Nobody in any sphere of life has ever attained to elite levels by playing it safe. Many things aren't safe but they are good. Do you want to be safe or be better? Welcome to In the Boldkin with Mark Dewey, brought to you by Developing Contenders Ministries. You are listening to the Fight Lab beast network. Thank you for joining us. And welcome to Kaminame. I'm Michael, the right field. She is God! With the World Baseball Classic days behind us, actually I guess it's been a week. And the Major League Baseball season days away. We are able both to look back with appreciation and look forward with anticipation. Looking back, we can appreciate what took place in the World Baseball Classic. But also we can see throughout the Classic but it became very prominent in the championship game that decisions were made by managers whose hands were tied to one degree or another. In particular, as regards who could pitch, win and how much. But looking forward, it is in many ways going to be very similar. And that is because everybody is concerned about arm injuries for pitchers. I firmly believe that injuries in the game of baseball, especially among pitchers, are a huge problem. I also firmly believe that from the lowest levels of baseball, when boys first begin to pitch all the way through the Major League level of baseball, we are doing things that drastically increase the likelihood of yet another Tommy John or shoulder surgery. And maybe sometime this year I will devote an entire episode of In the Bullpen to talk about such things. However, and this may surprise you, one of the reasons I believe there have been so many baseball injuries and injuries to pitchers arms most of all is because so many people are caught up in playing it safe. I want to quote from two men far more knowledgeable than I am about such things. First, a man that I believe I began reading when I was still in college, a man named Bern Gambetta. Bern was a long time strength and conditioning coach with the Chicago White Sox. I read him in college, I actually heard him speak when I was a pitching coach with the Brewers. He wrote these words, quote, were so overprotective of the athletes that we've created fragile athletes. We are not preparing them for the rigors of what happens in the game. End of quote. The next quote comes from a man that you're familiar with if you've been listening to In the Bullpen for the, what, this is the seventh year of this podcast, Mark Friends. He's been a guest in the bullpen. He is my friend. He is a man who has worked in professional baseball as a strength and conditioning coach, as a strength and conditioning coordinator with the Minnesota Twins. He continues to work with athletes from a variety of sports at a variety of ages including major league baseball players. He wrote these words, quote, The problem that we run into in the game of baseball is that we always want to create a safe environment so that individuals are not injured. However, in order to play it safe, we are ultimately creating a functionally unfit, deconditioned athlete. End of quote. Again, maybe sometime this year I will devote an entire episode expounding more on the words those two men wrote and on the physical truth behind their statements. But I believe their words, those quotes, can readily and accurately be applied to far more than baseball. I believe we have created fragile people and have failed to prepare them for the rigors of life. We have played it safe and because we have, we are ultimately creating functionally unfit, deconditioned human beings. Men in particular, Christian men more specifically. I will return to those thoughts in a few minutes. But first, if like me you are a citizen of the United States and a baseball fan. I have some good bad news or bad good news. That of course was the final out of the final game in the World Baseball Classic, Venezuela, and the crowned champions as they defeated Team USA. That game was the only World Baseball Classic game that I watched the entire pre-game show, every pitch of the game, and the full post-game festivities. And it did not disappoint. Well, I was, like many of you, most definitely disappointed that Team USA got beat. I wanted them to win. Their players represented my country, our nation. Yet, despite that, I couldn't help but appreciate and even be moved by Team Venezuela. And that was the case throughout the tournament, but especially before, during and after that championship game. And that's why for me at least it was good bad news or bad good news. Team USA lost the baseball world gained in my opinion. Jonathan Lucroy put something on X that I think sums up my view quite well. He wrote these words, quote, great game and tournament by Venezuela. Happy to see them win this special championship. They have some great guys on that team and I'm really happy for them. But I'm especially happy for the country of Venezuela who has been through so much turmoil and now has this to celebrate end of quote. Now, I don't know any of the players on team Venezuela. I know two people on the staff, however, two people that I not only worked with when I was with the Brewers, but next to another words we work together with the same minor league team. Nester Corridor and Rolando Valles. And I got to know them. I was friends with them. I got to be around them. We got to work together. And I also got to listen to them talk about their native country, Venezuela. Now both of these men have gone through the lengthy costly process of becoming