Exit: Sandman and Spiritual Southpaw Part II

How often do you ask yourself Why do I do what I do? A little personal inventory from time to time is a good thing. Why do I eat so many carbs? Why can't I be kinder to this person? Why do I take the same route to work everyday? One question I think every baseball fan can and should ask is Why go to the ballpark? The final game of the 2013 season for the San Francisco Giants confirmed why I do.

I wish I had been there on extend my gratitude too.

In today's day and age, I think Major League Baseball must offer compelling answers to this question. Let's be honest, the game looks great on high definition TV. I can see every pitch with great precision. After a long day at work, I love to crash on my couch and see the full diamond in a temperature controlled environment. Unruly fans, waiting in lines for concessions or the restroom are of no concern to me.

Maybe it's just an SF thing, but give
aways are hot $$ items!

Baseball, like many professional sports, is cost prohibitive. Don't get me wrong, I have always believed there are affordable ways to do things, and that includes baseball or a round of golf. Perhaps you park your car a good clip from the stadium, maybe you make your own sandwich and bring your own peanuts. You can even off set the cost of the dynamically priced ticket by selling the give-away (case in point: that Dave Fleming bottle-stopper held little to no appeal to me. A collector's item for someone else, I made $20. Thank you Craigslist). And yet, without careful planning and prep, these cost saving strategies make the price rise quickly.  Meters are now $9.00 an hour during game-time. Parking in the closer lots is $30. Depending on the game you go to, the face value for a bleacher seat can be as high as $32.  Unfortunately, I know you could add to this list.

When the pennant race is out of the question—and I really feel for those teams that face that reality by the All Star break—the impetus for going to a game is (nearly) gone.  If I go, it's because I want to see another team. Maybe it's because I got free tickets. But I learned the hard way—or perhaps I was reminded of what I often preach—"just show up" when I read about Barry Zito's last few games as an SF Giant. I have always believed that if you show up, you'll be glad you did. The tributes to Zeets confirm my belief!

I could have gone on Wednesday, September 25 and seen Barry Zito beat the hated rival, Los Angeles Dodgers. Zito had not been a regular starter in the Giants rotation this season, and Bochy wanted to honor his career with giving him the nod to take on the champions of the NL West.  The Spiritual Southpaw dug deep—pitching 7 innings and securing a 6-4 win! I would have been a witness to an interesting truth.  Despite having a losing record, despite never regaining the Cy Young status he held as an Oakland Athletic and despite the $126 million dollar contract—Barry Zito proves that a human connection can endear you to fans in a way that should never be underestimated.

"If I had to strike out in my final at-bat, I'm glad it was against a former teammate whom I respect and love," Kotsay said. He did. Great job Z.

Don't get me wrong. "Z" played a huge role in securing the 2012 World Series crown. Game 5 of the NLCS against the Reds is officially known as "Rally Zito." He led the helm in Game 1 of the World Series. Had Zito not made the 25-man roster for the postseason, as in 2010, it's tough to say what that human connection would be like. And yet we don't have to...

And so if you showed up at the ballpark on Sunday, September 29. I have no doubt you're glad you did. Chris Haft of MLB wrote 

Zito started against the Dodgers last Wednesday night and won, but manager Bruce Bochy wanted him to experience the thrill of pitching once more. He informed Zito that he'd try to insert him for a match-up this weekend against Kotsay, a left-handed batter.

Fans cheered in anticipation when Zito jogged to the bullpen to warm up. When the eighth arrived, and Bochy left the dugout with two outs and nobody on base to remove Heath Hembree, the AT&T Park crowd began roaring before the Giants skipper even beckoned Zito from the bullpen.

"That was more adrenaline than the World Series," Zito said.

Zito doffed his cap and waved to the adoring crowd before entering the dugout. Urged by his teammates, he re-emerged and patted his chest with his left hand, a gesture meant to convey his identification with the crowd's feelings.

Zito was moved by the Giants' insistence for him to leave the dugout and acknowledge the cheers even more.

Said Zito, "This game is all about, 'What do your peers think of you?' ... When your peers respect you in that manner, there's nothing that's more validating as a player."

