Take The Leap of Faith

This episode explores the tension between waiting and acting in our faith journey through the lens of baseball's greatest base stealer, Ricky Henderson. Drawing from Ecclesiastes 11:4, we're challenged to recognize when patience becomes paralysis and when boldness is required to step into God's calling. Henderson's record-breaking career of 1,406 stolen bases illustrates a powerful truth: sometimes we overthink our opportunities, waiting for perfect conditions that will never arrive. The devotion confronts us with an uncomfortable reality - we often disguise fear as wisdom, using patience and discipline as excuses to avoid the uncomfortable work of sharing our faith or stepping into new areas of spiritual growth. Just as Henderson trusted his preparation and took calculated risks with an 80% success rate, we're called to trust God's preparation in our lives and move forward even when we don't feel completely ready. The message reminds us that real spiritual growth happens outside our comfort zones, and that God walks alongside those who trust Him enough to take that leap. Whether it's joining a youth group, sharing the gospel with a friend, or pursuing a calling that feels intimidating, we're encouraged to stop waiting for uncertainty to disappear and instead embrace obedience as the catalyst for experiencing the amazing things God has planned for us.

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:21

Welcome back to another episode of Baseball in the Bible. I'm Raker Dotson here with my father, Ryan Dotson, and we're excited to be back for another podcast.

SPEAKER_03 0:33

Are you excited?

SPEAKER_01 0:34

Yes, I am very excited. Okay. Act like you are.

SPEAKER_03 0:39

We're here. No, I'm excited. Excited to be here. We're just here. No. Just realized our Bible fell over.

SPEAKER_01 0:47

That's fun. Okay.

SPEAKER_03 0:49

Set it up. Get our set looking right there. There we go. Yes.

SPEAKER_01 0:54

Okay. We're good. Okay. Let's start.

SPEAKER_03 0:57

We're back. Um, what do you want to cover? Oh, before I say that, you know, today, as this episode is airing, not as we're recording, but as we're airing, it's a very special day. Is there anything you would like to say to me?

SPEAKER_01 1:11

Happy Father's Day.

SPEAKER_03 1:12

There you go. There you go. I can't wait to see what uh pair of socks or tie you get me.

SPEAKER_01 1:19

Or what gift Fed mom got you and says I got you.

SPEAKER_03 1:23

There you go. There you go. Can't wait to see that exciting gift today as we're watching this episode. So all the dads out there, happy Father's Day. Um nothing better than baseball with your with your son. So uh hope everybody has a great day, watches some baseball, enjoys the pod today. But what do you want to cover?

SPEAKER_01 1:48

I think we start off with uh devotional. Okay, then go cards, and then go ballparks.

SPEAKER_03 1:56

Sounds good.

SPEAKER_01 1:57

All right.

SPEAKER_03 1:58

All right. Start us off a little devotion today. What's the devotion titled?

SPEAKER_01 2:06

Uh take a leap of faith.

SPEAKER_03 2:09

All right.

SPEAKER_01 2:10

So the uh first is Ecclesiastes uh 11 4. Whoever watches the wind will not plant. Whoever looks at the clouds will not reap. So essentially, like whoever lolly gags won't prosper. I think is what I got from that. To translate it in English terms. Have you ever waited for the perfect moment to take action, only for it to never show up? It's like the longer you wait, the harder it gets to move. Stealing bases works the same way. You watch the pitcher, time your lead, and choose your moment to go. But if you keep waiting for perfect, you'll miss your chance. Most runners play it safe, waiting for the right moment that never really comes. Ricky Henderson Ricky Henderson wasn't most runners. He's a Hall of Fame leadoff hitter who made a career out of boldly taking off before the defense could react. Henderson played for nine teams, but it was with the Oakland A's that his speed and swagger became the became legendary. In 1982, he stole 130 bases in a single season, a record that still stands today. Over 25 seasons, Henderson stole 1,406 bases, nearly 500 more than anyone else in MLP history. With blistering speed and fearless instincts, he kept pitchers on their toes. Once uh once he was on base, it wasn't a matter of if he would steal, but when. Henderson trusted his preparation and didn't shy away from the risk. More than 80% of the time, he slid in safely. Boldness doesn't just apply to baseball. You need it in your walk with God too. Maybe he's been nudging you into a youth group or step into something that's outside of your comfort zone. But you've been waiting until it feels easier or less awkward. We all feel that hesitation, but there's no reason to hold back. If you wait for unnecessar if you wait for uncertainty to disappear, you can miss out on the amazing things God has in store for you. Stepping out in faith doesn't depend on perfect timing. It simply requires obedience. It might feel intimidating at first, but God promises to walk alongside those who trust him. Remember this, comfort might feel safe, but it can also stunt your growth. Real growth in your faith, training, and character begins when you take action, even if you don't feel a hundred percent ready. Ricky Henderson.

