Have you ever found yourself in competition too far over your head? The opponent was much better than you. No chance.
Casey Stengel was a legendary baseball figure. He is in the Baseball Hall of Fame for his manger skills. Legendary manager with the New York Yankees and The New York Mets.
Stengel was once a player of some skill. But one time he found himself in over his head.
He was playing a exhibition game in Coffeyville, Kansas. On this day he was facing Walter "Big Train" Johnson who at the time was considered the best pitcher in the big leagues and later would be voted into the Hall of Fame. Legendary baseball player Ty Cobb said of Johnson, "He was the most feared pitcher in baseball."
Stengel comes to the plate. Johnson first two pitches had such smoke on them Stengel swings and misses by a mile on both. Not even close. With two strikes on Casey with only two pitches thrown, story has it he turns to the umpire and says, "The big guy has made me look so bad on those two pitches I think I'll just go on back to the dugout now." With that he walks from the plate and back into the dugout with only two strikes on him. Sometimes one can find themselves in over their heads in a competition. Sometimes we don't even need to stay at the plate and take that third strike.
"When you are younger you get blamed for crimes you never committed, and when you're older you begin to get credit for virtues you never possessed." -Casey Stengel
======================================================================================
August 11, 2017
Keep on,
Larry Adamson