Alex Pavlovic of the San Jose Mercury News adds "Zito went down a line of teammates, hugging each one. He took pictures with several players, many of them rookies who were in high school when Zito signed the infamous deal. When he got to Bochy, Zito was given a long hug from a man who twice pulled him from the rotation this season."

"I had a lot of emotion going through me," Bochy said. "I have some great memories."

And that is precisely why we go.  The memories aren't made by sitting in your couch, tuning out, or showing up only when it matters. The memories are born in the effort to get to the yard—yes, the 3 mile hike— and in hearing the crack of the bat for the first or last time.  Those memories come alive when you are part of a group that beckons a player to come back out of the dugout so you can extend your gratitude for their gifts, talents and way of being.  They hearken back across the low lights but they burst when you remember the highlights—the moments of glory, the unexpected win, and the moment you realize more than one person is feeling adrenaline.

That's why I go to the ballpark. That's why I show up to watch the game. That's also why I go to Mass every Sunday and to school liturgy on Friday. Something is waiting to be seen and heard that was meant for me.

I am a witness. You are a witness.  We're all witnesses....Thank you 75.

Photo Credits
Striking out Kotsay
Raise your cap
Dave Fleming

Exit: Sandman and Spiritual Southpaw Part 1

It doesn't happen often, but I love it when I read an article or a book and something prompts me to laugh out loud. Perhaps it is because the silence of reading isn't the medium by which I expect to find humor. I almost find myself looking around to see if people notice...is anyone else laughing too? Humor is social and needs to be shared. And as much as I love finding a good laugh in literature, a big part of me loves to be brought to tears, too. In this week alone, two tributes to two gentlemen in baseball has done just that.

I read the Sports Illustrated tribute to the great Mariano Rivera, "Exit Sandman" while on the plane coming home from Notre Dame. I couldn't turn off the waterworks. In this instance, I didn't look around to see if the man next to me was crying too. I was trying to dry my tears as quickly as possible and yet, I wanted to let them flood the cattle car. I wanted others to know about Mo. I hadn't thought that this tender emotion was social. In this instance, there's no question it was.

Tom Verducci, the author of "Exit Sandman" and one of my favorite writers, used the cover story to commence "the oral history" of the 43-year old pitcher (44 in just two months!). Joe Torre said "Probably not since Koufax have we seen anyone leave the game with so much respect." It captures why the son of a Panamanian fisherman is so beloved. And it illustrates  what I believe the motto AMDG—for the greater glory of God—means; a motto that is ascribed to the uniforms of all the athletes at St. Ignatius.
 
Mottos and acronyms are pointless unless they are connected with a person or an experience that gives flesh to the ideal. Rivera's former teammates, coaches and managers capture through personal testimony his talent and more importantly, his spirit. The two I have featured below reveal the very prayer of St. Ignatius, known as "The Prayer of Generosity." And, as we let the Sandman exit, we know what the greater glory of God can do—on a baseball diamond and beyond.

Enjoy...and although their egos would allow for both of them to appear on the same posting, this one will focus on #42. The Spiritual Southpaw: Barry Zito is tomorrow....

Both men debuted in 1995 and have remained teammates for 19 seasons!

Dr. Fran Pirozzolo, psychologist, Yankees mental-skills coach from 1996 to 2002: I have worked with elite performers ranging from Navy SEALs, U.S. Secret Service, NASA astronauts, to athletes. Mariano Rivera may be the single most impressive performer and leader I have ever known. He is the exemplar that I point to when I discuss the mental attributes of champions. If we accept that an operational definition of leadership is the effect you have on others around you, then Mo rates among the most powerful leaders in any domain.

Most of us have deployed all of our attention to ourselves and to our own needs, with little left over for the needs of others. Mo has a presence that creates an atmosphere of teamwork, of an impossibly high regard for the integrity and worth of the people around him.

Rivera has received retirement gifts from every MLB team. He has also given gifts to those in every park, beyond his gift of pitching.

Rivera thought about retiring last season, but when he blew out his knee shagging batting practice fly balls in Kansas City on May 3, 2012, he vowed he would not leave baseball on the back of a cart. Knowing this would be his final season, he approached Zillo with an idea: In each road city he wanted to personally meet "behind-the-scenes" people who had dedicated their lives to baseball or had known illness or tragedy. While baseball wanted to say goodbye to Rivera, with the attendant going-away gifts and photo ops, Rivera wanted to say goodbye to baseball, which for him meant all the people who toil in anonymity.

