Greg Maddux: "How Good Can You Be?"

Greg Maddux, one of the celebrity athletes who played in the 2014 American Century Championship Golf Classic July 16-20, 2014 was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame just one week later. To look at Maddux, you wouldn't think it to be true, especially wehn I saw him standing next to any of the other pitchers in the tourney—like Mark Mulder or Derek Lowe. Known as "Mr. Peepers" his size and stature is makes little to no impression. But his accomplishments on the mound and his speech certainly do.

Inducted with former teammate Tom Glavine and of course "the Big Hurt."

Mike Marteny writes "Maddux was a second round draft pick of the Chicago Cubs in 1984, and made his major league debut in September of 1986.  He went on to win 355 games with a 3.16 ERA and 3,371 strikeouts in his 23 year career with the Cubs, Braves, Dodgers, and Padres.  Maddux won 15 games or more in an astonishing 17 straight seasons, and was the catalyst behind the Braves’ dominance in the 1990′s."

Obviously, athletes are inducted for personal accomplishments in their sport. But sports hall of fame induction ceremonies, and I've been to a lot of them, reference a little more than the wins and losses, records broken, etc. Said events are charged with emotion and gratitude; each one typically contains a kernel of wisdom or a moment of grace. Maddux's was no exception. After thanking both of his parents, older brother Mike, former teammates and coaches he said: 

AKA "Mad Dog"

[Former Cubs pitching coach] Billy Connors asked, 'Do you ever wonder how good you can be?'" Maddux said. "Of course, I said, 'No.' He said, 'Why don't you go out there and find out?' I've been trying to find the answer to that question every day since."

What a great question: How good can you be? I love the question as much as I love the fact his coach asked him to consider the answer.

Has anyone ever asked you that question? Have you asked it of yourself? What if we all did? What if we each considered how good we could be in any area or domain we are passionate about? What if we invited those we care about to do the same? How good of a student? How good of a coach? How good of a friend? an athlete? a spouse? a colleague? an artist? 

What I also appreciate is that Maddux does not answer this question. Instead he reveals that it is one that he has lived with. The quest for the answer—success or goodness—fueled the journey. The destination? Well obviously Cooperstown is one of those. Not a bad one.

Thank you Greg Maddux for this life lesson, for my first memory of you as someone Will Clark got a hit off of in the 1989 NLCS (for the win!) and you're right when you said "those of us play this great game and make a living at it are all extremely lucky." Luck, support of family and good mentors and a very important question as well.

Photo Credits

Barry Bonds: How Do We Celebrate 50 Years?

50 years today: b. July 24, 1964

I walked into the boutique on Chestnut Street in San Francisco and looked at the tall, fit African American man standing in front of me as though I knew him. He looked sharp in his sky blue Izod Lacoste polo shirt, fresh sneaks, stylish watch; he was rockin' the shoulder bag too. I was trying to figure out why he looked so familiar and then I heard his voice. I know that voice; San Francisco Giants fans know that voice too. It's somewhat high pitched, a little soft spoken. It's the voice of the Home Run King* Barry Bonds. Today is his 50th Birthday.

Barry Bonds. I wish I could liken this story to that of the Good Shepherd. John 10 states "he walks ahead of them, and the sheep follow him, because they recognize his voice. But they will not follow a stranger; they will run way from him, because they do not recognize the voice of strangers. A good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. I am the good good shepherd, and I know mine and mine know me."

Indeed, we know Bonds voice, but unfortunately, it's not for reasons that we might associate with Christ's parable of the Good Shepherd.

On the Feast of the Good Shepherd, Pope Francis preached on how one might become more like Christ in this way. According to the Holy Father, a telltale sign of a good shepherd is this: they smell like sheep. 

"You know how you smell like sheep?" he queried. "Well, spend a lot of time with sheep and you know one thing: they don't smell good." In order to smell like sheep, you have to roll up your sleeves and jump in—up close and personal, get down and dirty. Although you smelling like sheep might not be a welcome thing, something else will transpire. They will know you. A relationship will develop. They will listen and follow. Loyalty, understanding, affection, and it won't run one way. 

Bonds watching "Bonds on Bonds"

Unfortunately there are many examples that point to how and why Bonds smells little to anything like his teammates. Bonds never showed up for the team photo. He was always photoshopped in to include the face of the MVP for the poster. He never ate the team spread. Nothing is more communal than breaking bread together. Bonds ate elsewhere. And what many find most egregious is that he had his own corner and the proverbial recliner in the locker room. A former baseball coach I work with said "He was a selfish teammate, an inattentive father and husband and a poor role model." What bothers me most however is that it could have been different.

Bonds filled the seats in the stadium. We celebrated wildly when he broke the Home Run record, albeit not everyone. He carried the team into the 2002 World Series and helped the G-men ear the 1997, 2000 and 2003 West Division titles. The son of a former Giants and the Godson of the greatest one, Willie Mays, we wanted to love #25. We wanted to stand tall and proud behind who could be the greatest Giants of all time. For many reasons, Bonds made this difficult.

