Acceptance in Exchange for Beauty

Baseball is hard and words matter.

There is no other game where the defense has the ball and your contribution is measured not by the presence of success, but rather the lack of failure. If you are going to play this game you need to do so with one word in your spirit: Acceptance

Accept the fact that there is no finish line to swinging a baseball bat, no matter how long you play there will always be ups and down, days where it feels easy, on time, quick and powerful and days where it feels like an old rusty lawn chair.

Accept the fact that hitting a round object with a round object is a difficult task and that once it comes off the bat you have no control of where the ball goes and whether its path will lead to a positive or negative result.

Accept a lack of control, you can’t make it happen, you have to wait your turn and take what the game gives you, and the game is stingy.

The next question then is, why would a person play a game where they have to accept so much failure, trial and uncertainty?

I’ll tell you why: Beauty

Baseball is such a beautiful physical and sensory experience, the acceptance of its struggle is always worth it.

If you’re reading this you’ve already fallen in love with the beauty of baseball, the sounds of a wood bat hitting the ball, the smell of the leather, pine tar and rosin, seeds and bubble gum. There is nothing quite like playing catch, putting down a tag, sliding in safely, hammering a double to the gap. Having played 3 sports in high school and college, I can tell you that baseball gets inside of you in a unique way. It can't be explained or rationalized, maybe it's the details, the strategy or the renewal of spring itself. Maybe it's the fact that battling so hard to succeed at something makes it that much sweeter when you do.

If you continue to struggle with negative thought patterns, begin to repeat the word “acceptance” to yourself.

Acceptance

Acceptance

Acceptance

Of strikeouts, errors, walks, line drives right to ‘em, 15 hoppers for hits, skinned up knees, arm soreness, bean balls to the ribs and blowouts.

The sooner you make the decision to work like hell to get things to go your way, while also accepting it when they don’t, the happier you’ll be and the better you’ll play.

Acceptance of uncertainty in exchange for the experience of beauty. Thats a pretty good deal.

Free and clear.