United States citizens. But they still know where their home country is. And at the time, at least they had family members still in Venezuela. And so I got to hear some stories of what the country once was and what it had become. And of course, it's been since 2019 since I worked with these guys. A lot has happened and it's not good since 2019. So I am happy for both Nester and Rolando. And I'm also grateful, though I don't know this man at all. I'm also grateful for one of the people that played for Venezuela. Can you describe what this means for your country? I mean, what can I say about this? It's amazing. God is good. All the glory is for Lord Jesus. He was with us the whole time. We have to glorify Him. Well, He's named me from everything. And nobody believe in Venezuela. But now we win the championship today. And it needs this celebration for all the Venezuelan country. You'll go ahead double in the 19th inning. What were you thinking when you were standing on second base? I just pray at the time going to my family out there. There was a lot before me. God is good man. God is good. You know, Hennial, what made this team so special? The union. We are together the whole time. We're not just teammates. We are family. This team is awesome. We are family here. That's why we play, we passion, we love. Because we feel that they're dirty. We feel out country in front of us. That's why this is a lot for us as players, as the people, as the human beings. And as a Venezuelan, now we are the champion. Hennial, congratulations. Thank you so much. Hennial Swarez, speaking post game after they won the championship with Ken Rosenthal, on Fox, giving all the glory to God. And throughout the world baseball classic, Hennial took every opportunity he had to give glory to King Jesus when he was interviewed. As I mentioned, that interview was with Ken Rosenthal after the championship. And I loved his passion for the Lord, his country, his team, and the game. But Hennial wasn't only vocal after games with a microphone in front of him. He was faithful before the games with his teammates surrounding him. He was a great player. He was a great player. He was a great player. He was a great player. He was a great player. He was a great player. He was a great player. He was a great player. He was a great player. He was a great player. He was a great player. He was a great player. Thank you so much for God's kindness and support. Thank you so much for my brothers for reaching this point, thank you so much for everything, God and for everything, God and bless this country as a God. My brothers that are here, all for today, all for it, all for it. Our Lord! The One God will look after you now to allow God and receive keep smiling through the Dave when He has sacrificed Himself, with Your Highnessère Gideon the Lord is among You. Holy Spirit, amen. just to go off on a little bit of a tangent. I'm always impressed how a man can speak his native language when those around him have it as their first language. That is what you just heard. Speaking Spanish around a group of men whose first language is Spanish. But not only when a man can do that, but also when a man can speak English, a national television when being interviewed on a format where most of the people listening their native language is English. Which reminds me of another Venezuelan and I did not see him at the World Baseball Classic, though I would not be surprised if he was there. Eduardo Berzuela. I worked with him with the brewers. He now works with the Metz. He went over to the Metz when David Sterns went from Milwaukee to New York. And Eduardo had an office right across the hallway from mine. And I was just amazed. I would walk into his office and let's say it was Nesta or or Rondo in there. Both men who could understand English, speak English very well. But when Eduardo was speaking to them, he would be speaking to them in Spanish because it's all of their first languages. And I would walk in the door and Eduardo's got a little bit of passion to him, right? He's got some fire at a world at war. When I got along very well, but I'd walk into his office and he would be in this conversation in Spanish, turn in the middle of sentence, turn to me and then start speaking in English. I just, that's just amazing to me. But back to my main point, you, Daniel Suarez gave glory to God after the game in his interviews. He gave glory to God before the game in leading his team in prayer. He prayed with what appeared to me looking at the video, the entire Venezuelan team. And they were all together and kind of an oval with their arms around one another. And as the video panned, it appeared every head was bowed. Many were notting. Many were giving amen throughout. So not only did he play to the glory of God, he prayed to the glory of God. But here's the question. What if team USA had beaten Venezuela in that championship game? And then Ken Rosenthal, after dealing with the winning side, hadn't interview with Johannes Suarez. What would it have been like? Would he still have given all the glory to God? Based upon his pregame prayer, based upon what I've seen from him, again, though I do not know him, I believe he would have. And I believe he would have had this kind of attitude. Finally, we've got some family here tonight. Your wife, your mom, others as well. You lost your dad almost 10 years ago. What does it mean to you, Michael, to have this kind of performance on this stage in front of so many loved ones? Yeah, it's awesome. You