He completed his career with 762

However, I think it's important to point that some people do stand behind him. Perhaps you have heard, there is a group that is using Kickstarter to crowdfund the construction of a life-size bronze statue of Barry Bonds, to be installed near AT&T Park. One of the leaders writes:

Barry Bronze is a purely positive campaign, and we're ready to work with anyone that will help us show our appreciation of a spectacular player. Bonds has made all of us better fans. His signing back in 1993 by Peter Magowan helped solidify the Giants organization here in San Francisco. In fact, Magowan realized the importance of Bonds' Bay Area roots and signed him before the Giants even had a general manager! Barry's efforts at Candlestick Park drove the Giants to build what is now known as AT&T Park, the best ballpark in the United States. Barry Bonds has delivered countless amazing memories and loads of entertainment and we just want to say thanks.

No doubt, this campaign has caused me to reflect on Bonds' career, his contributions, charisma and character. Like many things in life, it's complicated—no? On his 50th birthday, I would rather we appreciate the good times and great memories with the All-Star, even though they smell funny.

I recently learned that it wasn't until the third century that Christians started to include a crucifix or cross as a focal point of our churches The central image was one of Jesus as the Good Shepherd. He knows each and everyone of us. He laid down his life for us. He led, today we continue to follow. It's hard to say that about Barry Bonds.

NB: The front office of the Giants has extended a small olive branch in asking Bonds to serve as a hitting instructor during the 2014 Spring Training. It remains in question whether or not he will be inducted into the MLB Hall of Fame. Bonds wasn't the only player to use steroids during the era he dominated.

Photo Credits
Good Shep
#BarryBronze
Bonds on Bonds
Bonds Today

Fernando Rodney: Pride vs. Humlity

Whoever exalts himself will be humbled and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

                —Matthew 23:12

Jesus' words are indeed challenging; it's a tough message because it is true. And sports finds a way of revealing this time and again. Fernando Rodney, the ace closer of the Seattle Mariners provides a recent example. 

To be honest, Rodney is a bit of an easy target. The 37-year old Dominican pitcher is the only player in the game who wears his lid so blatantly to the side. In Golf Boys 2.0 Rickie Fowler mentions going "flat bill." Rodney has followed suit. His look is smug and so his an eye-catching ritual on the mound. Bill Baer writes "Though it's done in the name of good-natured fun, Fernando Rodney's bow-and-arrow celebration after nailing down a save has, at times, rubbed people the wrong way."

I know for a fact that were Rodney to play for a rival team of the San Francisco Giants, I would be one of those people. But because he pitches in the AL, I find his antics entertaining and colorful. But even more amusing is how a divisional rival, the Anaheim Angels responded.

Right now, the Angels have the second best record in all of MLB, but they are a game and a half back of first place. The Mariners are trailing by nine games. Rodney came into the Sunday afternoon contest at Angel Stadium (July 20, 2014) in the eighth inning with a 5-4 lead. When Rodney secured the final two outs, he pulled a bow from the imaginary quiver he carries on his back and shot it at the Angels dugout. 

No denying that throwing the fastball the was he does isn't easy, especially on the road, but his performance took place with one inning to go. And wouldn't you know it, the Mariner hero—one who exalted himself—was humbled. 

Baer wrote "the Angels decided to borrow it when they came from behind against Rodney and eventually walked off 6-5 winners in the ninth inning on Sunday. Mike Trout led off the ninth inning with a walk, then used his speed to score from first on an Albert Pujols double to right field. After Trout scored, Pujols mimicked firing a bow-and-arrow towards Trout (and, he says, the Angels dugout). Trout returned the shot back to Pujols. The Angels would take a 6-5 victory when Grant Green pushed a two-out single up the middle to score Josh Hamilton."

Trout was the MVP at the 2014 All-Star Game where Rodney shot his arrow at the NL.

All parties involved say its just Rodney's "schtick." And Rodney said “I did it for the fans. When I came out, they booed me. I did that for them. It’s part of the game.” It is...and it isn't.

Rodney's antic, which I also noticed at the All-Star game, has made me wonder: Why is pride so entertaining? Why isn't humility more appealing? Is there a middle-ground?

I also thought that these questions should never be considered in isolation. I thought: Do Rodney's teammates and coaches appreciate his pride? Does it lend itself to a selfless mentality or group flourishing?  Can one person really take the spotlight or does that happen at the expense of others?

If pride weren't so tempting, it wouldn't one of the seven deadly sins. But every human battles it in their own way. Some of us put it on display in the middle of a baseball diamond and our opponents are are too happy to call us out. The best part of this story however is that a lot of people had a lot of fun with it—and I believe even Rodney showed a little humility is enjoying it as well.

Remember, it's only July so the heat isn't on in the way it will be come September. Oh, and I have a feeling Fernando Rodney's quiver is still full. 

Photo Credits
Schtick
Trout

What's It Like to.....

