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He
Dropped the Ball!
We often use the
expression, “he dropped the ball,”
to describe someone who has failed to follow through on an assignment or
to reach a certain goal. It
is an idiom meaning to make an error, to miss an opportunity.
Some people trace
the origin of that phrase to the 4th game of the 1941 Baseball World
Series...
The Brooklyn Dodgers
were playing the New York Yankees. The Yankees won the first game of the
series by a score of 3-2. Brooklyn returned the favor the next game by
beating the Yankees 3-2. Then the Yankees took the third game 2-1. In
the fourth game it looked like the Dodgers were going to tie the series.
Brooklyn was leading 4-3 at the top of the 9th inning. The Yankees were
up to bat with the bases empty. There were 2 outs and the count was 3
balls and two strikes on Tommy Henrich. Henrich swung at the next pitch
and missed the ball. Now, that should have ended the game. But the Dodgers’ catcher, Mickey Owen, dropped the ball!
The ball hit off the
heel of his glove and rolled toward the Dodgers’ dugout. Henrich
ran
to first base before Owen could retrieve the ball. That started the
Yankees’ rally. Next up to bat was “Joltin’ Joe” DiMaggio. The
Yankees then went on to score four runs in that inning. And they held on
to win the game 7-4. So, instead of the series being tied at 2-2, that
victory gave the Yankees a 3-1 lead in the series. The next day, the
Yankees beat the Dodgers 3-1 in Game 5. And so the Yankees won the 1941
World Series, and some say it was all because Brooklyn’s catcher,
Mickey Owen, dropped
the ball.
Despite
his outstanding career in baseball, Owen was always known as the man who
“dropped the ball.” Mickey Owen died just a few years ago in
2005. The title of his obituary in the New York Times read: “Mickey
Owen Dies at 89; Allowed Fateful Passed Ball.” Even in his death he
was remembered as the guy who dropped the ball. *
You
and I have a lot in common with Mickey Owen, for we have ALL “dropped
the ball!” “For
ALL have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).
“For we ALL stumble in
many things” (James 3:2). To make matters worse, “the
wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23).
But
God loves us so much that He gave His Son, Jesus Christ, to die on
the cross for our sins that we might have forgiveness (Matthew
26:28)
and ETERNAL LIFE with Him (Romans 6:23b).
In order to accept
His offer of grace, we must: believe
and trust Jesus (Acts 16:30-31),
turn from our sins in repentance
(Acts 17:30-31), confess
Jesus before men (Romans
10:9-10), and be baptized
(immersed) into Christ for
the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38; Galatians 3:27).
The love of God has
made it possible for each of us to be remembered, NOT by
“he dropped the ball,” but by “For by grace he has been saved
through faith” (Ephesians 2:8-9).
Having dropped the
ball, won’t YOU take hold of Christ in
trusting obedience?
David
A. Sargent, Minister
Church
of Christ at Creekwood
1901
Schillinger Rd. S.
Mobile, Alabama 36695
*
Information gleaned from Doug Lyon and Wikipedia.com
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