Young Baseball Players

YOUNG BASEBALL PLAYERS will do almost anything to earn the chance to play in the big leagues. Whether it means hours of practice, tons of weight lifting, or attending numerous camps, any sacrifice would be worth it. But Orlando “El Duque” Hernandez nearly sacrificed his life by riding a flimsy boat through violent seas to make his dream of pitching in the major leagues come true.

The pitcher defected from his native Cuba on the day after Christmas in 1997. He traveled 90 miles to the United States with seven companions on a makeshift raft. The following March, the star hurler of the Cuban national team signed with the New York Yankees.

El Duque opened the 1998 season with the Yankees’ Triple-A farm club in Columbus, Ohio. During the season’s first two months, he posted a perfect 6–0 record.

Then when Yankee pitcher David Cone got injured, Hernandez got promoted to the majors to fill in. Hernandez took the ball against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in his first game. Displaying a wide assortment of fastballs, slow curves, and sidearm deliveries, the rookie allowed five hits, walked two, and struck out seven in a 7–1 victory. He ended his first year in the majors with a 12–4 record and returned in 1999 to pitch his best year as a professional by finishing 17–9.

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POINT Orlando Hernandez took a huge risk to get his big break. The rickety raft threatened to disintegrate in the water. He and his friends could have easily lost their lives in the violent ocean waves. But the eight of them made the American shore, and El Duque made an outstanding major league pitcher.

In the Bible, Jonah also faced rough waters. God told him to go to Nineveh to preach against the people’s wickedness. Jonah refused to tell Israel’s enemy about God and boarded a ship going the other way. His disobedience caused a violent storm, and since Jonah knew he was responsible, he told the sailors to throw him overboard. When they did, the sea calmed. God gave Jonah a second chance, and he went to Nineveh. Jonah preached and the people repented.

GOAL! Can you imagine telling somebody you don’t like about God’s Good News? God may ask you to do just that. Praise him that he loves everybody and wants everybody to know him. Will you commit to not run from him?