know, definitely. The foundation of my faith is to rejoice in tribulation because it produces patience and perseverance. And I truly believe that. So when a challenge presents itself, even if I would have given up 10 today, I would have said, thank you, Lord, for the opportunity. It's a way for me to grow, and maturity, grow my relationship with him. So success, failure, it just allows me to attack opportunity, attack challenges, it frees me up to be able to do that. And I'm grateful to be able to do that. And that's just because of my foundation and my faith. Didn't give up 10. Congratulations, Michael. Joe, back to you. So that again was Ken Rosenthal, again, in a postgame interview, again, in a game in which a team beat team USA, in this case, Italy, and the pitcher that he was interviewing, Michael Lorenzen, was the winning pitcher in that game. But then Michael Lorenzen and team Italy got beat by Venezuela. Michael Lorenzen picked up the loss in that game. And yet you hear his words. Win or lose success or I don't want to use the word failure, but a bad outing, a bad game, he rests in the Lord Jesus Christ. From what I can see, again, I do not know either man. Both Eugenio Suarez and Michael Lorenzen are not fragile. They are not scared. They deliberately chose to be better rather than to be safe. And they are both excellent examples of what I talked about last week. Excellent examples of moral courage based on moral conviction. As I mentioned, I do not know either man. And many of the people that played, I do not know. Some of the coaches I did or do. And I realized just to stay ahead of things here, in case you think this way, I realized that not all who join in a gathering for prayer are followers of our Lord and Savior, King Jesus. I also know that not all who profess to have faith possess saving faith. And I am in no way encouraging hypocrisy. God is not mocked. And it reminds me of a story. A couple of years ago, I was doing a Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association camp, and I ran into a former teammate of mine. We actually played against each other and then played together. And he was coaching in the area that I lived, what used to be the Appalachian League of professional baseball. And it is now a college woodbat league during the summer. So I went down to see him in one of his games. And I was standing talking to him right next to the first base dugout prior to the game. And as we were talking, I was facing the field. He was on the other side of the fence facing me. And I noticed a bunch of players that went out into shallow right field and knelt to pray. Now I'm used to seeing that or at least I was when I was in the game because the Latino players will do that all of the time. But as I looked out, I said, I don't see any Latinos here. And I said something to my body. I said, wow, said usually Latinos had this up. And then Andy said this. He says, yeah, they do that before every game. And then he said, and then they play like they never did it. So I get it. But I also know this that when these men, the two I've mentioned by name and others played and had interviews during the world baseball classic in which they thanked the Lord. That is a good thing. And I further know that it was far better that they did so than if they hadn't. And I also know that being better in this way is not was not safe. I can guarantee, as a matter of fact, I've read it with Suarez, criticism is going to follow the words and actions of men like Lorenzen and Suarez. Criticism has followed. And it hasn't followed simply from those who hate or reject or are apathetic to Christianity, but even from those who name the name of Christ. Some will even say some have said stay in your lane. Don't bring that stuff to bad. I don't want to hear that when Ken Rosen thought I'll ask you a question. Just talk baseball. I'm going to read something that I read in the last week. I'm going to quote it directly. I'm not going to name who wrote it. It's not a person I know personally. It's not a person that I have the ability to speak with and ask for clarification. This person is also one that I have read many things that he has written that I gave a hearty amen to. And I didn't even jot down his name so that I can't even remember for certain who it is that wrote these words. But let me read the words and I don't want to focus in on one thing. He wrote work is a transaction, not a friendship contest show up post up. Do your job, stay in your lane, earn your pay, and don't get caught up in office politics gossip or unnecessary drama. Keep your personal life separate from your professional life because the same people laughing with you today will sit silent when things turn against you tomorrow. Now, if I had a chance to talk to this man, I would ask for some clarification on most of that. Try to make sure I understand what he is saying. But there's one thing that seems very clear. The words keep your personal life separate from your professional life. My question is if you're a Christian, is that found anywhere in the Bible? I will also argue it's a manifest impossibility to do such a thing. And I'll go beyond that. I believe it would be contrary to the very commandments given to us by King Jesus. These men and others like him, like them, those who are followers of King Jesus, are not baseball players who are also Christians. They are Christians who are also baseball players. And each and every one of us who are in Christ are called first and foremost to