SPEAKER_03 5:27

Ricky Henderson. We're gonna get into him in a second. Uh but just a devotion. I mean, it's a really good devotion. Um last week, if you watch last week, we talked about remember what we talked about?

SPEAKER_01 5:38

Something similar.

SPEAKER_03 5:39

Well, yes and no, but almost the complete opposite, because we talked about patience and discipline.

SPEAKER_01 5:45

Right.

SPEAKER_03 5:45

So and now we're talking about taking action boldness, which again, we can sometimes when we're scared of something, we can use patience and discipline as an excuse to not be bold. Uh and so again, it's it's just it's one of those the fun parts of life, man, and and and your walk with the Lord and having him help you. I mean, just because sometimes we can get paralyzed by do I go, do I not go? Do I I I'm scared? And I think again, when I think of that, when you're reading that, I think the the greatest example is just sharing your faith with people. Right. You know, because it's easy to uh it's easy to talk yourself out of that, it's easy to not be bold, to not take action, and that's where we need the Lord to help us be bold in that sharing our faith uh in love and in kindness.

SPEAKER_01 6:39

Yes, for sure.

SPEAKER_03 6:40

Right, but but not not giving ourselves excuses. Again, there are times in life that you have to make difficult decisions, have to you have to step out of faith. And if you just if you like the devotion said, if you're just I'm waiting, waiting, it's gonna waiting for the perfect opportunity, and it doesn't, it probably will never come. Yeah. So there is something to be said about boldness, um while also using patience and discipline.

SPEAKER_01 7:05

So it's essentially a tightrope wall.

SPEAKER_03 7:07

It's a tightrope, that's life, baby. It's a tightrope walk.

unknown 7:11

Life.

SPEAKER_03 7:11

All right, Ricky Henderson. Um, one of my favorite players growing up, and it was hard for me to like him because he did break when he broke this the all-time Steels record, that was Lou Brock, Lou Brock's record. And uh so that one I was felt, you know, hated that, but Ricky Henderson was just so much fun to watch, and he played forever. Um, and so I'm gonna read a little bit about him. The man of steel, but not steel like steel like Superman, but steel like steel bass. Yeah, the man of steel. You got it. Uh he played uh 25 seasons, four or nine teams from 1979 to 2003, including four separate times with his original team, the Oakland A's. He's widely regarded as baseball's greatest leadoff hitter and base runner. He holds MLB records for career-stolen bases, runs, unintentional walks, and leadoff home runs. At the time of his last Major League game in 2003, the 10-time American League All-Star ranked among the sport's top 100 all-time home run hitters and was its all-time leader in walks. In 2009, he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, his first year of eligibility. Batted right through left. Again, made his debut in 1979, June 24th, and his last appearance, September 19th, 2003, for the Dodgers. Career batting average of 279, 3,055 hits, 297 home runs, 1,115 runs batted in, 1,406 stolen bases, 2,295 runs. Played for the A's, the Yankees, the A's again, the Blue Jays, the A's, the Padres, the Angels, the A's again, the Mets, the Mariners, the Padres again, the Red Sox, the Dodgers, and was a Mets coach in 2007. 10-time All-Star, two-time World Series champion, uh 89 and 93. Uh AL MVP in 90, ALCS MVP in 89.

