The Quotable and Notable Game of Baseball

October 10, 2015October 10, 2015 / insightbyseymour / Leave a comment

When I was a kid, many of my Summer days were spent at makeshift ball diamonds at Graham Park, Skelly School or the water tower by Tom’s house. The evening hours would find most of us at the ball diamonds by McDonald’s Stadium—as in Jim McDonald, not the golden arches.

I have a pretty good understanding about the ins and outs of baseball, but one thing has troubled me for many years: Why does everybody stand up and sing “Take Me Out To The Ballgame” when we’re already there?

This is what I do at 4 AM of a morning: I give a lot of profound thought to the perplexing mysteries of the universe. I also try to search and discover the true meaning and purpose of life.

I may have found some answers to secrets of life in the quotes below. Read these and study the stats on today’s sports page, and you might stay busy until game time:

There are three types of baseball players: those who make it happen, those who watch it happen, and those who wonder what happens. ~Tommy Lasorda
Bob Gibson is the luckiest pitcher I ever saw. He always pitches when the other team doesn’t score any runs. ~ Tim McCarver
Ninety percent of this game is half mental. ~ Yogi Berra
There are two theories on hitting the knuckleball. Unfortunately, neither one of them works. ~Charlie Lau
The way to catch a knuckleball is to wait until the ball stops rolling and then to pick it up. ~ Bob Uecker
I watch a lot of baseball on radio. ~ President Gerald Ford
I can remember a sports writer asking me for a quote and I didn’t know what a quote was. I thought it was some kind of soft drink. ~Joe DiMaggio

Here’s one final quote to illustrate the lack of sophistication in those who don’t love the game: “The baseball mania has run its course. It has no future as a professional endeavor (Cincinnati Gazette editorial, 1879).”

Take Me Out To The Ball Game

October 9, 2015October 9, 2015 / insightbyseymour / Leave a comment

Baseball! Some people love the game while others hate it. I’ve always enjoyed this game played by the boys of Summer; the game known as America’s pastime; and, the game that makes front page news each October.

Baseball is more than an umpire calling balls and strikes over a span of 9 innings that consists of 162 games per team for a cumulative total of 2430 games played–plus the Championship Series and World Series games. Throughout the season, the players will use some 16,500 bats and 157,950 baseballs.

But the story of baseball is more than the consumption of bats and baseballs. It is a centuries old legacy of Dads reverting to childhood antics as he takes his kids to ball diamonds to cheer on his favorite team.

And, what’s a game without the mustard and ketchup coated and much revered round steak in a bun–the hot dog? In 2014, the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council (NHDSC) estimated that fans would eat a whopping 21,357,316 hot dogs and 5,508,887 sausages during the MLB season. That’s enough hot dogs to stretch from Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles to Wrigley Field in Chicago.

I think I just heard the ump shout, “Play ball,” so I have to go, but to help you reminisce, I’m sharing a chart below that’s a record of the World Series winners.

