One afternoon, Shaya and his father walked past a park where some
boys Shaya knew were playing baseball. Shaya asked, “Do you think
they will let me play?”
Shaya’s father approached one of the boys in the field and asked
if Shaya could play. The boy looked around for guidance from his
teammates. Getting none, he took matters into his own hands and
said, “We’re losing by six runs, and the game is in the eighth
inning. I guess he can be on our team, and we’ll try to put him up
to bat in the ninth inning.”
Shaya’s father was ecstatic, and Shaya smiled broadly. Shaya was
told to put on a glove and go out to play short center field.
In the bottom of the eighth inning, Shaya’s team scored a few
runs but was still behind by three. In the bottom of the ninth
inning, Shaya’s team scored again, and now with two outs, the bases
loaded, and the potential winning run on base, Shaya was scheduled
to be up. Would the team actually let him bat at this juncture and
give away their chance to win the game?
Surprisingly, Shaya was given the bat. Everyone knew it was all
but impossible because Shaya didn’t even know how to hold the bat
properly, let alone hit with it. However, as Shaya stepped up to the
plate, the pitcher moved in a few steps to lob the ball softly so
Shaya should at least be able to make contact. The first pitch came
in, and Shaya swung clumsily and missed. One of Shaya’s teammates
came up to Shaya, and together they held the bat and faced the
pitcher waiting for the next pitch. The pitcher again stepped
forward to toss the ball softly toward Shaya.
As the pitch came in, Shaya and his teammate swung the bat, and
together they hit a slow ground ball to the pitcher. The pitcher
picked up the soft grounder and could easily have thrown the ball to
the first baseman.
Shaya would have been out, and that would have ended the game.
Instead, the pitcher took the ball and threw it with a high arc to
right field, far beyond the reach of the first baseman. Everyone
started yelling, “Shaya, run to first. Run to first!”
Never in his life had Shaya run to first. He scampered down the
baseline, wide-eyed and startled. By the time he reached first base,
the right fielder had the ball. He could have thrown the ball to the
second baseman, who would have tagged out Shaya, who was still
running. But the right fielder understood the pitcher’s intentions,
and he threw the ball high and far over the third baseman’s head.
Everyone yelled, “Run to second, run to second!” Shaya ran toward
second base as the runners ahead of him deliriously circled the
bases toward home.
As Shaya reached second base, the opposing shortstop ran to him,
turned him in the direction of third base, and shouted, “Run to
third!”
As Shaya rounded third, the boys from both teams ran behind him
screaming, “Shaya, run home!” Shaya ran home, stepped on home plate,
and all 18 boys lifted him on their shoulders and made him the hero,
as he had just hit a “grand slam” and won the game for his team.
“That day,” said the father softly, now with tears rolling down
his face, “those 18 boys reached their level of God’s perfection.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
What a fantastic team! What an AWESOME season!
Thanks, guys, we love you!
GO, MARINERS!