Baseball, like so much of life, has a romantic attachment to the \u201cgood old days.\u201d\u00a0 And indeed there were good old days.\u00a0 The norm is to knock modernity; if it\u2019s new, it must be tainted, somewhat like steroids.<\/p>\n

Well here\u2019s something from 2010 baseball that gives me hope, not only for baseball, but also for how individuals in our society with different loyalties can bridge gaps, share knowledge, and see the \u201cgreater good\u201d as more important than those of their \u201ctribe.\u201d<\/p>\n

St. Louis Post-Dispatch<\/span> sports writer Bernie Miklasz reported on the success of Cardinal hurler Adam Wainwright over the past two years.\u00a0 Wainwright, like most successful professionals, is constantly seeking to improve his abilities.\u00a0 At the All-Star Game in Anaheim, Wainwright ran into another consummate professional, Tim Lincecum, a two-time Cy Young Award [best pitcher in his league] winner in the National League.\u00a0 Last year Lincecum edged out Wainwright even though \u201cWaino\u201d received more first place votes.\u00a0 They would have good reason to harbor professional jealousy.\u00a0 They would have good reason to wish for the other one to do poorly.\u00a0 The both play for teams that could fight for the 2010 National League pennant; conceivably they could even face one another in the seventh game of the National League Championship series.<\/p>\n

In Wainwright\u2019s first start following the All-Star game, he pitched six shutout innings.\u00a0 Manager Tony LaRussa relieved Wainwright early that day because Waino was working on short rest.\u00a0 Wainwright won the game as the Cardinals eked out a 2-0 victory.<\/p>\n

The next day, sportswriter Miklasz wrote:<\/p>\n

Wainwright also debuted a new pitch Saturday: a changeup with a grip that he picked up from the Giants’ two-time Cy Young winner, Tim Lincecum, at the All-Star Game. While tinkering with the new grip Friday, Wainwright didn’t feel comfortable.<\/p>\n

So Wainwright sent a text message to former Cardinal Todd Wellemeyer (now a Giant) and asked him to take a photo of Lincecum holding the ball in the changeup grip. \u00a0Wellemeyer texted the photo to Wainwright, who adjusted his grip to match Lincecum’s.<\/p>\n

Wainwright estimates that he threw “eight to 10” changeups to the Dodgers. He was pleased with about half of them. “It’s a work in progress,” Wainwright said.<\/p>\n

This is not \u201cyour father\u2019s baseball.\u201d\u00a0 Cardinal Hall of Famer Bob Gibson refused to speak with players from other teams and castigated teammates of his who did.\u00a0 He suffers when viewing today\u2019s baseball; every time a hitter reaches first base and starts a conversation with the first baseman, Gibson feels anguish and perhaps sees himself as a relic of days gone by.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

It\u2019s difficult to disagree with anything about Bob Gibson.\u00a0 He is regarded as perhaps the toughest competitor in baseball history.\u00a0 But perhaps that\u2019s the point.\u00a0 It seems that for Adam Wainwright, Tim Lincecum, and Todd Wellemeyer, it may be important to be a friendly competitor than to be the toughest one.<\/p>\n

They still compete, with Wainwright and Lincecum at the top of their profession.\u00a0 Wellemeyer might wish ill on anyone; he is always an inning or two of disaster away from ending his major league career.\u00a0 The real \u201cstar of this game\u201d is Lincecum, who shared the information (it didn\u2019t take unusual fortitude on Wainwright\u2019s part to accept the information).\u00a0 Previously,, I didn\u2019t know much about Lincecum; resented his mastery of the Cardinals and the fact that he edged out two Cardinals last year for the Cy Young.<\/p>\n

A few years ago baseball ignored proper grammar and called today\u2019s game, \u201cBaseball like it ought to be.\u201d\u00a0 This is obviously an assertion open to interpretation.\u00a0 But as someone who likes the idea of people from different tribes getting along with one another, I want to believe that \u201cbaseball like it ought to be\u201d includes fraternization of players from different teams.\u00a0 And if we believe the adage that life can imitate baseball, then wouldn\u2019t it be great if soldiers representing opposing countries or factions would see the greater bond that exists between them than the rift between whomever they might be representing.\u00a0 If Wainwright and Lincecum can talk, why can\u2019t Netanyahu and Ahmadinejad?<\/p>\n

Sharing can be an outgrowth of talking; meaningful dialogue.\u00a0 So I want to thank Tim Lincecum, Adam Wainwright, and Todd Wellemeyer for dropping the bravado and acting like statesmen.\u00a0 Now we need more statesmen to act like modern All-Star baseball players.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Baseball, like so much of life, has a romantic attachment to the \u201cgood old days.\u201d\u00a0 And indeed there were good old days.\u00a0 The norm<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":3956,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[304],"tags":[584,585,583],"yoast_head":"\n