On May 11, Rivera met Ryan Bresette, his wife, Heather, and their three sons, Joe, 13, Sam, 9, and Tyler, 6, in the media room at Kansas City's Kauffman Stadium. (The Bresettes' daughter, Anna, 14, was unable to attend the pregame gathering because of a soccer game.) Bresette worked as a clubhouse attendant for the Royals from 1982 to '94 and had never met Rivera.

On March 22 the Bresettes, while returning home from a vacation in Florida, had been standing next to a mammoth flight-status display board in the -Birmingham, Ala., airport when the board, estimated to weigh more than 300 pounds, fell on the family. Luke Bresette, their 10-year-old son, was killed. Heather suffered two broken legs. Sam suffered a broken leg and head injuries.

As evidenced by the Bresette family
baseball can bring joy to our lives.

Ryan Bresette: It was only seven or eight weeks out from the accident. My wife was in a wheelchair. Getting around was difficult. But we decided this would be a huge bright spot. It was an opportunity to put smiles on our kids' faces, which is the Number 1 priority in our lives. It was three or four hours before the game, and there were probably three or four other families there. Mariano came in and just lit up the room. That big smile, the bright eyes. . . .

People started talking and introducing themselves. I said, "We're the family involved in the Birmingham, Alabama, accident and lost our son."

He said, "I know. God bless you." I started to get emotional and couldn't talk anymore. My wife took over and said, "Luke would have loved this. Luke loved baseball. He loved all sports, but baseball was his very favorite sport." And then she started to get choked up.

Then our son Joe blurts out, "But Luke hated the Yankees!" The room erupted with laughter. Mariano just loved it. It broke the ice and the tension in the room.

Mariano addressed each one of our children and said, "Luke will always be with you. There is a plan for everything. We don't always know what it is, but we have to keep putting one step forward at a time. My situation is nowhere near what you are going through. I had an injury right here in Kansas City and overcame it to play again. My only message is you have to keep on trying and keep on giving effort."

I just asked my wife, "What would you want to say about what that day was like?" She said, "Mariano provided hope and inspiration at a time when they needed it the most." The best part, and it never made the papers, was after the meet and greet was over my nine-year-old said, "Mariano, if you pitch tonight, would you give me the ball from the last out?" Mariano looked at him and said, "You got it. It's yours."

Our seats were all the way in rightfield behind the foul pole, to accommodate the wheelchair. Mariano came in to pitch the ninth. By the time we packed up, with three kids and a wheelchair, I said, "We're never going to make it around the concourse [to the Yankees' dugout]. Let's just go home."

I'm literally pulling out of our parking spot when I get a call from the Royals. They ask, "Can you come back in?" I said, "Why?" They said, "As soon as Mariano got into the dugout his first question was, 'Where is the family I promised the ball to?' "

The Royals meet us, and they take us to the clubhouse level. Mariano comes out and says, "Sam, what did you ask me before the game?" Before he answered I said to myself, He remembers Sam's name!

Sam answers, "If you pitched would you give me the ball from the last out?"

Mariano says, "That's right." He opens up a bag and says, "Here it is." You could tell by the sticker on it. It had been authenticated by MLB. I just looked at Mariano and I said, "Thank you very much. You have no idea how much this means."

About six weeks later I got a call from [the Royals]. It had dawned on Mariano that he had not autographed the baseball. They put me in contact with a lady from his charitable foundation. Mariano wanted me to send the ball back to him so he could sign it and send it back.

This is something I haven't told too many people. When Mariano came over to me, I stuck out my hand to shake his hand, and he gave me a hug, pulled me close and whispered in my ear, "You're a stronger and braver man than I ever could be."

Lord Jesus, teach me to be generous; 
teach me to serve you as you deserve,
to give and not to count the cost,
to fight and not to heed the wounds,
to toil and not to seek for rest,
to labor and not to seek reward,
except that of knowing that I do your will.

St. Ignatius--pray for us.
Mariano Rivera--Thank you.

