Freedom

Galatians 5:1
(1) For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.

Josh Hamilton has done much damage to his witness for the gospel recently. He admitted that the wild party photos of him are legitimate. Drunk or no, what he was doing was not acceptable no matter how you look at it.

Now as a Christian as well as someone who has come out of a couple of enslaving habits I certainly can extend grace to Josh. I know what it's like to stumble. I haven't done it quite on that scale, but I certainly know what it's like.

The problem is that the world doesn't understand this. Now I'm not about to say that everyone's salvation is dependent on Josh's sobriety. However, I do know that his Jesus-talk took a big hit in the eyes of the watching world.

What upsets me is that I don't think he has the mindset of a freed person. He speaks of "recovery" all the time. He still uses the language of addiction. He does not speak of being free. I realize that there is a semantics issue here too. However, I wish that he would acknowledge that Christ came to set him free and not just to manage his sin.

I don't want to pile on Josh. He got cocky and thought that he could take some liberties. It happens to everyone sometimes. However, I also hope that he realizes what comes from the big stage he has. I also hope he can get past the injuries he has and get back into his baseball groove that he enjoyed last year.

Worship

I've had a mixed week spiritually. I think that my focus has been a bit off with the MLB playoffs. I'm enjoying the Indians' run and I do hope that they can win the World Series. I was excited when they won game 2. I clapped and pumped my first when Derek Jeter grounded into a key double-play in the 6th inning of game 4. I was very happy when Borowski struck out Posada to end the series. But I find that I am not bursting with joy like I once would have.

I think this is a good thing. However, I also know that I'm not always bursting with joy about Jesus either. These are the dangerous times. Earlier this week I found myself getting too close to the line while surfing the web. It's time to get refocused on the cross!

A Plague on the Yankees

As I watched Game 2 last night, I could help but think of:

Exo 8:16-19 ESV
(16) Then the LORD said to Moses, "Say to Aaron, 'Stretch out your staff and strike the dust of the earth, so that it may become gnats in all the land of Egypt.'"
(17) And they did so. Aaron stretched out his hand with his staff and struck the dust of the earth, and there were gnats on man and beast. All the dust of the earth became gnats in all the land of Egypt.
(18) The magicians tried by their secret arts to produce gnats, but they could not. So there were gnats on man and beast.
(19) Then the magicians said to Pharaoh, "This is the finger of God." But Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he would not listen to them, as the LORD had said.

I suppose God cares about who wins a ballgame in the sense that He is in control of all things. However, I don't see how He would answer prayers for one team over another. I do know that last night's swarms of midgies was very weird. It was distracting enough for my namesake (J. Chamberlain) to lose his control and give up a run without the Indians getting a hit. It seems like things like this normally work for NY and against a team like Cleveland.

Incidentally, from what I've seen in the language he uses in interviews, there seems like a good chance that Joba is a Christian. I know Andy Pettitte is too. They seem like good guys. I'd like them more if they didn't play for the Yankees.

All I'm Askin'....

...is for a little respect. I've been thinking about why I'm getting so psyched for the playoffs. I wonder what the point is of even getting excited about watching men try to hit a ball with a stick, carry a ball over a line, put a ball through a hoop, etc. Why do we get so excited about our teams?

I think that we want to be a part of something bigger. The Indians are going to be on the biggest stage in the world because they are playing a team that is synonymous with baseball around the world. In fact, I think that the interlocking "NY" is almost synonymous with America in some circles. Everyone knows Jeter, A-Rod, and Clemens. Who knows about Grady Sizemore?

I still think the Indians will sweep the Yanks. Or, they may take 4 games, but I think the Indians can do it. If they get past the Yanks I think they can win the whole thing. But even more than that I want to see Sizemore shine on the big stage. In the pivotal series against Detroit he did something that is quintessentially Grady. He had a bunt single, stole second, and scored from second a ground ball that the second baseman knocked down, but couldn't field cleanly. That is the kind of thing that Ty Cobb used to do. The difference here being that, as far as I can tell, Grady Sizemore is not a flaming jerk.

I also hope to see him make one of his signature catches. He has an uncanny knack for laying out for fly balls and coming up with them. I'd love to see Derek Jeter hit a ball to the gap in right-center only to have Sizemore outrun it with a diving catch and end a rally.

They're on the big stage and it's time to shine for C-Town. Let's hope they can do it.

Go Tribe!

Forgive me for being a bit less serious than usual, but I am excited about the prospect of the Cleveland Indians this year in the playoffs. I think that their starting pitching can hang with anyone's (even San Diego's who is inflated by PETCO park). I think they have enough balance in the lineup to find a way to beat anyone.

I'm predicting Indians in 3 against the Yanks. Game 1 will be close and Joe Borowski may cause some ulcers, but I think the Indians will prevail. I think Games 2 and 3 will be lopsided victories for the Indians.

I rarely feel this confident about my Ohio sports teams. I haven't felt this confident since OSU played Florida for the National Championship back in January. Oh, wait a minute...

Why I Enjoy Baseball

I almost titled this "Why I Love Baseball", but I realize that might be a bit too strong. As things stand right now the Indians are trying to fight off the Tigers to win the AL Central. On Sunday they learned that the Tigers had already beaten the Yankees before their game ended. Things were looking dire as they were down 3-2 in Kansas City. They were wasting another great pitching performance with no offense. After two quick outs in the ninth it was up to Grady Sizemore.

Sizemore got down in the count 1-2. As the 1-2 pitch came in you could hear a cheer start through the crowd, but Tom Hamilton called it, "JUUUUST a bit high...2 and 2". He took another ball and then looped one into left center in no-man's land. The center fielder dove for the ball, but couldn't come up with it (more great Hammy drama there too). I don't know where the left fielder was, but before the center fielder could recover and get the ball in Sizemore was on second. The next batter was the rookie infielder Asdrubal Cabrera who promptly lined the first pitch for a base hit which tied the game. Apparently the pitcher just wanted to get one over and Cabrera was ready for it. He advanced to second on the throw home, but Hafner made the last out to end the inning. Nevertheless, the damage was done.

The Indians scored 2 in the 11th, starting with Hafner's RBI single. Borowski miraculously made quick work of the Royals in the bottom of the 11th and the Tribe maintained their 2.5 game lead over the Tigers.

I like how baseball doesn't have a clock. As I think about it, I'm pretty sure that baseball and tennis are the only sports where it is always possible to come back. It may not be likely, but it is possible. I like how the Indians kept playing until they made 27 outs. It gives me some hope that they may hold on for the playoffs after all.

Yesterday they turned a 5-4-3 triple play. It helps that the catcher was batting, but it was still a nice one. Going all the way around-the-horn is not trivial.

This Amazes Me

I saw a headline that "Henderson" was joining the Mets' coaching staff. I figured that it had to be Dave Henderson. This article says otherwise.

I'm trying to imagine how much coaching Rickey Henderson can do. I always envisioned him as one of those athletes that just did what he did without really knowing how he did it. The article does state that he helped Jose Reyes with his OBP, so perhaps he can indeed coach. I'm just very surprised.

Perhaps "baby" has more between the ears than I think.