There are many things beyond my comprehension. Examples include the ever expanding universe, the hard stuff like SIDS, cancer or why so many Americans go hungry on a daily basis, but also how totally selfless some people are with their time and talents. Sports also provides a host of other examples, good, bad and otherwise.

Watching golf at the American Century Celebrity Golf Championship Tournament at Edgewood in South Lake Tahoe, one need not look hard or far to see Heavenly Ski Resort. I can't imagine what a thrill it must be to make my way down the mountainside on skis without fear. The view is breathtaking, the adrenaline rush must be exhilarating. 

One of the celebrity players is Golden State Warriors' point guard Steph Curry. Seeing the All-Star with a 3-handicap play golf today, it's hard not to wonder how this man who is 6'3" and very trim is able to play against athletes who are much bigger and stronger. 

Fans line up along the 18th hole which is on the beach and toss the celebrity players footballs, hats, etc. One fan set up a basketball hoop and threw a ball to Curry. He nailed a sweet three pointer from the fairway ;-)

Each sport on the professional level offers its own tasks and challenges; it can also reveal the incredulous and awesome abilities, talents and skills of humanity. It's one thing to throw a fastball at 100 mph and another to be the batter trying to hit it. I would love to know what it must feel like to slam dunk or make a penalty kick. What's it like to break a tackle, find a hole, juke left and then right and run the ball 50-plus yards into the end zone. Tell me Edwin Moses, how were you able to run the 400 meter hurdles with such speed and strength? You made it look effortless. And on the eve of The Open Championship, as a golfer, I am dying to know What it's like to win the British Open? 

For one more day, the person to answer that question is the 2013 champion Phil Mickelson. But there's one more question, I need him to answer: What's it like to drink a $40,000 of wine? I want to know because that's what he did from the Claret Jug after his first Open victory.

“One of the things that I stressed is that we have to treat the claret jug with reverence and respect that it deserves and only put good stuff in it,”

When I first learned this story, I tucked it away in the file of British Open lore (John Daly has another one of my favorites). But the more I thought about it, the more it didn't sit well with me. The moral sensor in me went to the alarm mode. I debated blogging about it, but thought I should do so in the form of raising ethical questions. Is it ok? 

I decided I should read a little more about the story. And what I learned made me smile. Mickelson stressed the importance of reverence and shared how he found  joy in communion. The bottle, a 1990 Romanee-Conti was a gift and it was a surprise. Not a bad way to celebrate. 

One of my favorite lessons: The team is never just "you."

So what's it's like to win the British Open? I think Mickelson offers a very small insight into an answer to a question that is beyond my comprehension. Tomorrow, a new person will have his own answer. I hope his reveals beauty and truth as well; I don't doubt the journey to get there will too.

Photo Credits
The original Splash Brother

St. Kateri Tekakwitha: Proud To Be...

Today, we celebrate the feast day of Saint Kateri Tekakwitha. Cannonized by Pope Benedict in November 2012, she is a great many things—convert, patroness of the environment and ecology (like Francis!), virgin and the first Native American to be declared a saint. Known as the "Lily of the Mohawks," St. Kateri is the daughter of a Mohawk Warrior. However there is one thing she is not, and that's something that is part of public discourse in the wide world of sports today. She is not a "Redskin."

A number of collegiate and professional sports teams have changed their mascot out of respect for native peoples. Stanford University, once the Indians, is now the Cardinal. Seattle University—the Chieftains are the Redhawks, and today the St. John's Redmen are the Red Storm. Other teams however, have yet to do so. And it's a question they have had to answer. Should they? To what degree does a mascot marginalize a group of people? Does it promote or compromise human dignity? 

But a small sampling of sports teams with Native Peoples as mascots.

I'm sure the public relations people at the Cleveland Indians and Atlanta Braves (baseball), Chicago Blackhawks (Hockey), Kansas City Chiefs and Washington Redskins (football) have an answer. This brief video however, shared with me by my friend Craig proved to be thoughtful, important and it reinforced my understanding that racism can be underhanded and insidious. Unless we are taught about perceptions amidst misconceptions, what may appear to be innocuous—like a mascot—can only reinforce misunderstandings, hurt and lies. "Change the Name" is seeking to put an end to this. 

SFGate reports that “The R-word is as derogatory a slur as the N-word,” Marshall McKay, chairman of the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation said in an online video. “When this name first came to be, it was a vehicle for people to bring the victims of violence into an office so they could collect a bounty.”

"The NFL and the Washington team have faced increased scrutiny to change the name. Recently, several prominent national media outlets said they would refuse to refer to the team by the epithet it uses for a mascot."

An interesting alternative that has been offered...

Like many native people, St. Kateri suffered a great deal in her life. She contracted small pox, a disease which took her mother's life when she was just four years of age; it left her face transfigured with scars. She suffered greatly for her faith by her own people. But, devotion to her is also responsible for establishing Native American ministries in Catholic Churches throughout the US and Canada.

Today, we celebrate and honor her dignity. Let's do what we can for all Native Americans as well.

Photo Credits
Mascots
Washington Warriors
Proud to Be