An Inspiration

Sometimes we just need an inspiration. And sometimes it comes when we least expect it. Take for instance the documentary I watched last night: The Battered Bastards of Baseball. It got me thinking about what the sport means to me. Based on the true story of the Portland Mavericks, an independent team founded by the actor Bing Russell, I had no idea that this team had ever even existed (I guess you learn something new every day). Part of the inspiration came from the fact that Bing was an actor who was so enamored with baseball. And when he went to Portland to start up up his brainchild, I guess a lot of people thought it was a nutty idea: An actor? Baseball? How do THOSE two concepts fit together? may have been a common thought. Having received my MA in Theatre Arts a few moons ago, I can relate a little. No, I never played a sheriff on Bonanza nor was I ever asked for my autograph, but my love for the stage paralleled my love for the sport. I often found it challenging to talk to one group of friends about theatre and the other group of friends about baseball. Especially being a Girl talking about baseball. Oy. But so much of the time I got my inspiration for what I did on stage from baseball. There on the field would be a cast of characters (and apparently the Mavericks were quite the characters) that I could study and observe and learn about. To me, baseball wasn't just a game of numbers. It's also so much a game of personalities. Stats can only take you so far in understanding the Players. I look for patterns. Trends. Behaviors. Circumstances. When does Matt Kemp start to slump? Could I predict when he would snap out of it? Why was Gagne so focused during his Save Record? When does Kershaw throw his best? Why was Lasorda so successful in managing the team back in his day? Why did we have so many walk off wins when Broxton would "close"- could I predict when he would blow the save and chase the win? Others often scoff when my opinions go against what the numbers say.  But the guys on the field inspire me to think outside the box and look deeper into why things happen- on and off the field.
Girl Talk: Sometimes we need a little inspiration. Inspiration can lead to hope. And hope can leads to achievement. Remember the Zsa Zsa Zsu Carrie Bradshaw spoke about? When she dated Berger. (See pic below for memory refresher- Season 5 Sex and the City.) If you only look at a Guy's "numbers": height, eye color, hair color, weight, age... you're not going to get the full picture. Don't we want to see what lies beneath the skin? Don't we want to see why he does certain things or how he'll behave in certain situations? How will he respond in a crisis? Will he rise to the occasion? Or will he flail helplessly and simply stop trying? For me, it's the Guy who tries who captures my interest. He puts forth the effort. For me, it's the Guy who makes the first move and tries to get to know me. If I hit a fly ball will he try and catch it? Or will he let it just drop? Does he keep throwing the same pitch over and over? Or does he keep me on my toes and throw me a slider every once in awhile? And when the going gets tough, does he go on the DL (disabled list) for an extended vacay or does he work it out during the slumps trying to fix what's wrong so that he can be better? For me, there are a few inspiring Players on this year's Team. Those are the ones I really watch because they inspire me. I take it all in because there's just something about them- something about them that triggers the imagination and truly inspires. For me, the numbers don't tell the whole potential of each Player- or Guy. Each Player's story, each Guy's story, will speak 1,000 words. And that story Girls, THAT story, is where the Zsa Zsa Zsu radiates from.