“It is amazing how much can be accomplished if no one cares who gets the credit.”
John Wooden
The ultimate indication that a team has been built occurs when the individual members of the group show a willingness to “give it up” for the success of that team. Truly great teams – those in athletics, business, or even family life – are able to set aside selfishness and ego and accomplish their sought after goals. God’s Word states in John 15:13, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” Baseball is game…it is not life and death, but it does allow for opportunities to demonstrate an eagerness to sacrifice for the greater good. Another way of using this in baseball terms would be, “No greater commitment to a team can be shown than a ballplayer’s willingness to lay down a bunt for his teammates” (or even give up playing time!) The guy, who puts down a bunt to move a runner into scoring position, gives up his chance to hit and allows the man on deck to be the hero!!
In 2002 my Portsmouth Christian baseball team had the privilege of playing a semi-final game in the Virginia Independent School Baseball Association Division I State Tournament at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, VA. Early in the game, we fell behind by several runs and found ourselves having to fight our way back into the game. I had a senior by the name of Daniel Moss who had earned his way into a starting position in the lineup as our right fielder. Daniel was a young man of character and a hard worker, but he did not possess great foot speed. In the midst of our comeback, Daniel found his way into scoring position at second base. Knowing that he could be re-entered into the game, I sent in a faster base runner to pinch-run in his place. After our turn at-bat, he was inserted back into the game.
However later in the game, Daniel once again found his way to second base with the chance take the lead. I had another fast kid on the bench who could pinch-run to insure more speed on the base paths, but it would mean that Daniel would have to leave the game with no chance to re-enter…that’s the substitution rule for HS baseball. What made it an even more difficult decision was that this game could have been Daniel’s last high school game if we happened to run out of innings and lose. As tough as it was, I knew we needed more speed, and he came out of the game. He knew the situation and was more than willing to sacrifice his place in the lineup for the success of the team. For the rest of the game, Daniel cheered on his teammates in the dugout and we ended up winning the game. He gave up his chance to play so that someone else could be successful; and in doing so, he gave himself the good fortune of playing another game…the Championship Game!!
Although we came up short in the championship game, Daniel Moss’s sacrifice in our 2002 VISBA Semi-Final comeback will always serve as a teachable moment in leading current players “to show pride in giving it up for the team.”