model in our words and actions that we are not our own, but that we have been bought with the price. I was still playing. A friend of mine recommended it to me. This woman had moved to the Grand Rapids area. That's in Michigan where I grew up. And the title of the book is Things We Couldn't Say. And this woman was a teenager during World War II in the Netherlands and was very instrumental in helping to hide and protect the Jewish people that were around her from being hauled off to concentrate concentration camps and killed. And in the book she wrote these words, quote, again, a conversation with the doctor, we always come back to the same point. The church may not mix in politics, he says. And I tell him that when you are a Christian and profess that God is almighty, there is no single area of life from which you can eliminate God. End of quote. Deeman was a teenager in the 1940s. She would have been a teenager. She would have been born after the death of another Dutchman, a Dutch politician, journalist, statesman, theologian, and pastor. But what she said sounds very much like what he taught words I've quoted to you on several occasions, the words of Abraham Kuiper quote, there is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is sovereign overall, does not cry mind. Amen. Over the past few weeks, I've been working through an acrostic on leadership. And next week, I hope to cover the final three letters, H-I-N-P. So I guess next week, if it works out well, I'm going to be hip. There's no chance of that. I've had conversations with people and I've said, I don't have any hipness or coolness in my bones. And I thought, if I had ever coached on a staff where Dusty Baker was the manager, I would be there first and foremost to even things out because he is the epitome of cool and on the polar opposite of cool. But I digress. Next week, I hope to finish those three letters. But today, I want to look at a portion of the document that followed the section with the cross. This whole portion of the document was titled Common Principles. It has an intro and a conclusion and then between it, three headings and then teaching under those headings, the first heading, our purpose, investing in our pictures. And that's where the leadership across it is. The second section, our plan, working with our pictures. And then the third section, our progression expectations for our pictures. Well, in that second section, our plan, working with our pictures, I follow up on how the first section ended with the quote from General Patton and saying that may moral courage not be absent among us. And that second section picks up with these words. Moral courage is the conviction of what is right and the intestinal fortitude to do what is right, regardless of the consequences. And then I wrote, it should be evident why this is so valuable. We are incapable of doing our best, helping our pictures become their best, or making the brewers organization its best if moral courage is absent. Moral courage pursues good, better and best. It doesn't play it's safe for fear of failure. In working with our pictures, we must distinguish between these approaches. And then I go on to quote from C.S. Lewis, in particular from his book, The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe. And I have to give a background because some of the people that were reading this that I coach with would not have been familiar with the Chronicles of Narnia. So I talk about what was going on in this book and how the Phevncy children met Mr. Beaver and Mrs. Beaver, and they were at the dam talking with them. And then the conversation turned to Aslan, The Lion. And in the book, you can read through Lewis that the children are intrigued, they're excited, they're curious, but they had some significant trepidation also. They were a bit scared of meeting this Aslan character. And they are beginning to realize Aslan isn't a tame lion. And at this point, Lucy, who's the youngest of the four children, asked the beavers, in particular Mr. Beaver, quote, then he isn't safe, end of quote, and then Mr. Beaver responds this way. My favorite line in this book, safe. Don't you hear what Mrs. Beaver tells you? Who said anything about safe? Of course he isn't safe, but he's good. He's the king, I tell you. What a great line. Many things aren't safe, but they are good. And I wrote to our pitching coaches, we are to be about the business of training and developing elite pitchers, those who pursue with passion and pleasure, excellence in all manners. Such activity is far from safe. And then I end that paragraph with words that should sound familiar. Nobody in any sphere of life has ever attained to elite levels by playing it safe, or being satisfied with the status quo. Whether in the game, from Little League to Major League, or not in the game at all, if you are a follower of Jesus Christ, you must constantly be striving by God's grace to be better in all that you think, say, and do. You must not. We must not play it safe. Our king is not safe, but he is most definitely good. Being a faithful disciple of Christ is most definitely not safe, but it is good. Jesus calls us to deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow him throughout all of our days and in all of our ways. And he also commands us to count the cost. Better isn't easy, better isn't safe, better is costly. But that's a conversation for another day. Join us next time for In the Bullpen on the Fight, Laugh, Feast Network. Thank you for listening.