MLB World Series Winners
SEASON	WINNER	LOSER	SERIES
2014	San Francisco Giants	Kansas City Royals	4-3
2013	Boston Red Sox	St. Louis Cardinals	4-2
2012	San Francisco Giants	Detroit Tigers	4-0
2011	St. Louis Cardinals	Texas Rangers	4-3
2010	San Francisco Giants	Texas Rangers	4-1
2009	New York Yankees	Philadelphia Phillies	4-2
2008	Philadelphia Phillies	Tampa Bay Rays	4-1
2007	Boston Red Sox	Colorado Rockies	4-0
2006	St. Louis Cardinals	Detroit Tigers	4-1
2005	Chicago White Sox	Houston Astros	4-0
2004	Boston Red Sox	St. Louis Cardinals	4-0
2003	Florida Marlins	New York Yankees	4-2
2002	Anaheim Angels	San Francisco Giants	4-3
2001	Arizona Diamondbacks	New York Yankees	4-3
2000	New York Yankees	New York Mets	4-1
1999	New York Yankees	Atlanta Braves	4-0
1998	New York Yankees	San Diego Padres	4-0
1997	Florida Marlins	Cleveland Indians	4-3
1996	New York Yankees	Atlanta Braves	4-2
1995	Atlanta Braves	Cleveland Indians	4-2
1993	Toronto Blue Jays	Philadelphia Phillies	4-2
1992	Toronto Blue Jays	Atlanta Braves	4-2
1991	Minnesota Twins	Atlanta Braves	4-3
1990	Cincinnati Reds	Oakland Athletics	4-0
1989	Oakland Athletics	San Francisco Giants	4-0
1988	Los Angeles Dodgers	Oakland Athletics	4-1
1987	Minnesota Twins	St. Louis Cardinals	4-3
1986	New York Mets	Boston Red Sox	4-3
1985	Kansas City Royals	St. Louis Cardinals	4-3
1984	Detroit Tigers	San Diego Padres	4-1
1983	Baltimore Orioles	Philadelphia Phillies	4-1
1982	St. Louis Cardinals	Milwaukee Brewers	4-3
1981	Los Angeles Dodgers	New York Yankees	4-2
1980	Philadelphia Phillies	Kansas City Royals	4-2
1979	Pittsburgh Pirates	Baltimore Orioles	4-3
1978	New York Yankees	Los Angeles Dodgers	4-2
1977	New York Yankees	Los Angeles Dodgers	4-2
1976	Cincinnati Reds	New York Yankees	4-0
1975	Cincinnati Reds	Boston Red Sox	4-3
1974	Oakland Athletics	Los Angeles Dodgers	4-1
1973	Oakland Athletics	New York Mets	4-3
1972	Oakland Athletics	Cincinnati Reds	4-3
1971	Pittsburgh Pirates	Baltimore Orioles	4-3
1970	Baltimore Orioles	Cincinnati Reds	4-1
1969	New York Mets	Baltimore Orioles	4-1
1968	Detroit Tigers	St. Louis Cardinals	4-3
1967	St. Louis Cardinals	Boston Red Sox	4-3
1966	Baltimore Orioles	Los Angeles Dodgers	4-0
1965	Los Angeles Dodgers	Minnesota Twins	4-3
1964	St. Louis Cardinals	New York Yankees	4-3
1963	Los Angeles Dodgers	New York Yankees	4-0
1962	New York Yankees	San Francisco Giants	4-3
1961	New York Yankees	Cincinnati Reds	4-1
1960	Pittsburgh Pirates	New York Yankees	4-3
1959	Los Angeles Dodgers	Chicago White Sox	4-2
1958	New York Yankees	Milwaukee Braves	4-3
1957	Milwaukee Braves	New York Yankees	4-3
1956	New York Yankees	Brooklyn Dodgers	4-3
1955	Brooklyn Dodgers	New York Yankees	4-3
1954	New York Giants	Cleveland Indians	4-0
1953	New York Yankees	Brooklyn Dodgers	4-2
1952	New York Yankees	Brooklyn Dodgers	4-3
1951	New York Yankees	New York Giants	4-2
1950	New York Yankees	Philadelphia Phillies	4-0
1949	New York Yankees	Brooklyn Dodgers	4-1
1948	Cleveland Indians	Boston Braves	4-2
1947	New York Yankees	Brooklyn Dodgers	4-3
1946	St. Louis Cardinals	Boston Red Sox	4-3
1945	Detroit Tigers	Chicago Cubs	4-3
1944	St. Louis Cardinals	St. Louis Browns	4-2
1943	New York Yankees	St. Louis Cardinals	4-1
1942	St. Louis Cardinals	New York Yankees	4-1
1941	New York Yankees	Brooklyn Dodgers	4-1
1940	Cincinnati Reds	Detroit Tigers	4-3
1939	New York Yankees	Cincinnati Reds	4-0
1938	New York Yankees	Chicago Cubs	4-0
1937	New York Yankees	New York Giants	4-1
1936	New York Yankees	New York Giants	4-2
1935	Detroit Tigers	Chicago Cubs	4-2
1934	St. Louis Cardinals	Detroit Tigers	4-3
1933	New York Giants	Washington Senators	4-1
1932	New York Yankees	Chicago Cubs	4-0
1931	St. Louis Cardinals	Philadelphia Athletics	4-3
1930	Philadelphia Athletics	St. Louis Cardinals	4-2
1929	Philadelphia Athletics	Chicago Cubs	4-1
1928	New York Yankees	St. Louis Cardinals	4-0
1927	New York Yankees	Pittsburgh Pirates	4-0
1926	St. Louis Cardinals	New York Yankees	4-3
1925	Pittsburgh Pirates	Washington Senators	4-3
1924	Washington Senators	New York Giants	4-3
1923	New York Yankees	New York Giants	4-2
1922	New York Giants	New York Yankees	4-0
1921	New York Giants	New York Yankees	5-3
1920	Cleveland Indians	Brooklyn Robins	5-2
1919	Cincinnati Reds	Chicago White Sox	5-3
1918	Boston Red Sox	Chicago Cubs	4-2
1917	Chicago White Sox	New York Giants	4-2
1916	Boston Red Sox	Brooklyn Robins	4-1
1915	Boston Red Sox	Philadelphia Phillies	4-1
1914	Boston Braves	Philadelphia Athletics	4-0
1913	Philadelphia Athletics	New York Giants	4-1
1912	Boston Red Sox	New York Giants	4-3
1911	Philadelphia Athletics	New York Giants	4-2
1910	Philadelphia Athletics	Chicago Cubs	4-1
1909	Pittsburgh Pirates	Detroit Tigers	4-3
1908	Chicago Cubs	Detroit Tigers	4-1
1907	Chicago Cubs	Detroit Tigers	4-0
1906	Chicago White Sox	Chicago Cubs	4-2
1905	New York Giants	Philadelphia Athletics	4-1
1903	Boston Americans	Pittsburgh Pirates	5-3

