In reading a story this week about Alex Rodriguez in the NY Times by Tyler Kepner, there was a great section on A-Rod’s approach to hitting.
“Rodriguez is one of those rare players who capture the imagination of peers. They envy his paycheck, marvel at his skills, or shake their heads at the soap operas he creates. When they become a teammate, they notice the preparation first, and the mental game behind it.
“Having a conversation with him about hitting, you can see he thinks about the game a lot,” said the veteran Jason Lane, a non-roster outfielder.
When Lane asked Rodriguez about his approach to hitting, Rodriguez mentioned three touchstones he tries to remember: stay above the ball; keep good posture in the batter’s box; and do not swing too hard.
By staying above the ball, Lane explained, Rodriguez was referring to batting practice. If you swing under the ball and hit lazy flies, the theory goes, you will swing and miss in the game, when the pitches are harder.”
For me, “staying above the ball” reflects the way we approach our lives. How can we expect to have personal ethics when dealing with other people, when we are dishonest with ourselves? It is very easy to get lazy with ourselves.
The metaphor of “hitting under the ball” means living life without passion, purpose, and without intentionality. Swinging under the ball means having that ‘just good enough attitude.’
I think that being a Christian carries a responsibility of living lives of excellence, not average.
I know that if Jesus played baseball, He’d be hitting above the ball, even in batting practice, because He knew that what you do in practice will come out during the game.
So how do we hit above the ball? Randy Clark offers some ideas, and I think they are worth reading and doing. So enjoy these tips.
1. Cultivate an attitude of humility
2. Pursue unity within the body of Christ
3. Develop a secret prayer life
4. Become grounded in the word
5. Pay attention to the promptings of your heart
6. Fast and pray
7. Visit those places and people where and in who God is pouring out His Spirit in an unusual manner
8. Have the patience necessary to wait for the fulfillment of prophetic words with which your spirit bears witness
9. Accept the Sovereignty of God
10. Keep playing offensive ball. This means stop looking at the score, and play hard for God every day.
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