BASEBALL GUTS AND GLORY
Recalling One Of The Great Moments In Baseball
Baseball Guts and Glory, A Heroes Laurel
Baseball Is Filled With The Lore.
Baseball Guts and Glory may sound a little harsh but Moments of Glory happens in American Baseball and in all of ones endeavors through life.
The Wizard of Baseball or The Wiz Tommy LaSorda epitomizes this Seize the Moment and Win the Glory with American Baseball and thus this genesis of using this phrase.
Maybe I could have used a more polite wording since my coach of many words and phrases one "Piggy Mitchell" would have said,"Intestinal Fortitude"instead of Baseball Guts and Glory.
This thought is not all about baseball or to baseball fans only it is a vital and necessary ingredient in all of our many every day decisions.
It is not an easy choice to quit ones job with only a hope to get another very soon.Opportunities may only come once do not wait for the News Reel highlights seize the moment. Play the game of ball and of life with all the gusto you can muster.
Great moments in sports are remembered for a lifetime.
However, pure use of this no baseball guts and glory is so aptly applied in the sports world. The other prominent place in lifes application is the leadership and decision process for our military leaders.
My brother Bailey is my sounding board for all things pertaining to baseball and being the astute follower of baseball, and its game, for when he speaks I listen. He provided me with thoughts on many subjects that I must relate to you folks.The first of which is this Baseball Guts and Glory theme the other is The Wiz. These are the things that make American Baseball the greatest and most talked about sport of the world.
There is absolutely no other sport avocation or realm of things in life which so majestically has captured the imagination of the compilation of statistics. The game of baseball has been scrutinized from every angle and ounce of its existence stat upon stat and it is never ending.
Ironically both of these themes were triggered by the action of one Tommy LaSorda. The most loved rotund, slightly bow legged, blue eyed fiery and calculating Manager of "Dem Bums" the Dodgers.
Notice I did not say Los Angeles Dodgers because Them Bums relates back to our Brooklyn Dodgers. The folks of Flat Bush had a right Baseball given right to call their beloved Dodgers, Bums, when they let them down. Now back to my real story.
Bailey writes about Risks vs Reward or Baseball Guts and Glory all while relating to watching a game in one years World Series along with Dad and brother Ben. He claims they witnessed one of the most phenomenal and memorable hitting display in his memory.
He calls it the blast "the shot that made the earth shake". It was the first game of the 1988 World Series.The cheers and jubilation of the fans rocked the stands that night over this phenomenal hit.
Kirk Gibson, a player with a gift for hitting the long ball had been unable to play due to his disabled legs. Gibson could hardly walk, much less run the bases.
Whether it was his personal plea to go bat or the manager's calculated risk to send Gibson to the plate in the bottom of the ninth with the team behind is not relevant.
However,being the competitor and the champion he and his manager were I tend to think it was a mutual respect for each other allowed this momentous event to happen. No Guts No Glory.
The rest is history. Gibson gingerly made it to the plate and with great confidence faced the opposing team pitcher. Then the miraculous reward occurred for the risk of sending a great,but disabled batter to the plate to try and win the game with a hit over the outfield wall.
With two out a ground ball would be a most certain out since Gibson wouldn't be able to make it to first due to the fact that he wouldn' be able to run it out.
A homerun was the only option for Gibson, his team and their fans.
Gibson a gifted left handed-hitter drove a good pitch deep into the right field stands to win the game. Baseball Guts and Glory once again triumphs most gloriously.
Jake Pyron a former catcher at Auburn University Montgomery in a conversation with Bailey remembered a reference to this momentous game being discussed on TV's Sports Century program.
As Jake recalls the interview taking place revealed a classic manager and player relation with mutual respect being the thing which permeates our game of baseball.
Kirk was ready to head down the tunnel when LaSorda checked to see if Kirk felt he could take the swings?
Kirk's reply was "Coach I only have one swing left in me." Paul Harvey must have known all along we all needed to know the rest of this story.
Thank you Tommy LaSorda--Thank you Kirk Gibson--for giving us this moment of baseball history. Thank you Jake Pyron for sharing the rest of the Baseball Guts and Glory story.
Bailey says "It will be forever etched in my mind Gibson circling the bases and "cranking it up" in satisfaction as he rounded third base headed for home". This is a once in a lifetime event to witness even though it was by television. This feat was so notable I have seen it on sports television reruns occasionally in memories of the game.
The game, the teams, the final score and the year does not matter. It's more about a player, and his manager, with guts and optimism in the face of adversity going to bat for his teammates and fans and bringing home the glory. No Guts No Glory.
Maybe one day soon I can bring you the rest of the story.I'm sure Tommy LaSorda "The Wiz" will be happy to tell us the real story of Guts and Glory,of this most memorable achievement.
Bailey says "Gibson more than likely had to have his lucky wabbit foot with him that night". What do you think?
Ps You might ask brother Ben about this an he may be able to recall more of the details. Dad knows, but we'll have to wait till later to get an answer from him. You know he really enjoyed watching baseball on TV and I really enjoyed watching it with him. Great Memory!
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