When I coached high school baseball at Jessieville, there were a couple of teams we played in which we know going in the opposing coach would give us a couple of outs because of illogical and poorly timed aggression. Ozzie Guillen did just that, as I predicted, last night. In the seventh inning, with one out and down by one run, Guillen ordered a hit-and-run with A.J. Pierzynski on base. A.J. Pierzynski? The man at the plate missed the pitch and Pierzynski, representing the tying run, was thrown out by several feet. A classic example of illogical, poorly timed aggression.
Even without Bartolo Colon -- whom the Angels left off their playoff roster for the ChiSox series -- the edge has to go the Angels, primarily because Ozzie Guillen will run his team out of the playoffs.
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The Astros/Cardinals series begins tonight. This morning on A.M. 1300 The Zone in Austin, the guys were talking up Pettitte, Clemens and Oswalt as the best statistical trio in the history of baseball. 50 wins, 29 losses and a combined ERA of 2.39. With those guys starting six of the possible seven games, give the edge to the Astros.
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I hope you will find some quiet time today to lift up Jimmy Mitchell in prayer. Jimmy is my former colleague at the Village Church of Christ in Arkansas and he is suffering through some health struggles at this time. The following was posted on his blog on Monday.
Forgive me if you have not seen a blog from me for a while but I am suffering from what my doctor calls trigeminal neuralgia (basically the feeling of getting stabbed in the head with an icepick every 15-20 seconds). Doctor Hollis has prescribed Carbamazepine and Hydrocodone. So, needless to say, I am sort of out of it. I am sorry that this blog will be on hold until I am back out of left field. Please be patient with me as I recover.
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"In matters of faith, unity; in matters of opinion, liberty; in all things, love." That motto has been a moving force in the American Restoration Movement, of which the Churches of Christ descend.
But could that very motto be the impetus for creating conflict at times in our churches? What I mean is this: if everyone is entitled to their opinion, and free to voice their opinion, could the flood of opinions work as a wedge against the cultivation of deeper faith?
My prayer today is that I would be a person of deeper faith and fewer opinions. At the very least, maybe some opinions could just be kept to myself because, in voicing them, I would in no way be contributing toward a productive end for the entire community of faith.
