dennis martin papp

What We've Learned from the 2011 Baseball Season

Baseball is life.

I believe that statement, not on the level of obsession. I do not have to watch every game or have my kids play so much that they have no life outside of the sport.

Baseball is loaded with real life lessons, and you don't have to love sports or baseball itself to appreciate them.

Some will argue with the next paragraph. That's ok.

Tonight, we should be enjoying the first game of the World Series between the Boston Red Sox and the Philadelphia Phillies.

For those who don't know, in September Boston treated its fans to one of baseball's epic implosions and missed the playoffs entirely. I believe they went 6-19 in September. The Phillies, the team with baseball's best record and best pitching rotation, got bumped by a team that stumbled through the season, squeaked into the playoffs and is now representing the NL in the Fall Classic (can't say the name out loud or in print. It is the equivalent of Lord Voldemort in our house).

How does this happen?

How is it that year after year, in sport after sport...the best teams, the most talented teams on paper go home early?

We could talk reason all day long, and if you love baseball, you probably have a few theories.

Here's mine: Entitlement.

Entitlement is a killer mentality.

The entitled say, "Its mine. It's my right, my privilege. I deserve it!"

They don't just say it, they believe it.

It happens without fail. Teams get to the post season but don't win the championship because they believe they deserve to be there. Meanwhile, scrappy little wild card teams play like they are blessed to be there and have nothing to lose, because they are and they don't. They know they don't deserve it. Deserving it isn't the issue. Playing hard and with heart is what really matters.

Success--the harder you work, the luckier you get!

The entitled believe that winners are lucky. Truth is, winners work hard for their perceived luck.

America 2011 is in a state of decline for many reasons. The main reasons are moral. We're a moral mess.

Our moral compass is not only broken, it cannot even be located.

Besides the moral reasons, I would content that the entitlement mentality is a societal killer.

Generations past had the wild card mentality...they felt blessed to be here and had nothing to lose...they had nothing to begin with!

Entitlement took two great teams out of the of 2011 World Series.

Entitlement is taking US out too.

An Ode to Ozzie

I'm not a White Sox fan.

You couldn't pay me to be a White Sox fan.

Some of my friends are White Sox fans. 

Like any caring friend, I pray for them and hope one day they will convert.

Having said all that, I get a kick out of Ozzie.

Yesterday, the Sox dumped him.

I don't know all the details or the drama, but I'm sure if it involved Ozzie, it involved drama.

Here's my Ozzie thought. This is the guy who helped a team just as hapless as the Cubs win a championship. Remember what people said back then?  Fans, players, everyone...

"If this guy gets us a World Series, he can be our manager forever!"

Forever doesn't have the shelf-life it used to Ozzie.

I'm confident of two things:

Ozzie will never come to the Cubs, at least as long as Wrigley is standing.

Here are some of his outspoken thoughts on baseball's holy shrine:

"You are going to take batting practice and the rats look bigger than a pig out there...I think the rats out there are lifting weights."

"I wish I could do something about it. The Governor of Chicago, please build another one."

"Because our fans are not stupid like Cubs fans. They know...Wrigley field is just a bar.”

"It's a museum. They like to come to Wrigley Field. I don't say people don't like to come here. I say Ozzie doesn't like to come here."

The other thing I know...one day this guy is going to end up in Minnesota or some other major rival's clubhouse just to poke a stick in the eye of the Sox.

Chicago, get ready for another modern manager...boring, soft-spoken, a stat-driven dweeb who worships superstars rather than whipping them into shape.

I suspect it won't be long and I'll be hearing my friends wishing forever had lasted longer.

Speak With Conviction!

I'm so proud of Ben

I've been having blast this week!

Ben Mott asked me to join an incredible team of gifted communicators to evaluate sermons delivered by a group of pastors. These pastors are part of a mentoring program at Green Lake Conference Center, where Ben serves.

I love communication. I fell in love with it by accident. In my senior year of college, my head was turned by a girl. She happened to be a communication major, and so I loaded up on comm classes to get closer to her. Not only did I ultimate get the girl, but I found another love of my life...communication. 

Tonight I attended the graduation of the current class of participants. I sat at a table with Ben and Ken Giocoletta, the retiring president of Green Lake. When Ken introduced me to other people, he told them I was the pastor who baptized Ben. Wow. Hearing it that way reminded me of the great role God lets us play in the lives of other people.

When Ben left us for Green Lake years ago, I felt like my heart was ripped out. I wanted him with us. God had much better and bigger plans. Hundreds of churches and thousands of people are so much better off spiritually because he was obedient to God's call on his life.

I'm really proud of Ben. He helped me to live out Matthew 28 quite lierally. That's why I exist. He is helping numerous churches live up to the Great Commission as well. That's why they exist. What could matter more? What could be more important?

Tonight I'm sitting in my room at Green Lake, and I'm smiling.

God doesn't always let you see how He uses you. Tonight I got a peek.

It was inspiring and humbling, really humbling.

Here She Comes!