In baseball, as in life

The Yankees won a remarkable game last night, coming back from the dead, as it were, from a score of 10-1 in the third inning to a winning score of 14-13 after nine. Poor pitching and the absence of three of their most potent batsmen (Giambi, Sheffield and Matsui) created the need for the Yankees to rally from behind on three separate occasions over the four-hour game. But they did, and in the end they prevailed.

The two most notable moments for me both involved the team's longtime catcher, Jorge Posada. In the top of the six inning, with two outs and a man on first, heavy-hitting Texas Ranger Hank Blalock shot a ball down the left field line for a base hit. Because Melky Cabrera, a newly called up, very young prospect filling in for the fractured Matsui, bobbled the ball, Mark Teixeira, all 6 foot 3, 220 pounds of him, hauled his booty from first base all the way to the plate. Cabrera threw to Jeter, his cut-off man, who gunned the ball to Posada. A brain-rocking collision ensued as Teixeira squared up a shoulder to knock the ball from Jorgie's glove. No dice. Posada held on, the third out was recorded, and the Yanks saved a grim 10-5 deficit, which would become significant when, in the bottom of that inning, they would score six runs, including a three-run homer by recently much maligned Derek Jeter. Not clutch? Don't tell me that.

According to post-game interviews with several key players, the spirit and sheer grit Posada showed on that play was all the impetus the team would need to fuel an unlikely and historic comeback. Each player took to heart Posada's example and determined that they would play with as much fire as he had displayed. It is fitting, then, that after the Yankees gave back the lead (again!) in the top of the ninth inning, Jorge Posada would come up to bat with one out and one man on and hit only the second game-winning walk-off homer of his career.

After the game, Joe Torre, Yankees manager, said, "It was such a team effort all the way around. I can't be more proud of the way this ballclub responded tonight. They fought hard, which is what they've done all year."

I get this. Life offers up curveballs. There are strikeouts. And sometimes, every once in a while, a violent collision at the plate. Occasionally these events end the game; but most often, they happen right in the midst of the battle, with much of the game still to be played. In every instance, however, players have a choice to respond well to these setbacks or badly. To allow them to diminish the team's spirit or to renew it. This is what I see happening around me. My recent trials, compared to the simple comfort of my life up to this point, have been jarring, brain-rattling, priority-shifting. No question. What I have yet to face seems scary. How well I am to recover is a huge unknown.

But I am inspired by the ways in which my teammates have encouraged me to seek understanding, to look for opportunities for growth, and the ways in which those around me have rallied as well. This is quite a team, and the attitudes that we have adopted, individually and collectively, to face this difficult time with confidence and hope seem sure to promise victory. After the Yankees game, team captain Derek Jeter said, "To be honest, I always thought we had a chance.'' Yeah. Me too. And I'm quite sure it will make all the difference.