These are troubled times we’re living in these days. Our country is at war, not only with another country, but we’re fighting a war within our own nation’s boundaries, a Cold War between Red and Blue. We’re fighting wars on drugs, wars on a variety of trafficking, wars on senseless killings and violence, and many other disagreements, skirmishes, and spats which have created tension among people of this country.

Two weeks ago, the Voice from the Bullpen asked the question, “Do you believe in miracles?” making the point that it might take a miracle for our country to reunite itself, to bring back what our forefathers worked so hard to create as a new country and life, and argued so passionately to bring us together, creating what was once deemed, the greatest country in the world.

Unfortunately, beliefs, feelings, ideals, and group differences of opinion among people in our country have divided many people, creating competitions and divisions between many of the people who live here. Yes, there’ve been times we’ve been brought back together, temporarily, by some occurrences including certain memorable events, situations, and happenings that have sparked outbursts of “USA, USA,” and have brought us together, for a short time, as a united country. Included in those are yearly Fourth of July celebrations, the 1969 Moon Landing, the 1976 Bicentennial, the every two-year scheduling of Olympic Games, the World Cup Soccer Tournaments (Men’s and Women’s), The World Baseball Classics, and even tragic events like Presidential assassinations, tragedies of NASA (Apollo 1, the troubles of Apollo 13, the Space Shuttles Challenger and Columbia tragedies), and Sept.11, 2001 as well. We’ve shown we can be a united nation. Sadly, it only seems to be for a short time when it happens.

Whenever things happen that bring frustration and disappointment with the division in our country, people look to a variety of ways to get through it, if that’s possible. Some turn to exercise, hobbies, crafts, music, meditation, painting, gardening, reading, walking beaches, skiing a mountain, and other ways they’ve found may work for them. Some turn to participation sports like golf, basketball, softball/baseball, tennis, soccer, pickleball, adult hockey, curling, swimming, and spectator sports like football, basketball, soccer, golf, hockey, and many more. I sometimes find myself using many of these avenues (more spectator, as opposed to participation, at this stage of my life) to escape some of the frustrations of the world in which we live. My first avenue, the one I frequent the most, is baseball.

I’ve spent more than 65 years of my life either playing, officiating, coaching, and/or spectating baseball and/or softball. I’ve sometimes enjoyed doing two or more of these activities at the same time. I know they used to say, and I’m sure it still rings true for some, that “Diamonds are a girl’s best friends.” I’m very happy living my life saying, “Baseball/Softball Diamonds are J. Paul’s second-best friends.” (Sally, you’ll always be Number One!)

In some ways, baseball’s been able to provide stories, happenings, and words of wisdom that can be used to escape the world of frustrating occurrences when the need arises. Maybe some of those who helped create some of these frustrating occurrences, might heed some of the stories, happenings, and words of wisdom which might be helpful in their curbing some of the egomaniacal, self-centered, arguments and actions of, and between, many on both sides of the aisles involved in our political world. If they could only find some ways to get along and stick to the purpose of their roles, in the performance of their sworn duties, upholding the rights of those in our government designated as OF the People, FOR the People, and BY the People, as our freedom document was written, amended, and now exists, to include ALL people of our country.

What, from the world of baseball, could possibly help, or maybe even fix some of what’s going on? The VFTB has done some motivational quote searching as part of those 65-ish years of being involved, not only in baseball and softball, but also football, and basketball as well. In preparation to be involved in those activities I’ve enjoyed so much, I’ve read, shared with students and athletes, and used as teaching topics and motivational “food for thought,” many quotes with/for those I’ve served, and also for the man in the mirror, who greets me every morning.

Here are some of those which have been helpful, and maybe can also be helpful to others in their lives, and in their roles in serving others too:

“Next to religion, baseball has furnished a greater impact on American life than any other institution.” (Herbert Hoover). Maybe better politics can also furnish a greater impact on American life.

“As a manager, I prefer playing our best nine, not our nine best.” (Originally by Knute Rocne using the number eleven) Playing the best nine, is playing the nine who are a great team working together. Playing the nine best is playing nine people working separately, mainly for themselves. Maybe what’s happening today is more like individuals in it for themselves, and not playing as a team for the betterment of all.

“Baseball is an island of surety in a changing world.” (Bill Veeck) Maybe Good Politics can return to being a surety in our changing world too.

“Baseball is a most orderly thing in a very unorderly world. If you get three strikes, even the best lawyer in the world can’t get you off.” (Bill Veeck) Maybe we can stop trying to get wrongdoers “off the hook,” and we make the rules and consequences applicable to ALL people, as our freedom document was designed and shaped to do.

“Don’t keep telling people what you’ve done in the past; tell them what you are going to do in the future. (StanMusial) Make sure it’s something you’re able to do within the parameters of our freedom document.

“If what you did yesterday still looks big to you, haven’t done much today.” (Chief Bender) Stop trying to prove your worth to others with a self-acclaimed success list recital.

And probably the words of this soliloquy, from one of my favorite baseball movies, could help fix some of the brokenness many feel today, and lend a hand in being part of a way to return to days when things were working well, and maybe could start a return to those ways, and days, being good again. It reads:

“Ray, people will come Ray. They’ll come to Iowa for reasons they can’t even fathom. They’ll turn up your driveway not knowing for sure why they’re doing it. They’ll arrive at your door as innocent as children, longing for the past. Of course, we won’t mind if you look around, you’ll say. It’s only $20 per person. They’ll pass over the money without even thinking about it: for it is money they have and peace they lack. And they’ll walk out to the bleachers; sit in shirtsleeves on a perfect afternoon. They’ll find they have reserved seats somewhere along one of the baselines, where they sat when they were children and cheered their heroes. And they’ll watch the game and it’ll be as if they dipped themselves in magic waters. The memories will be so thick they’ll have to brush them away from their faces. People will come Ray. The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball. America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers. It has been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt and erased again. But baseball has marked the time. This field, this game: it’s a part of our past, Ray. It reminds of us of all that once was good and it could be again. Oh… people will come Ray. People will most definitely come. (Terrance Mann – James Earl Jones character in the film, Field of Dreams.)

Maybe we need to go back to when things were constant, where we respected the “game” itself, its purpose, its process, and how it was “played.” Maybe we need to believe that there were once good ways of doing things, when people could disagree without spite, meanness, accusation, intolerance, hatred, immaturity, and may we remember those past days, and ways, that were once good, and been erased, could return, and definitely be good again.

Baseball was always a great help to me in teaching work ethics, reliability, accountability, fair play, respect for opponents, life skills, and the ability to ride successes with humility, and accept failures without blame, just as what happens on a baseball/softball field. Maybe, it too, can be used in other parts of our lives.