SPEAKER_01 9:19

Do the accolades stop?

SPEAKER_03 9:20

They don't stop. Gold Glove Award in 81, three times silver slugger, 12 times stolen base leader, obviously. Uh his number 24 retired by the A's Hall of Fame for the A's, and then a Major League Baseball Hall of Fame. His MLB records, and again, there are some records which you think uh, like Cal Ripkins' you know consecutive game record. I would be willing to bet anything that that would never be broken. That will never be broken. This is another one because the game has just changed so much.

SPEAKER_01 9:51

True. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 9:52

Uh but 1,406 career stolen bases. Um, again, when he broke Lou Brock's record, Lou's record at the time was 938. I I still that's still second place, but he almost doubled it. Um uh it's just a different a different game. And so 2295 career runs. That's a you know, we'd have to see about that one, and 130 stolen bases in a single season again. I I just things can come around again and the game can change. We're you start seeing the stolen base again more. But I just even if you do, he was still the best of the best. And so whether that would be broken, broken or not, I just and you gotta play forever, 25 years.

SPEAKER_01 10:36

Yeah, that's true.

SPEAKER_03 10:36

I mean, it's just incredible what he did. Uh and he was a probably he probably was the greatest leadoff hitter of all time. Uh just so much fun to watch. Um, so he actually passed away in 24, so he's no longer with us, but um great, great player, ton of fun, and the all-time steel steel king. So that's our that's our old the man of steel. That's our old school player of the week based on our devotion. We're gonna bring back something tonight that we haven't done in two episodes, but we're gonna open up some cards.

SPEAKER_01 11:12

But we're back and we are doing card reveals.

SPEAKER_03 11:15

So we're gonna get our old we're gonna get our new school player of the week here out of one of we're gonna pick one card out of these four packs that we're gonna open, right?

SPEAKER_01 11:24

Yes, and I really need a JJ Weatherholt.

SPEAKER_03 11:27

Yeah, that's what we're hoping for. And this is not even joking about it. We're not hiding about it. We're looking for a JJ Weatherholt rookie card.

SPEAKER_01 11:34

That's our mission.

SPEAKER_03 11:36

Um, but we're gonna open these up, see who we get.

SPEAKER_01 11:39

First card, Gunnar Henderson.

SPEAKER_03 11:41

Oh, that's a good one. It's a great one. That's a good one.

SPEAKER_01 11:43

And it's like a fancy one, too.

SPEAKER_03 11:45

Titans of the game. That's a good one. Oh, I got Scoobyl.

SPEAKER_01 11:49

Oh, nice!

SPEAKER_03 11:50

Scoobyl so for the Tigers. Another good one. That's a that's a good card. We're on a good start. Great start. Uh we got a rookie card here. Isaac Collins.

SPEAKER_01 12:00

Jose Ramirez for the Guardians? Yes.

SPEAKER_03 12:04

Mickey Monnac. Okay. We didn't discuss this in the pod, but if you watch the Troy Johnston uh interview in the episode from last or two weeks ago, um there's a point where a guy pops over his shoulder. His shoulder. So we actually have had two MLB players because Mickey Montiak is the other one here that's the guy that stuck his head uh over over his shoulder. Uh Victor Robles for the Mariners. Look who we have here.

SPEAKER_01 12:34

Weatherhole?

SPEAKER_03 12:35

No, Troy Johnston.

SPEAKER_01 12:37

Oh.

SPEAKER_03 12:37

We got Troy's card. It's his rookie card from last year. Huh?

SPEAKER_01 12:42

I'm printing that.

SPEAKER_03 12:43

Yeah. Troy Johnston. Look who we have, and Mickey Monac.

SPEAKER_01 12:48

I got uh Cal Raleigh, Aaron Judge, and uh Victor Pisquano.

