Glorifying Mediocrity

Our cultural decline in America can be attributed to whole host of ailments, not the least of which, is the mindset that currently permeates our athletic endeavors.  

A great many Americans have lost interest in professional athletics because of the exorbitant money paid to our athletes.  This annoyance should not blind us to the even greater threat emerging within athletic endeavors today.  It is our willingness to ignore the importance of character and a toughness toward a commitment to “gutting-it-out.”  For it is this aspect that makes athletic enterprises most worthwhile and where the real level of respect and admiration needs to be focused and expressed.  It is the same toughness that most of us must exhibit in raising our children – especially a difficult child – reaching our maximum potential within our chosen careers, developing a lasting marriage or any other worthwhile activity we pursue in life.  It would be dangerous and self-destructive for us to allow such an athletic blindness to perpetuate itself.  

Setting a standard of excellence that demands we strive for levels of success that challenge our human capabilities creates a mindset and a desire to exceed our perceived limitations - we think in terms of succeeding despite the obstacles or challenges.  Diminishing requirements for excellence has the completely opposite effect which we are witnessing in our national pastime. 

For many years’ baseball has curtailed the demands placed on its pitchers.  We have moved from an era where a starting pitcher had a mindset of finishing any game he started.  Today, six innings pitched is touted as a “quality start” or maximum effort and achievement.  Relief pitchers are seldom required to pitch more than two innings.  Using relief pitchers two or three days in a row is seen as exhausting them.  It is universal wisdom that they need time off – they need their rest - after this minimum effort has been exerted.  We have seen the creation of “set-up” pitchers (eighth inning specialists) and of course “the closer” who is required to get just three outs in the ninth inning – And managers must be careful not to overexert these lads by asking them to pitch too many days in a row. 

Character and “gutting-it-out” is still occasionally displayed in baseball, though not very often.  In 2014, after only two days’ rest, Madison Bumgarner preserve a World Series win by throwing five scoreless innings in relief to protect a one run Giants lead.  In the 2018 World Series, Red Sox pitcher Nathan Eovaldi throw 97 pitches in just short of 7 innings of relief.  He took the loss.  If ever a loser earned a trophy it’s Eovaldi. 

Now we come to hockey where character and “gutting-it-out” is a requirement.  As highlighted in the “Docu-movie,” “Miracle On Ice,” there is no room in hockey for an athlete who would take pride in giving up 3 or 4 runs after pitching just six innings – no room for “set-up” or “closing” pitchers. 

While hockey players are arguably the most talented athletes in the world, it is the character demanded by the game that makes them the most exceptional among us.  It was that character that provided us with the most stirring athletic event in history – the Gold Medal win by the USA Olympic Hockey Team in 1980.  It is that character, irrespective of financial gains, that demands our respect and admiration. 

As baseball continues its march in defining mediocrity as excellence, let us pray that the same superlatives and mighty accolades bestowed upon the games predecessors will be absent in describing today’s exploits.  We also, more importantly, need to pray that we, as a people, shall always and forever refuse to embrace these diminished returns on character, effort and excellence. 

Character demonstrated In Toughness and “Gutting-It-Out”  
Where true greatest is exhibited in athletics