Worth Millions in Baseball

In recent days a sports-related item has made the leap to the news pages of papers all across America, and I suspect, Japan. One Mr. Alex Rodriguez has signed a ten-year deal to play (may I stress that a moment?) PLAY baseball for the New York Yankees in return for a mere $305 million dollars. Uh huh, the Steinbrenner boys are willing to shake on this one.

I am a baseball fan.
(except for the five years following the strike in the Nineties)
I am a staunch free-market Capitalist.
("Yeah!" Founding Financial Fathers)
I am more than a little surprised, and scary jealous.

What if I had actually kept playing the game into my adulthood? What might have been the career outcome of my dedication to the art and science of America's pastime? What makes A-Rod worth more per minute than THOUSANDS of teachers... first-responders... single Moms... pastors... and almost everybody else besides plumbers, Union Sanitation Engineers, or global warming-gurus? (Trust me on that last one, friends.)

305 Million U.S. Dollars for ten years comes out to exactly $3,481.73 per hour. That's almost 3500 bucks for every hour Mr Rodriguez breathes for the next 120 months. Asleep. Awake. Visiting friends in the Dominican Republic. All the time. "Ca-Ching!"

Here is a snippet of info from Wikipedia regarding said, A-Rod, "Since 1996 (his first full season) through 2007 he leads the Major Leagues in home runs (HR), runs scored, runs batted in (RBI), total bases and extra-base hits. Of all players in baseball history at age 31, he is first all-time in HR, runs scored and total bases; second in extra base hits and RBI, and 4th in hits. To this point in his career Rodriguez has more HR, RBI, runs scored and more base hits than all-time leaders Hank Aaron (RBI), Barry Bonds (HR), Rickey Henderson (runs scored), and Pete Rose (hits) did prior to their 31st birthdays."

Well, more power to him (since he already has everything else).

Makes me think of other ball players in the "Bigs" who can cash large checks for hitting the ball once every three times they are at bat. Millions. Batting .333 is considered something of the "gold standard" for hitters in the Major Leagues. Did you hear me, MILLIONS for doing something one third of the time your employer / spouse / girlfriend / mother expects you to. Seems like good work if you can get it. Oh, and you get to guest-star on scores of TV shows, too. Then there is the whole "endorsement" genre of stealing, uh, making millions more for eating a certain kind of peanut butter, or smiling as an announcer declares that "A-Rod wears only bio-degradable cleats from Green Weenies Shoes."

One-out-of-three is good, huh?
Well then, the parties StillWaters hosted last evening in Salisbury and Mooresville were hugely successful because over a third of the folks invited from the neighborhoods actually attended! Add to that the many folks who served and supported the outreach events and you are up into the platinum strata of performance. Woo Hoo! Yeah God.

Join everyone who cares about the spiritual and community health of our neighbors by praying for some lasting benefit from the dual events. The intention of each of the hosts and helpers last night was that relationships may be developed and deepened in order that Jesus the Christ might be known and followed by LOTS more of the people near us where we live. Perhaps, due in no small measure to the selfless efforts and prayers of so many StillWaters families, some folks may come to a saving knowledge of the Son of God in the days ahead. What an honor to lift us His Name at this time of the year when He is almost forgotten by the larger community in America, and elsewhere, as shopping and celebrating avarice and excess is rampant.

Gentle reminder people of the world, "It's CHRIST-mas."
Enough said.

This year I will not be buying presents in the volume, at the rate, or to the expense of years gone by. Finances play their part in the decision Carol and I have made, but even more important is the notion of making a difference (for good) in the lives of the folks around us. We hope your hearts are full this Christmas, dear friends. Your participation in the Kirker and StillWater families has certainly caused ours to overflow. Thank you... really.

While Mr. Alex Rodriguez EARNS just under one dollar per second for the next 315,360,000 seconds (no, I am not bitter...) the rest of us Christians may take comfort in the fact that every one of those dollars will remain on earth till they burn, while our redeemed spirits will soar to the heavens to dwell with Jesus in Paradise eternally when we leave this tired old planet.

So, my advice to you is this, "trust in the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved! You and your household."

Oh, and also teach your sons how to throw a baseball 60.5 feet left-handed at about 100 mph.

Both of these are excellent retirement programs.

Like you, I don't think $305 million dollars would change me.

Right.