Batting Slumps

BATTING SLUMPS can frustrate players, managers, and fans. But in 2002, Shawn Green overcame his hitting struggles in a record-setting way.

The Los Angeles Dodgers jetted to Milwaukee to face the Brewers. A few days earlier, Dodgers manager Jim Tracy had benched Green after he went 0–18, batting only .231 with three homers.

Put back in the lineup against Milwaukee, the right fielder began the game with a bang. His RBI-double in the first inning gave Los Angeles a 1–0 lead. In the slugger’s next three at bats, he tagged Glendon Rusch for a three-run home run in the second and belted solo shots off Brian Mallette in the fourth and fifth.

But the 29-year-old outfielder wasn’t finished. After lining a single to center in the eighth, Green batted for a final time in the ninth. Looking for a pitch to drive, Green powered Jose Cabrera’s offering 450 feet into the right center field stands for his fourth homer of the evening, tying the major league mark.

In the 16–3 rout, Green not only tied 13 others for the single-game home-run record, he also set a new standard for total bases in a single game. Green’s 19 bases coming from the four homers, one double, and one single broke the old record of 18 set by Joe Adcock in 1954.

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POINT Wow! What a way to end the frustration. Shawn Green couldn’t have scripted the end of his slump any better if he had been writing a movie. In fact, a director would probably have changed the scene because the truth seemed so unbelievable.

King David suffered through a lot of slumps too. The Old Testament records many of the ups and down in this man’s life. But one thing is for sure: David always had a heart for God. He kept trusting, even in the hard times. David is quoted in the New Testament, talking about how faith affects attitude. And we could all learn something from this great king.

GOAL! Discuss with a friend how living with a positive attitude makes a difference. Pray that God will help you live with enjoyment and satisfaction.