SPEAKER_03 12:54

Victor P. That's just for the for the Royals. Yeah, it's a hard last name. It is um Matt Strom, Otto Kemp, David Peterson, Chandler Simpson, oh Bobby Wood Jr.

SPEAKER_00 13:09

Alright. No JJ.

SPEAKER_03 13:11

No JJ, but hey, that's a good pack. Scooby, Bobby Wood Jr., and we got Moniac and Troy Johnston.

SPEAKER_01 13:20

I got Nick Kurtz.

SPEAKER_03 13:21

Excited about that.

SPEAKER_01 13:25

Yeah, Nick Kurtz. Isn't he like the stud for the Ace?

SPEAKER_03 13:30

He's good. Yeah, he's the yes, yes, he is.

SPEAKER_01 13:33

Yeah, he's the stud of the A's.

SPEAKER_03 13:34

Is that his rookie card?

SPEAKER_01 13:35

Uh yeah, it's his all-star rookie card.

SPEAKER_03 13:37

Awesome. That's a good one. Yeah, that's a good one. When we played him earlier in the year, we couldn't get him out. Alright.

SPEAKER_01 13:46

Some good packs.

SPEAKER_03 13:47

That's a good one. Let's open up this one. Or you already did the second one.

SPEAKER_01 13:51

Please be JJ. Come on, JJ.

SPEAKER_03 13:54

Don't hide from us.

SPEAKER_01 13:56

Hop out. Do you think they're even making JJ's at this point? Because he is so new.

SPEAKER_03 14:01

No, it's his rookie card. Okay, so here's a rookie card. Samuel Basal, so that's a good one.

SPEAKER_01 14:07

Rat louder for the Reds.

SPEAKER_03 14:14

I shouldn't say eh, he's a Hall of Famer. I mean uh MLB. Nolan Arenado, but he's still in a Cardinals uniform, so that's a little old.

SPEAKER_01 14:22

Oh, I'm air.

SPEAKER_03 14:24

That's a good one. Adam Frasier. Jonah Haim.

SPEAKER_01 14:35

Bryce Harbour.

SPEAKER_03 14:37

This is not an exciting pack that I'm getting. Bryce Harbor? That's a good one.

SPEAKER_01 14:40

Bryce Harbour. And James Wood.

SPEAKER_03 14:42

Oh, James Wood is good too. You got a good pack.

SPEAKER_00 14:44

I did.

SPEAKER_03 14:45

Mine?

SPEAKER_00 14:46

Not so.

SPEAKER_03 14:47

I'm not gonna say the names to you know, because maybe they'll be on the pod someday. But uh nothing that would get us excited and definitely no JJ Weatherholt rookie card. So the search continues.

SPEAKER_01 15:01

We will that we need to get more cards.

SPEAKER_03 15:04

We're gonna get multiple JJ rookie cards. That's alright. But I want to open one. You can go buy one, but I want to open one.

SPEAKER_01 15:11

Well, I'm saying we're gonna buy more cards until we get one.

SPEAKER_03 15:13

Yeah. Alright. Oh, we gotta do our new school player of the week. Who are we gonna pick?

SPEAKER_01 15:19

Oh, uh Gunnar Henderson?

SPEAKER_03 15:22

Yeah, we could do that.

SPEAKER_01 15:24

Okay. Let's do old Gunnar. And hey Gunner, if you are somehow watching this, actually, I'm gonna change it.

SPEAKER_03 15:34

Because Gunnar's good, and we're gonna do a devotion on Gunner in a couple weeks.

SPEAKER_01 15:37

Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_03 15:38

Um and so let's do since we didn't let's do Mickey Moniac.

SPEAKER_01 15:43

Okay, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 15:44

Let's learn about him a little bit since uh he did join technically he's been on the podcast.

SPEAKER_01 15:49

So he has, technically.

SPEAKER_03 15:50

So let's let's learn a little bit about him.

SPEAKER_01 15:53

Can I get the Troy Johnston card? Where is that?

