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Dominant pitcher Mariano Rivera tore his right ACL last night before the Yankees played Kansas City. On Baseball Tonight, Tim Kurkjian speculated that the 42 year old needs to retire. Has he done enough? Is his career rich enough that it doesn’t need another chapter?
- He is the all-time leader in regular season saves
- He is the all-time leader in postseason saves
- He is the all-time leader in games finished
- He’s set a bazillion other records
THE MOVIE
His story reminds me of one of my favorite movies of all time: For Love of the Game [IMDB | Amazon]. The third in Kevin Costner’s so called baseball trilogy, For Love of the Game is loosely based on pulitzer prize winning author Michael Shaara’s 1991 novel by the same name (published posthumously). Aging Cy Young award winner and all-star pitcher Billy Chapel is starting a game at Yankee Stadium. His on-again-off-again girlfriend stands him up. The owner drops by his hotel room to tell him that he is selling the ball club. He then learns that the new owners want to trade him so that, among other things, they’ll have his salary to spend on younger players. It’s not the best day to pitch… especially with a hangover. Chapel becomes introspective and we get box seats to the game and the story of his life.
The movie was considered a box office flop barely earning half of its production budget worldwide. It’s 15th on Costner’s all-time movie list (it performed better than The Postman but worse than Rumor Has It).
Fans of this film love how director Sam Raimi delivered the on-field tension of a game: would Billy Chapel pitch well or not? Vin Scully’s play-by-play is so brilliantly performed I have to wonder how much was him and how much was the screenwriters.
PARALLEL ONE: RIVERA WILL TRY TO COME BACK
Reporters surrounded him in the locker room as sweat still dripped from his brow. They stuck their microphones in his face and their questions, like daggers, into his soul. In that moment, when his 42-year-old body was screaming at him, he said, “I don’t know.”
But Rivera is a fighter. He’s a champion. After reflection, I’m certain he will choose to recuperate and attempt to take the mound again.
[Update: CBS Sports reports Rivera is already planning his comeback. Details here.]
Billy Chapel tries to come back in the movie. In this scene/montage, we see part of his struggle against himself and his injury.
In Rivera’s case, I believe his wife will support his drive to come back and Rivera will lean on a strength greater than his.
PARALLEL TWO: PURPOSE
For me, the movie is neither about the love story or the baseball game; it’s about one man’s wrestling match with what’s really important in life. Billy Chapel must come face-to-face with the purpose and meaning of his life.
Rivera settled this matter in his life a long time ago. Rivera is a Christ-follower. He’s never been shy about his faith, but the news media hasn’t Tebow-ized him. In this video from a New York event hosted by Nicky Cruz, Rivera explains.
Have you settled your purpose for living?
Like Rivera, I am a Christ follower. I believe that Jesus Christ lived in history and is everything the Bible says He is: Son of God, fully God and fully man, lived a sinless life on earth, was tried in a kangaroo court, sentenced to execution, died an ignominous death, spent many hours in a borrowed tomb, then was raised back to life by the power of God. He appeared to his closest followers and 500 more before ascending into heaven. He left behind the Holy Spirit to guide and protect.
The fact I believe in Him does not make me perfect. Far from it. Imagine rolling around in the mud and then stepping into a pitch black gymnasium. You can’t see the mud on your skin and clothes. Someone turns a light on. As you walk toward the light, your stains become clearer and clearer to you.
I believe that Jesus has forgiven me for all of the horrible things I did before following Him. I believe He forgives me everyday for the screw ups I still do.
John Piper says it so much better than I do:
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