As I’m writing this, clearly focused 100 percent on my job, I’m reading that Bob Uecker, radio play-by-play announcer for the Milwaukee Brewers (my beloved Major League Baseball team that honors its 1982 World Series “appearance” every five years, never having actually won one) will be on the call for their home opener on April 2 against the Minnesota Twins.
Following that game, his status will be “one day at a time”.
Now 90 years old, I think it’s safe to assume that the former professional catcher turned broadcasting hall of famer and entertainment personality will not be around forever to do Brewers games.
If this could be the beginning of the end of his long radio career, based on my and others’ perceptions of the team’s chances this year (come at me in October if I’m wrong, I’d love to be mistaken), there’s a good chance that “Ueck” may not get to make the call of Milwaukee winning a World Series.
(He came so close, but Willie McGee, Darrell Porter, etc. . . . I wasn’t even alive in 1982, but I was born with the pain already inside me one year later).
I can’t personally claim to know what Mr. Uecker’s broadcasting goals were since his first time in the booth in 1971, but many baseball fans would agree that if anyone “deserves” a World Series win, it’s him.
All that time, all that effort, all that energy, all that preparation, all that work and he might not get it.
I’m not going to say it’s all for “nothing,” because I’m sure if asked, he would say he’s had a very rewarding career.
While he may have no regrets, he may sometimes feel he’s had one missing piece — fans sure feel this way, not like our opinion really matters though.
Coming up short or coming up as we’re meant to?
There are many athletes and those connected with sports that have had similar experiences.
Players like Ernie Banks (I’ll be nice, Cubs fans), Pete Maravich, and Dan Marino were some of the most talented athletes to do what they do, but have no championship rings to show for it.
I know many will argue the “team sport” aspect of it, but as sports fans have learned from the careers of Michael Jordan and Tom Brady (13 rings combined in their respective sports), these things apparently do matter.
Not having these individuals here with me to answer for this, it’s hard to speculate how they feel, but I am willing to guess that many people, athletes or otherwise, feel a little lament or never quite getting to the highest heights of what they do.
I’ve been blessed to win awards in each area of my career (radio, TV, and print), but they were all second place honors.
Does that make me any less of a person or a professional? I’ll leave that answer alone for now, but there is a part of me that says “just once . . . just once” I would have liked to have been the “best”.
Maybe that’s not part of the story, though.
Maybe all that was meant to be in this crazy world was for me, Dan Marino, Elgin Baylor, or Ty Cobb (alleged personality notwithstanding) to finish second.
How humbling is that? How much pride do you have to swallow to accept that you aren’t going to be the best? How hard would it be to accept that despite your hard work and dedication . . . you’re not the best and never will be.
Does that make you any less of you? Shouldn’t you be happy being your best, no matter where that ranks?
What would it take to celebrate our heights in life, even if they aren’t as high as others reach or as high as we’d like to reach?
Best vs. ‘best’
I hate losing. Ask anyone who knows me.
I’m sure I’m guilty of misusing 1 Corinthians 1:24 for my own greedy personal use — “Do you not know that the runners in the stadium all run in the race, but only one wins the prize? Run so as to win.”
I’ll take the hit for everyone on this and make it about me. You can reflect on this as you see appropriate.
Why can’t I just be happy with the spirit of competition? Why can’t I just be happy to have done the best I could? Why can’t I just be happy with the occasional second place? Does losing an Earthly contest really make a difference in my life?
Well . . . we’re flawed, we’re human, so it does sometimes.
I don’t know who said it first, but “everyone loves a winner”.
People do tend to call those who finished in not first “losers”.
Alright, back to making it about us again and not just me — maybe we all need to do better in how we handle those who don’t come in “first” or meet our human expectations.
I’ve always thought why not try to win if someone is going to keep score, keep track of wins, and award a champion at the end of the season? If that’s what is recognized, isn’t that what matters?
We can all “run to win,” but we all can’t win. There has to be a place in this world for the “losers”.
I won’t synopsize the whole episode, but the show Frasier once had a line that goes, “If you can look in the mirror and say you’ve done a good job, that’s what matters. If you can do that, let the awards fall where they may.”
I’ve tried to live by that, but there is something to be said for winning something shiny.
Oh, and of course, I have to say that Jesus won the ultimate victory with His Resurrection so if we follow Him, we’ll all win at the end of time. I’m not being sarcastic at all.
That being said, I’m not going to be totally (Earthly) happy until the Brewers have something else to celebrate other than 1982. If only Rollie hadn’t gotten hurt.
Thank you for reading.
I’m praying for you.