The Truth About Truth

October 9, 2015October 9, 2015 / insightbyseymour / Leave a comment

As I watched the evening news last night and the skilled manner in which the politicians spun the truth, I thought of the words of Jesus and Solomon:

John 8:32: You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
Proverbs 12:17: Truthful witness by a good person clears the air, but liars lay down a smoke screen of deceit. ~ The Message

If the truth will make you free, can you make the assumption that a life of habitual deceitfulness leads to bondage? To be free, you need to have the courage to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15).

Some people have lived a life characterized by manipulation and deceit to the point that they wouldn’t recognize truth if it appeared to them as their firstborn child. To help you recognize it and understand it, take note of a quote or two:

G.K. Chesterton: “Right is right even if nobody does it. Wrong is wrong even if everybody is wrong about it.”
George Orwell: “In a time of universal deceit — telling the truth is a revolutionary act.”
Albert Einstein: “Anyone who doesn’t take truth seriously in small matters cannot be trusted in large ones either.”
Augustine: “The truth is like a lion; you don’t have to defend it. Let it loose; it will defend itself.”

I’m not sure if Billy Graham had Martin Luther King, Jr in mind when he made the statement above, or if King was thinking of Graham; but the two of them made complimentary statements:

Billy Graham: “Courage is contagious. When a brave man takes a stand, the spines of others are often stiffened.”
Martin Luther King, Jr: “Cowardice asks the question, is it safe? Expediency ask the question, is it politic? Vanity asks the question, is it popular? But, conscience ask the question, is it right? And there comes a time when we must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but one must take it because it is right.”

I’ll close with Psalm 85:10 from The Message: “Love and Truth meet in the street, Right Living and Whole Living embrace and kiss! Truth sprouts green from the ground, Right Living pours down from the skies! Oh yes! God gives Goodness and Beauty; our land responds with Bounty and Blessing. Right Living strides out before him, and clears a path for his passage.”

10 on 10 for October 8th

October 8, 2015 / insightbyseymour / Leave a comment

Here are the 10 on 10 resources for today….

Psalm 40:10: I have declared Your faithfulness and Your salvation; I have not concealed Your lovingkindness and Your truth from the great assembly.

Prayer: “I Pray, dear God, that you will give me the opportunity to speak of your faithfulness and your salvation. Use me an expression of your lovingkindness, and help me to stand for truth in a world of error.”

Proverbs 8

More Than Conquerors

October 8, 2015October 8, 2015 / insightbyseymour / Leave a comment

He had to know it was going to happen at some point in time, and he may have thought what life would be like without him; however when he heard the thundering voice of God, he was still shocked: “Moses my servant is dead.”

Joshua took a deep breath and began to reflect on the life lessons he had learned from this mighty man of God. He wiggled his toes as he thought of his pilgrim journey—the past as well as the future. The one had been the geography of the land and the escape from Egyptian purgatory, but the other was just ahead and was the long-awaited “milk and honey” territory. One had been miles of pain traveled by foot, but the other would be acres of promises claimed by faith.

His thoughts were interrupted by the unmistakable voice of God: “As I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not abandon you or leave you alone. Be strong and brave! You must lead these people in the conquest of this land that I solemnly promised their ancestors I would hand over to them . . . Don’t be afraid and don’t panic, for I, the Lord your God, am with you in all you do (Joshua 1).”

Like Joshua, you have an inheritance to claim. It’s more than a piece of dusty real estate, it’s a regal estate: It’s a relationship that promises victory. Paul said, “We are more than conquerors through Him who loved us (Romans 8:37).”

