Subject: A perfect baseball game
> Hi Friends,
This is a beautiful story and I hope you enjoy:
>
> In a message
dated 9/18/99 4:27:04 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
JimEastin
writes:
>
> <<
> >
"BASEBALL HEROES"
> >
>
> By Rabbi Paysach Krohn
>
>
> > In
the competitive world of the 1990's, one
>
> wonders whether the old
adage still holds true:
>
> "It's not whether
you win or lose, but how you
>
> play the game."
The following true story
>
> illustrates the power
of human concern - even in
>
> the face of intense
competition.
> >
>
> In Brooklyn, New York,
Chush is a school that
>
> caters to
learning-disabled children. Some
>
> children remain in
Chush for their entire school
>
> careers, while others
can be mainstreamed into
>
> conventional Jewish
schools. There are a few
>
> children who attend
Chush for most of the week
>
> and go to a regular
school on Sundays.
> >
>
> At a Chush fundraising
dinner, the father of a
>
> Chush child delivered a
speech that would never
>
> be forgotten by all who
attended. After
>
> extolling the school
and its dedicated staff, he
>
> cried out, "Where
is the perfection in my son
>
> Shaya? Everything
that God does is done with
>
> perfection. But my
child cannot understand
>
> things as other
children do. My child cannot
>
> remember facts and
figures as other children do.
>
> Where is God's
perfection?"
> >
>
> The audience was
shocked by the question, pained
>
> by the father's
anguish, and stilled by his
>
> piercing
query.
> >
>
> "I believe,"
the father answered, "that when God
>
> brings a child like
this into the world, the
>
> perfection that He
seeks is in the way people
>
> react to this
child."
> >
>
> He then told the
following story about his son
>
> Shaya:
>
>
> >
Shaya attends Chush throughout the week and a
>
> boy's yeshiva (Torah
institute) on Sundays. One
>
> Sunday afternoon, Shaya
and his father came to
>
> the yeshiva as his
classmates were playing
>
> baseball. The game was
in progress and as Shaya
>
> and his father made
their way towards the
>
> ballfield, Shaya said,
"Do you think you could
>
> get me into the
game?"
> >
>
> Shaya's father knew his
son was not at all
>
> athletic, and that most
boys would not want him
>
> on their team. But
Shaya's father understood
>
> that if his son was
chosen in, it would give him
>
> a comfortable sense of
belonging.
> >
>
> Shaya's father
approached one of the boys in the
>
> field and asked,
"Do you think my Shaya could
>
> get into the
game?"
> >
>
> The boy looked around
for guidance from his
>
> teammates. Getting
none, he took matters into
>
> his own hands and said,
"We are losing by six
>
> runs and the game is
already in the eighth
>
> inning. I guess he can
be on our team and we'll
>
> try to put him up to
bat in the ninth inning."
> >
>
> Shaya's father was
ecstatic as Shaya smiled
>
> broadly. Shaya was told
to put on a glove and go
>
> out to play short
center field.
> >
>
> In the bottom of the
eighth inning, Shaya's team
>
> scored a few runs but
was still behind by three.
>
> In the bottom of the
ninth inning, Shaya's team
>
> scored again - and now
with two outs and the
>
> bases loaded and the
potential winning runs on
>
> base, Shaya was
scheduled to be up. Would the
>
> team actually let Shaya
bat at this juncture and
>
> give away their chance
to win the game?
> >
>
> Surprisingly, Shaya was
told to take a bat and
>
> try to get a hit.
Everyone knew that it was all
>
> but impossible, for
Shaya didn't even know how
>
> to hold the bat
properly, let alone hit with it.
>
> However as Shaya
stepped up to the plate, the
>
> pitcher moved in a few
steps to lob the ball in
>
> softly so Shaya should
at least be able to make
>
> contact.
>
>
> > The
first pitch came in and Shaya swung clumsily
>
> and missed. One of
Shaya's teammates came up to
>
> Shaya and together they
held the bat and faced
>
> the pitcher waiting for
the next pitch. The
>
> pitcher again took a
few steps forward to toss
>
> the ball softly towards
Shaya.
> >
>
> As the next pitch came
in, Shaya and his
>
> teammate swung the bat
and together they hit a
>
> slow ground ball to the
pitcher. The pitcher
>
> picked up the soft
grounder and could easily
>
> have thrown the ball to
the first baseman. Shaya
>
> would have been out and
that would have ended
>
> the game.
>
>
> >
Instead, the pitcher took the ball and threw it
>
> on a high arc to right
field, far and wide
>
> beyond the first
baseman's reach. Everyone
>
> started yelling,
"Shaya, run to first! Shaya,
>
> run to first!"
Never in his life had Shaya run
>
> to first.
>
>
> > He
scampered down the baseline wide eyed and
>
> startled. By the time
he reached first base, the
>
> right fielder had the
ball. He could have thrown
>
> the ball to the second
baseman who would tag out
>
> Shaya, who was still
running. But the
>
> rightfielder understood
what the pitcher's
>
> intentions were, so he
threw the ball high and
>
> far over the third
baseman's head, as everyone
>
> yelled, "Shaya,
run to second! Shaya, run to
>
>
second."
> >
>
> Shaya ran towards
second base as the runners
>
> ahead of him
deliriously circled the bases
>
> towards home. As Shaya
reached second base, the
>
> opposing shortstop ran
towards him, turned him
>
> towards the direction
of third base and shouted,
>
> "Shaya, run to
third!"
> >
>
> As Shaya rounded third,
the boys from both teams
>
> ran behind him
screaming, "Shaya, run home!
>
> Shaya, run
home!"
> >
>
> Shaya ran home, stepped
on home plate and all 18
>
> boys lifted him on
their shoulders and made him
>
> the hero, as he had
just hit the "grand slam"
>
> and won the game for
his team.
> >
>
> "That day,"
said the father who now had tears
>
> rolling down his face,
"those 18 boys reached
>
> their level of
perfection. They showed that it
>
> is not only those who
are talented that should
>
> be recognized, but also
those who have less
>
> talent. They too
are human beings, they too
>
> have feelings and
emotions, they too are people,
they too want to feel
important.