Photo Credits
all from

Game, Set, Match: Serena 32 Years in the Making

If you haven't watched it, stop reading
an add to your Netflix queue now

The documentary "Venus and Serena" states that "the great enemy of every athlete is age." The irony is that the subjects of the film defy that very truth.  Today, September 26, 2013 is Serena Williams 32nd birthday. She is the oldest woman number one player in the Women's Tennis Association's (WTA) history.

I don't need a reason to write or continue a conversation about Ms. Williams.  She is the subject of a story no one could contrive. Only one of two African American women to be number one in the world, she shares that title with no one else but her older sister, Venus. I celebrate her gift to tennis, the United States and athletics today.

Game: The impact she has had on the game is astounding. It's worth reading the introduction on her Wikipedia page as it captures the sheer magnitude of just how dominant a player she has been and remains (I will reference that here because it frames her success in a narrative; the WTA features listings of titles, by year, etc.)  

Williams holds the most Major singles, doubles, and mixed doubles titles combined amongst active players, male or female. She is the only player to have achieved a Career Golden Slam in both singles and doubles. Her record of 32 Grand Slam titles ties her for eighth on the all-time list: 17 in singles, 13 in women's doubles, and 2 in mixed doubles. She is the most recent player, male or female, to have held all four Grand Slam singles titles simultaneously ('02–'03) and only the fifth woman ever to do so. Her total of 17 Grand Slam singles titles is sixth on the all-time list,^[9] and fourth in the Open Era, behind Steffi Graf (22 titles) and Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova (18 titles each).^[9] She has won 13 Grand Slam doubles titles with her sister Venus Williams and the pair are unbeaten in Grand Slam finals. She has four Olympic gold medals.

Honestly, I could include more information.  But for the purpose of this blog I simply want to reiterate (in addition to her manifold achievements listed above) the wonder of God's creation, I see in Serena Williams. The game is more exciting, more fun to watch and more athletic because of her. Her serve has been clocked at 125 mph. Although the average player on the women's tour is 24 (among women in the top 10), Serena has only gotten better, faster and stronger.  

Richard Williams: Genius or Madman?

Set: Before they were born, Serena's father and coach Richard Williams was set on one thing—his daughters would become number one in the world.  He wrote an 80-page "manifesto" if you will, outlining how he would raise his daughters—born just 15-months apart to dominate tennis.

Why tennis? Richard Williams, admitted it was because he wanted to make money. The prize money, salaries and earnings in other professional female sports pale in comparison to what tennis can provide. Vocal and unapologetic, Richard Williams is as complicated a character as Serena appears to be. In describing him to a friend, I could not help but wonder, Is he a genius or a madman?

I just love this photo

His daughters' success is because of that genius. They learned fundamentals of the game par excellance coupled with an unconventional training regime he created.  Venus and Serena took Jazz dance and boxed to develop fast footwork, they learned to throw the football because it simulates the service motion. Mr. Williams even went so far as to find players that another coach knew were cheaters; he knew that type of player would challenge their mental cool.

The Williams grew up on the public courts of Compton, CA. They were largely homeschooled and driven by their father to focus everything on tennis. Venus said "we never went to parties or did things that most children do." But their father's dream for his daughters came to fruition. Serena Williams net worth is now over $100 million dollars.  They have faced racial prejudice in their sport on the circuit and from tennis fans. Every step of the way, Richard Williams has been by his daughters side being Richard Williams. What he set out to achieve is what and who we watch today.

Joy in action.

Match: Venus is Serena's match. Serena says she played tennis because she wanted to be just like her older sister. Everything Venus did, she wanted to do. And yet, Serena never indicates, articulates or reveals that she wanted to do it "better." Today, Venus, who is currently ranked #63 in the world, if often sitting in the stands, cheering for Serena. And you know what? she looks as happy for her to win and when she won.  

In 2002, when Serena defeated her sister for her first Wimbledon title, Venus ran to a camera man to take a picture to capture the moment. She is the calm to Serena's chaos. She is a tall drink of water whereas Serena is a muscle machine. Her career has been affected by a rare auto-immune disease but she continues to participate in the game that she loves and can't want to imagine a life without tennis. She doesn't want to.

I make a point of looking for "joy in action." Watching those two sisters play doubles tennis together, one can't help but notice how much they love each other and the game that has defined them.

The number one and number two tennis players in the world (at the time of this photo!)

