Out of the Blue

Years ago, I was privileged to be in the sixth grade Sunday School class taught by Don McKinnon. Mr. McKinnon cared for each one of the boys in ways I have not seen other teachers do, truly wanting the boys to internalize the lessons we talked about on Sunday morning in our lives at home every day of the week. To help myself and the boys be faithful in our Bible study homework, we reported in the next week and earned points for Scripture reading, devotional diligence, memorization, etc. At the end of the term, out of his own pocket, he gave each one of us boys gifts based on the points we had each accrued. Being one of the most diligent and faithful in the class, I was awarded the grand prize—a framed plaque with my achievement and a huge autographed 8x10 picture of the LA Dodgers’ Orel Hershiser. Wow—I had collected a few baseball cards here and there, but this blew them all away! The plaque and autograph had a special place in my room for years until I moved away from home.

Kind of out of the blue the other day, I ran across a copy of Orel Hershiser’s book, ironically called “Out of the Blue.” Seeing the cover picture, remarkably similar to the one I had on display for years in my room, I couldn’t resist picking up the book and reading through it. In this book, Orel recounts his life to present, written just after his remarkable 1988 season being the MVP-winning pitcher for the LA Dodgers.

Similar to Jesus changing Simon’s name to Peter (rock) to remind him to be steadfast, Orel’s manager in his first year of pitching in the big leagues had an idea. He called him aside after a bad game and laid into him, but instead of the typical berating a manager might give a player who performed poorly, he lit a fire under Orel and gave him the nickname “Bulldog”—not because he was one at the time (in fact, he was quite the opposite), but because that is the type of player he wanted Orel to become—fierce, aggressive, the take-charge type, the best in the business. From then on, Orel was a different pitcher out there on the mound. He had several very successful seasons of pitching thanks in part to his manager preaching the “Sermon on the Mound” that one day in 1984. In 1988, everything seemed to come together, with Orel pitching his team to victory all the way to the final out of the World Series, earning multiple MVP honors along the way!

In the book, Orel explains his philosophy on baseball and what he attributes his success to. In short, attitude, mechanics, strategy, and regimen all play into delivering the proper pitch, the key most important element of the game. Being a Christian, Orel views that he ought to attain to a higher standard in all aspects of the game, whether in word or conduct. One interesting note, during the World Series games, Orel would calm his nerves by singing hymns to himself there in the dugout. Orel brought us into his “game day regimen” which always includes spending time alone with God before the game gets underway, not letting any distractions get in the way, and putting the game face on.

I found this book to be very interesting—a blast from the past, if you will. I always enjoy a good sports story, and this book very well falls into that category. It begins with the chronicle of a young man who was a prodigal son through college, entered the minor leagues, came back after some serious injuries, and met the Man who would change his life, continuing on with the story of Hershiser’s amazing season pitching for the LA Dodgers in 1988.

Part of what hits home for me in reading this book is actually the connection with my sixth grade Sunday School class. God is sovereign in everything, and I know He has the perfect plan. I was blessed to be a part of that class when I was because the next year, my family moved away from the area, and also that year God called Mr. McKinnon home after a struggle with brain cancer. I thank God for Mr. McKinnon’s influence on my life and for touching the lives of countless 6^th grade boys throughout the years like I once was, and for his sparking my interest in #55.