The Game Of Baseball

THE GAME OF BASEBALL has long been known for its heated discussions after a close call. But as pitcher David Cone learned in 1990, arguing is best reserved for when time has been called.

The New York Mets visited the Atlanta Braves at Fulton County Stadium. In the fourth inning, with the Braves leading 2–1, Atlanta had runners on first and second with two outs when Mark Lemke came up against Cone. Lemke quickly tapped a slow roller to the first-base side of the field.

Mets second baseman Gregg Jeffries and first baseman Mike Marshall converged on the ball. Jeffries reached it and tossed it underhand to Cone, who was running toward first. The New York pitcher attempted to brush the base with his foot as he glided by, but umpire Charlie Williams called Lemke safe.

Cone became livid and followed Williams up the first-base foul line, protesting the call. In the meantime, the Atlanta runners continued rounding the bases. Mets catcher Mackey Sasser yelled for Cone to throw the ball home, but his cries went unheeded. The Braves scored two runs on the play before time was called. The official scorer chalked up the runs to “player indifference.”

Cone stayed in the game but exited after allowing a two-run homer to Jeff Treadway in the fifth, and the Braves won 7–4.

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POINT What useless and costly arguing. David Cone took his head out of the game when he took his protest down the line. Most likely he knew his complaint would be useless. Umpires almost never reverse calls. But Cone kept yelling anyway, costing his team two runs and a chance to get back in the game.

In the Bible, we learn that a wise person doesn’t argue when it’s pointless. But sometimes we’re not wise. We get angry and argue when we know it won’t make a difference. We focus on protesting a relatively insignificant action while the greater issue passes us by. God wants us to avoid arguing and speak valuable words.

GOAL! This week, try to avoid arguing. Instead, concentrate on speaking positive words. Ask God for help.