Serena: Serena Williams has overcome health issues, racial discrimination, poverty, and more. She has also allowed herself to be the subject of drama, discipline (or lack of it) and dynamism. I'm grateful she is on the tour and I hope she breaks the record as the all-time winningest female athlete.  Game, set, match: SERENA.

Photo Credits 
Young Venus and Serena
Double Win
Joy in action
Father-Daughter

Report from an ND Home Game Part II

Whether or not it's your first visit back to campus in ten years or your third in five years, what Notre Dame alumni and fans should know that what they see today, will not be here tomorrow. The University's "Campus and Development"report states 

Never a campus to be accused of “dreaming too small,” Notre Dame has $300 million to $400 million of campus development projects in progress or on the horizon. They include a center for executive education, a social sciences building, a student activities building, two residence halls, a multi-disciplinary research building, and an art museum.

My immediate reaction says "that's a lot of money." My friend was right—the University is rolling in money these days. But I also believe after my visit this past weekend for the Michigan State game that it's soul is not for sale; it will not be bought or sold. If they do it right, and I think they will, Notre Dame can and will only get better. 

And yet, I say that with humility. My basis for judgement is not scientific. I hope that my experience as the co-leader of the Catholic Identity Accreditation for WASC qualifies for something--anyone? anyone? But I'll also be the first to admit, I am not a professional consultant. I did not work for Arthur Andersen as many of my classmates did upon graduation (remember the full page ad in The Observer they had congratulating their new ND hires?).  But everywhere I go, I wear the lens of sport and spirituality.  And ND is rife with growth in both domains.

State of the Holy Family

It's easy to report just how many new buildings and structures have sprung up on campus. And the athletic department has benefitted as much, if not more than others.  Although I have often heard about the new softball, soccer, track and hockey facilities, no one has once commented on the increased amount of religious art on display throughout Notre Dame's 1,250 acres.  

A sculpture of the Holy Family stands at a central intersection. A replica of The Visitation by Holy Cross priest and sculptor, Anthony J. Lauck, CSC is appropriately placed next to the Eck Visitor's Center.  Outside of the Basilica of the Sacred Heart stands a statue of Our Lady in remembrance of the unborn.  And a beautiful Sant'Egidio Icon hangs inside as a reminder of our call to ecumenism. In 2009, Pope Benedict met with artists to affirm their talents as gift from God and the importance of their trade. He said "Sacred art is a living catechesis. The richness of religious art, shows that the Church has always been a source of inspiration." Notre Dame has affirmed this sentiment.

And yet, what I love about Notre Dame is the integration of the holy or sacred into the ordinary.  Every classroom, every dining room and yes, even every athletic facility has a cross that hangs to bless the space and to identify what we believe.  God, Country, Notre Dame aren't just words on the north door of the Basilica, it is echoed in the signs and symbols that hang in every athletic facility.

One dedication that I found particularly intriguing is the "Homage of Holy Cross" placard that hangs in the Compton Family Ice Arena. Everyone who has been to this state of the art facility for the ND hockey team has told me I have to see it.  Even though I'm not a big hockey fan, I am glad I did. WOW.  Perhaps the appropriate word here is—legion?! It may serve as a different take on Mother Teresa's maxim "something beautiful for God" and yet, it certainly is. In a small way, I think it was made even more beautiful by the message of gratitude to the members of the Congregation of Holy Cross to foster the community that is Notre Dame.

The changes and growth at Notre Dame aren't without oversight.  For example, when I saw the newly constructed towers on the football practice fields, I knew why they were there. In 2010, Declan Sullivan tragically died when the cherry picker the team had used for taping practice collapsed in a wind storm. I wish the University had placed words in memoriam to Declan Sullivan outside of the football gate. I hope they will...

I hope someday these fields will be dedicated to Declan Sullivan

T.S. Elliot wrote "home is where we start from" and returning to Notre Dame reminded me of what started there. No matter how many new building or statues rise and fall, the spirit of Notre Dame is constant. Why? because of its roots.  I think my experience and the words of theologian Ron Rolheiser affirm that belief. He writes "The pain of transience and impermanence in our lives also helps point us toward the things that don’t change, namely, faith, hope and love. These can never be bulldozed under, replaced by grain fields, burnt down by fire, expropriated and knocked down to make way for a new freeway, or rendered obsolete by newer software. In this world, Scripture tells us, we have no lasting city, but we are already inextricably bound up with things that do last forever. No wonder we sing "and our hearts forever, love thee Notre Dame!"