When you read other translations of this verse, they speak of being “completely victorious through God; experiencing an overwhelming victory;” and, being “triumphantly victorious due to the one who loved us.”

There is not a single instance where God promised that the road of life will be completely smooth and detour free. Moses and Joshua both experienced some trials and heartaches, and you will as well. This is why Paul said, “We do not despair . . . even if our physical body is wearing away, our inner person is being renewed day by day. For our momentary, light suffering is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison because we are not looking at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen. For what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal (2 Corinthians 4:16-18).”

When the hard times come, “be strong and brave,” and “don’t despair” the eventual victory is yours because you will be “triumphantly victorious” in Jesus.

10 On 10 For October 7th

October 7, 2015October 7, 2015 / insightbyseymour / Leave a comment

For the last couple of years, we have used October as a month to emphasis prayer and Scripture. Because October is the 10th month the idea is to take just 10 seconds at 10 AM or 10 PM for the brief verse and prayer that I share with you, and then at some time during the day read the chapter from Proverbs, use the ACTS format for your prayers. October has 31 days and Proverbs has 31 chapters, so we go through this wonderful book of wisdom during a month’s time.

10 on 10 for October 7th

Psalm 36:10: Spread Your faithful love over those who know You, and Your righteousness over the upright in heart.
Prayer: “I rejoice, Father, in knowing your faithful love, and I ask that you will make me a ‘spreader’ of your love.”
Proverbs 7

While God doesn’t demand that we use a specified and approved formula before He will hear and answers our prayers, I suggest you use ACTS as a “road map.” This acrostic will be helpful during our 10 On 10 emphasis:

Adoration

Adoration is openly displayed throughout the book of Psalms and the manner in which the writers praise God.
Psalm 34: I will praise the Lord at all times; my mouth will continually praise him. I will boast in the Lord; let the oppressed hear and rejoice! Magnify the Lord with me! Let’s praise his name together!
Praise God for His mercy, grace, and salvation.

Confession

Confession is a necessity.
I John 1:9: If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous, forgiving us our sins and cleansing us from all unrighteousness.
Psalm 139:23-24: Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my anxieties; and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

Thanksgiving

Psalms 103:2: Praise the Lord O my soul, and forget not all His benefits.
1 Thessalonians 5:18: Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
Take the time to thank God for:
- answered prayer
- spiritual blessings
- relational blessings
- material blessings

Supplications

Philippians 4:6: In everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
Pray for yourself and for the needs of others.

A Life of Mediocrity or Excellence?

October 7, 2015 / insightbyseymour / Leave a comment

Have you ever considered the difference between I should and I did? The lives of some people are summarized with statements such as these:

I should’ve
I could’ve
I wish I would’ve

Statements like these are characteristic of an unfulfilled life of dissatisfaction.

I did, however, speaks of commitment, dedication and resolve. To live a life of fulfillment and satisfaction we need to be an I did-er like Paul who said:

“I served the Lord with humility and tears, patiently enduring the many trials that came my way through the plots of my Jewish opponents. I did everything I could to help you; I held nothing back. I taught you publicly, and I taught you in your homes. I told everyone the same message—Jews and Greeks alike—that we must turn toward God and have faith in our Lord Jesus the Anointed (Acts 20:19-21).

As an I did-er, Paul could confidently say: “I am already being poured out, and the last drops of this drink offering are all that remain; it’s almost time for me to leave. I have fought the good fight, I have stayed on course and finished the race, and through it all, I have kept believing. I look forward to what’s in store for me: a crown of righteousness that the Lord—the always right and just judge—will give me that day (but it is not only for me, but for all those who love and long for His appearing).”

Paul lived a life of extraordinary accomplishment because he knew the difference between mediocrity and excellence is found in the enthusiastic pursuit of a life that glorifies God: “I do not consider myself to have ‘arrived’, spiritually, nor do I consider myself already perfect. But I keep going on, grasping ever more firmly that purpose for which Christ grasped me. My brothers, I do not consider myself to have fully grasped it even now. But I do concentrate on this: I leave the past behind and with hands outstretched to whatever lies ahead I go straight for the goal—my reward the honor of being called by God in Christ (Philippians 3:12-14).”

You’ll never find happiness in the empty promises of the could’ve-would’ve-should’ve life, but you will find true joy when you resolve to be an I did-er.

