 MLB Home Run Derby Sportsmanship and inspiration.
Yes, this site is about the high adventure of youth baseball, but sometimes something happens in the Big Leagues that I like to talk about because it can impact our boys in a positive (or negative) way. (I wish we'd had this site set-up when the Mitchell Report broke!) This time it's the MLB Home Run Derby. As you know by now, Josh Hamilton crushed 28 bombs in the first round of the MLB Home Run Derby, thereby breaking the previous record of 24, held by Bobby Abreau since 2005. That, in and of itself, is a great story. And Josh Hamilton's personal story of amazing potential thrown away in drug addition, his faith-grounded redemption, and his hard-fought return to the highest levels of excellence in baseball is nothing short of inspirational. But something else in this story is also inspirational, and something our boys can learn from. That something is Minnesota's slugger Justin Morneau, the Home Run Derby Champion. Morneau won the Derby in the final round, as Hamilton and his 71-year old BP pitcher lost steam. As the media swarmed around Hamilton, Morneau had this to say: ... Morneau was left practically apologizing for beating Hamilton. "I was lucky that we got reset," he said. "This was his show. He deserved to win it."
"It does seem kind of unfair that he didn't get to win the whole thing," Morneau added. "Anyone who was here won't forget that performance."
What a display of sportsmanship from Morneau! This is an attitude I can appreciate and one I hope will inspire my own teenage son. Here is a link to video of Justin making his statement. Justin Morneau - Sportsman and Champion 
Congratulations to Justin Morneau - who was incredibly gracious in his win, a true sportsman; and to Josh Hamilton, who has turned his life around to fulfill the incredible potential he exhibited at such a young age. They are both to be admired, for very different reasons. |