SPEAKER_03 15:55

It's in there somewhere. Mickey Moniac, we're gonna learn about him on the fly from one of our new favorite teams, the Colorado Rockies.

SPEAKER_01 16:07

Um, this was him in his Miami uniform.

SPEAKER_03 16:09

Yeah, it's his rookie card from last year.

SPEAKER_01 16:11

Nice, nice.

SPEAKER_03 16:13

All right. Uh Matthew Monnac is an American professional baseball player, center fielder for the Colorado Rockies. He's previously played for the Phillies and the Angels. The Phillies selected Monnac with the first overall pick of the 2016 MLB draft. Um bats left, throws right. Again, made his MLB debut September 16th, 2020 for the Phillies. Career batting average at this point of 249, 68 home runs, 201 runs batted in. Played for the Phillies, Angels, and Rockies from 25 to present. That was part of the U18 baseball World Cup. Um I think that's all we got. So there's Mickey Moniac, center fielder for the Rockies. Check him out, cheer him on, him and Troy. Um again, thank you for him making an appearance, and we'll continue to follow his his career.

SPEAKER_01 17:11

Bo Show.

SPEAKER_03 17:12

New school player. All right, and it ties in. We didn't know we were gonna read about Mickey Moniac, but we did know we were gonna read about a certain ballpark that he has played in. Uh and made his MLB debut uh in this ballpark, and uh we're gonna talk about the Citizens Bank Park for the Phillies. We we last week we learned about City Field. We're gonna talk about Truist in a couple weeks from Atlanta. Uh but tonight we're gonna stay in the NL East and we're gonna learn a little bit about Citizens Bank Park for the Philadelphia Phillies. Hope you guys are enjoying our trip around the league with these stadium talk. We enjoy going and trying to see all these stadiums. I would encourage you to do the same thing. I know a lot of people do that.

SPEAKER_01 18:00

But we have no clue what we're gonna do after the stadium book is finished, but oh um, all right.

SPEAKER_03 18:07

Phillies play there, made their uh uh debut MLB season was in 2004. The first Phillies home run was from Bobby Abreu, great Phillies player. Right, um, really a cool park, great views of the Philadelphia skyline. Obviously, a lot of tributes to which we'll read about the Liberty Bell and uh history there in Philly. Um booze, this is how we're gonna start. Philly's known for some passionate and some booing. Yeah, booze shower down from half-empty upper deck almost as if they were racing the chilled raindrops that splashed onto Philadelphia's new baseball park on opening day. So this is the first day of this ballpark.

SPEAKER_01 18:50

First day of the ballpark, and they're booing.