The Courage to Say: I Need Help

October 6, 2015 / insightbyseymour / Leave a comment

When you combine his 6’7” dominating physique with his left arm that chucks a baseball with the heat and intensity of a flamethrower, CC Sabathia can be an intimidating presence. This fierce competitor with the heart of a champion made a public statement yesterday admitting he’s been beaten.

Sabathia will not be going on the injured reserve list, he will be going into a treatment program for alcohol rehabilitation. Sabathia said:

“I love baseball and I love my teammates like brothers, and I am also fully aware that I am leaving at a time when we should all be coming together for one last push toward the World Series . . . It hurts me deeply to do this now, but I owe it to myself and to my family to get myself right. I want to take control of my disease, and I want to be a better man, father and player.”

Kudos to Sabathia for being honest with himself, so he can be truthful with others. He’s not alone in this battle. As many as 1 in every 12 adults, suffer from alcohol abuse or an alcohol related problem.

If you find yourself in a situation similar to the one that CC Sabathia is facing, I encourage you to take three immediate steps:

Resolve to make the necessary changes.
Assess your peer group: Are they good friends who have your best interests at heart or are they just drinking buddies?
It is highly unlikely that you can whip this on your own, so seek professional help.

For those who are on the outside looking in, I remind you of the words of Paul: “Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ (Galatians 6:2).” When your friend or family member asks for help, be willing to listen and to encourage him and he takes the first steps towards sobriety.

Tanzania: Rhinos and Albinos

October 5, 2015July 31, 2019 / insightbyseymour / Leave a comment

Most of us have only seen pictures of Tanzania, and its colorful landscape that includes the majestic peaks of Mount Kilimanjaro and the Ruaha National Park which is home to over 10,000 elephants and 430 species of birds. Among the many different animals that are found in Tanzania, one of the best known and most endangered is the black rhino.

While the plight of the black rhino is a concern, even more, worrisome is the warped and wicked mistreatment of the Albinos. In Tanzania, albinos represent one in every 1429 births, and the innocent children among this number live in constant fear. They live with the terror of knowing that some people want to harvest their body parts.

The Thomson Reuters Foundation has reported that the adherents of witchcraft place a high value on albino body parts. Because some villagers believe albinos have magical powers, they hunt them and harvest parts of their bodies.

The National Geographic has reported on this gruesome practice, saying: “Some even believe that the witchcraft ritual is more powerful if the victim screams during the amputation, so body parts are often cut from live victims, especially children. The use of children is likely linked to the pursuit of innocence, which, it is believed, enhances the potency of the witchcraft ritual.”

As I think of these brutalized children, I’m reminded of a line from an old radio show: “Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow knows.”

I also thought of these truthful words from a children’s song:

Jesus loves the little children

All the children of the world

Red and yellow, black and white

They’re all precious in his sight

Jesus loves the little children of the world

Everyone who does evil deeds hates the light and does not come to the light, so that their deeds will not be exposed. ~John 3:20

To learn a little more about this repugnant practice, you can visit a Facebook page that has a focus on this issue.

Hero Chris Mintz and the Oregon Shooting

October 3, 2015August 4, 2019 / insightbyseymour / Leave a comment

By now you’ve probably heard of the shootings at Umpqua Community College in Oregon, but there are a few details of this incident that you may have not heard. Evidence indicates that the gunman had an anti-Christian bias. Witnesses reported the gunman asked his victims about their faith. If they confessed to being Christians, he shot them in the head. Those who didn’t answer were shot in the leg.

One victim, Chris Mintz, was shot multiple times. In a heroic effort to eliminate the threat to fellow students, this Army veteran stepped into harm’s way and charged the shooter. Even though he was shot in the upper back, left hand, abdomen, and both legs, Mintz survived.

While lying on the floor, Mintz said: “It’s my son’s birthday today,” and the gunman shot him again.

Whenever you hear another news report about this incident, I encourage you to do three things:

Remember to pray for the full and complete recovery of Chris Mintz and the other victims.
Take a moment to pray for the grieving families of those who died.
Reflect on the words of Romans 8:

Do you think anyone is going to be able to drive a wedge between us and Christ’s love for us? There is no way! Not trouble, not hard times, not hatred, not hunger, not homelessness, not bullying threats, not backstabbing, not even the worst sins listed in Scripture: “They kill us in cold blood because they hate you. We’re sitting ducks; they pick us off one by one.”

None of this fazes us because Jesus loves us. I’m absolutely convinced that nothing—nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable—absolutely nothing can get between us and God’s love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us. ~Romans 8 (The Message)

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