wait til next year."

But tonight, the little things that mattered were between people, like reading between the lines of a book, play or dialogue.  High school sports are more fun because as a spectator I am so much closer to the action (than at a pro game), plus I know the kids and the coaches/teachers.  The skill level may pale in comparison to the pros, but the competition level is just as intense.  Perhaps even more intense because these kids play for school and town pride, with (friendly) rivalries that are part of their identities.  In the pros it seems like the competition is just there, a necessary by-product of filling the seats during the regular season and playoffs.

I wasn't looking for anything 'profound' during the game, but I noticed profundity nonetheless in the body language of the players and coaches, because I wasn't close enough to hear their chatter.  The coaches reinforced good habits and corrected bad ones, in between at-bats and plays.  There were so many instances of eye contact and demonstrating proper grip, stance and attitude, or even more impressively knowing glances serving as a shorthand of previous coaching lessons.  I even saw the umpires doing it when explaining to our pitcher after he balked in a run; they were explaining what to do and what not to do with runners on base.

I heard it in the cheers from the parents and non-coach teachers in the crowd; the beauty of the inter-connectedness for all in attendance, in healthy competition against a neighboring team.  So many relationships, so much mutual support.

I later learned more about tonight's rivalry;  the opposing team won the league title last year.  And then I discovered our team started five sophomores, plus there's some great talent on the JV team just waiting to get the opportunities on the Varsity Squad.  Many are already talking about our chances in  the playoff tournament which isn't too far away.  The season is just starting and we're all abuzz because we have a clean slate and success is within the realm of possibility for all teams -- especially ours.  It's a time of great hope.


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