Grace From The Sports Desk
What A Gift To Be Chosen And Named
by Eric Elkin
A childhood friend, Bill Thompson, started posting old newspaper articles on Facebook. His father, Bob Thompson, the sports editor for the former Painesville (OH) Telegraph newspaper, wrote the articles. When we were children, his father would write up a synopsis of the week in Little League baseball. He did the same for all recreational baseball and softball leagues across ages and genders.
The articles have taken me back to my childhood. I read each posting like a 10-year-old child, hoping to see my name in print. I remember when my name was mentioned in those articles. I would cut it out and paste it into a scrapbook my mother gave me. That scrapbook sits in some box in my garage. It was a long-forgotten memory until Bill started his little nostalgia project.
What I find most dear about the articles is the care Bob Thompson took in writing them. He wrote as though he were covering the Cleveland Indians or the New York Yankees. On June 8th, 1975, he wrote, "The Reds won the battle for first place in Painesville Little League's National Division Saturday by shading the Dodgers, 9-8." Or this gem on June 12th, 1973, "The Bubblegums and the Daisies picked up opening day victories Monday in the Painesville Pigtail (softball) League."
Bob Thompson's words are pure grace. He names children and reports their accomplishments. And he tries to name as many children as possible. Only in the Painesville Telegraph could Ann Kutie, hitting two home runs to help the Bubblegums defeat the Jellybeans, be put on par with Reggie Jackson or Rico Carty. Bob brought Matthew 20:16 to life in his articles.
The articles also bring back some painful memories. In my house growing up, Little League baseball was a wound that never went away. My brother tried out and was not chosen to play. When he was not selected, I decided not to try out. But then, my urge to play baseball was too great. I tried out with only one year of eligibility and was drafted onto a really bad Giants team.
My father never had anything good to say about the Painesville Little League baseball system. How could he? One son was chosen, and the other was not. I never spoke to my brother about it, but it had to hurt. As a result, even though I loved baseball, I always felt guilty about playing. We couldn't talk about Little League as an accomplishment in our house. It was always about the inequality of it all. Whether intended or not, it made me feel like a failure. Why would they pick me instead of my brother?
The team I was drafted onto was terrible. We finished the season 1-20. I find myself laughing whenever an article refers to the winless Giants. That's my team! When you read Matthew 20: 1-16, do not read it like a weekly baseball report. Jesus' words are not intended to switch the last-place Giants with the first-place Orioles. The real point is they both are chosen and are equal in value.
My father's faith was the source of his frustration with the Painesville Little League. He believed deeply that all people were chosen by God, even the ones who did not choose God. In our house, faith was something lived out, not just spoken about. The drafting of players stood in stark contrast to his core beliefs. It was a lesson I learned and held onto as an adult.
That same faith is visible in Bob Thompson's words. He shows no partiality. All are chosen because all have value. In 1973, he treated 12-year-old girls playing softball like athletes. Not even Christ Evert or Martina Navratilova got that kind of respect from national sports writers then. You never get a sense of favoritism in Bob's articles. His son, Bill, was an exceptional baseball player. And when my name got mentioned, so was I.
I am not the only one experiencing a lot of emotion from these articles. They remind us that we were once young and are now old. A simple sentence about a pitching performance brings back to life a child who is no longer with us. Tales of Little League recall a life once shared but is now gone. They also remind me of the Good News of Jesus Christ -- life is a gift; old wounds get healed, and people are made new. This is true because we are all chosen and precious in God's eyes.
Click to read Matthew 20:1-16
Reflection Questions:
When have you felt the sting of not being chosen?
What person in your life helped you feel special?
Have you ever felt bad for being chosen over someone else? How can one handle that in a good way?
How do we embrace a sense. of our own value?