Photo Credits
Dome

Report from an ND Home Game: Part I

I just came back from my first home football game at my alma mater, the University of Notre Dame since 2002.  It was a weekend I will never forget as I shared it with one of my closest friends and her wonderful, loving, enthusiastic, spirited and FUN family. Alumni who return to campus after an extended period of time are frequently overwhelmed with the amount of building and development. Dormitories, academic building, heck—entire quads exist where open space once loomed large.

"Friends are the jewel of life!" with the Davis & McGuire families

Occasionally, this change is met with suspicion. One friend quipped, the University (by the looks of the campus) seems to be rolling in cash these days.  Something bothered me about all of it.  Has ND sold its soul? I have been back to ND many times in the summer and on non-football weekends, so my experience of campus is less jarring than others who may have been away for ten, fifteen, even twenty years. And yet, I appreciated her question. In fact, it was one I took with me as I visited in both June and this past weekend. And for the purpose of this blog, I am happy to provide my all too biased report.

Great photo of this time period.  Notice the uneven bench and lack of shrubbery. No chance of that today

Notre Dame looks awesome. Make no mistake about it. There is no den of iniquity, no area of disorder to be found (remember that fountain behind Hayes Healy where Zahm's hazing, err "initiation" once took place? There stood weeds, uneven bricks, bad plaster. You won't find the likes of that anywhere today). Campus is alive and blooming.  Flowers, mulch, greenery, shrubs grow as they should in a place that gets that much rain. Life is about trade-offs, right?

The University has supported its claim of the importance of on-campus life with stay-halls (dormitories) that are beautiful and unique. In its Admissions report, it states

At Notre Dame we develop community in our every interaction. We come here to pursue truth and as we do so, we live in the process of building relationships.  Undergraduate students form strong bonds by sharing space within their residence hall communities, expressing themselves through an impressive network of student activities, playing together on a wide array of athletic teams and by supporting each other throughout the growth and change that occurs during their four years here.

One need not look far to see that each one seeks to promote community in invitational and creative ways. This is self-evident, even in a 48-hour visit when and where a football game is of the highest priority.

Carroll Hall: Home of the Vermin. One word: impressive.

Farley, Sorin, Duncan and Alumni. These places among others are where school spirit is alive and kicking. For example, Zahm hung a green and white banner that extended the entire length and height of the east side of the building. I marveled at how they were able to construct such a placard. And we thought we were talented when we used two bedsheets to promote Pop Farley. Indeed, I am not surprised that "80% of Notre Dame's 8,300 undergraduates choose to call the Notre Dame campus their home."  

On campus still stand a strong number of basketball courts above and beyond those at Stephan. I love to discover those that are tucked away in unlikely places (the half court next to St. Ed's and another close to Carroll Hall by the lake). There is an affordable a 9-hole golf course, a stone's throw from Pangborn and Fisher in addition to the championship Warren Golf course just a mile away. I smiled as I saw more sidewalk and trails for running than ever before. Variety is the spice of life! And in case you were worried, the fields for inter-hall football are still with us. Recreation at Notre Dame appears limitless as I gaped at the list of classes and intramural opportunities provided by RecSports.

And yet, the commitment to sport is matched by a commitment to spirituality.

Geddes is today's "Center for Social Concerns"

On Gameday, I attended a talk entitled "Saturdays with the Saints" with about 150 other people at Geddes Hall.  I learned ever more about the lives and significance of the four churchwomen who were martyred in El Salvador in 1980.  After the football game, I joined 200 others in Siegfried's chapel for Sunday mass.  Indeed, each hall has its own chapel dedicated to a different saint. Students serve as Eucharistic ministers, lectors, musicians and greeters.  It is a wonderful thing to pray with and for one's community.

And that is my report on the "stuff" that is easy to quantify. Tomorrow, I will conclude with the integration of sport and spirituality in an unlikely way—once again, as evidenced from an ND home game.  Go Irish.

Photo Credits
Carroll Hall
Outside Hayes Healy