SPEAKER_03 18:52

Chance of Let's Go Flyers filled the air. Jeers at home opener, cheers for a hockey team. It could only happen in Philly. Indeed, the city's supposed brotherly love rarely extends to its sports teams. You can you can't get on the fans, former Phillies manager Larry Boa said. They can't they can boo. They're frustrated and they want to see a winner. This is how Citizens Bank Park was christened on April 12th, 2004. Fortunately for everyone's sanity, there was there were much better days ahead for the Phillies and their new home. The team would soon reach baseball's pinnacle, and its stadium would win acclaim as one of the most exquisite embodiments of the retro classic ballpark era. Situated at 11th and Patison, the $346 million facility was publicly and privately financed. It rose in the shadow of the sterile veteran stadium. I love this book. How it when it's talking about the previous stadium to these new stadiums, it like insults them every time. We did the mess last week, it was dilapidated. Tonight it's the sterile. Now, Veteran Stadium, again, it's it was bad. And it was a football stadium. Yeah. You know, and it was it was a not a great baseball stadium. Uh they gotta take the defeated and sterile. Uh anyway, it was it rose in the shadow of Veterans State Stadium, which had been the home of the Phil since 1971. Citizens, popularly called the bank, holds nearly 43,000 fans in a seating arrangement inspired by the Baker Bowl and the Sh and Sche Park, the Philly's former homes, where the upper and lower deck sometimes didn't connect, and the cantilever design provided open seating areas. To evoke more nostalgia, 199 rooftop bleacher seats, similar to those sold at Old Sche Park, are available to fans looking to enjoy a unique ballpark experience under the Liberty Bill. Citizens has a triple-deck grandstand and right field and natural grass turf. Luxury suites can be leased for seven or ten years at a time. The ballpark's facade is composed of red steel, brick, and stone. Ten-foot-tall bronze statues of Hall of Famers Mike Schmidt, Steve Carlton, Robin Roberts, and Richie Ashburn stand at the entrance. In April 2011, the Phillies accepted a gift of a fan underwritten seven and a half foot tall bronze statue of legendary broadcaster Harry Callis. It was placed near the restaurant that bears Callis' name, behind section 141. Behind center field, Citizens Bank features Ashburn Alley, which offers a range of Philadelphia cuisine and retail shopping, as well as the All Star Walk, a path that pays tributes to Philly's All Stars. Fans who want to remember yesteryear can visit Memory Lane, an illustrated history of Philadelphia baseball that spotlights the Phillies, the A's, and the city's Negro League teams. Philly fans, Phillies fans can Take out their frustration on opposing pitchers who are warming up in the upper bullpen, which is adjacent to Ashburn Alley. Originally the upper pen was meant for Philly flingers, but a switch was made after heckling fans caused too much greed for their hometown hurlers.

SPEAKER_01 22:16

That's the most Philly thing I've ever heard in my life.

SPEAKER_03 22:19

A replica of the Liberty Bell stands a hundred feet above the outfield. It lights up in tolls for every Philly's homer. And there were dingers of plenty that first season, as Phil's hitters cranked 49 more homers than in 2003 at the vet, topping the 200 mark for the first time in team history. Long balls were so common that in 2006 the left field power alley fence was pushed back 5 feet to 374 and raised to 10.5 feet. In recent years, the Phillies have promoted the hashtag ring the bell. The park's left center field wall sits at its furthest, about 409 feet from home plate. It is amply named the angle. At Washington's Griffith Stadium, a similar outfield was bent to accommodate trees that grew outside the park. In Philadelphia, the angle was added for quirkiness. The fence has heights that taper from 19 feet to nearly 13 feet. Balls that are hit off the wall shoot back toward the field in all sorts of directions. For the kiddos, make your way to the yard. Located in right field, this 13,000 square foot interactive fan experience is highlighted by a 30-foot climbing wall, a playable miniature wiffle ball stadium, and a bull and a bullpen where kids can have their pictures measured by a radar gun. The Phillies massive Dactronics video display features uh Sony HD production technology that includes a dedicated closed captioning display to assist hearing impaired fans.

SPEAKER_01 23:52

In English, that's just it shows cool things.

SPEAKER_03 23:55

The mammoth display measures 76 feet high and 97 foot wide for a total of 7,372 square foot. The Phillies found success at their new ballpark in 2008. They hushed the Banks Booze Boobirds, at least temporarily, by winning their first World Series since 1980.

SPEAKER_01 24:17

And they're back now, baby.

SPEAKER_03 24:19

Well, and the boobirds are back, yeah, but we'll see, because I picked them to win the World Series or make it to the World Series.

SPEAKER_01 24:27

If they win the World Series, the Boobirds will be back the year after that. So it's just Philadelphia fans, man. They are brutal.

SPEAKER_03 24:36

Good ballpark. Gotta check it out.

SPEAKER_01 24:38

I want to go there.

SPEAKER_03 24:39

I do want to check it out. Um, and again, it's a crazy sports town. They will boo you. But passionate fan base. Got no problem with that. At least they care. I'd rather have that than fan bases in Miami and Tampa and places like that.

SPEAKER_01 24:58

So wild.

SPEAKER_03 25:00

Alright. Anything else?

SPEAKER_01 25:02

Um, I think that's about it for this episode.

SPEAKER_03 25:05

Okay. The hunt continues for our JJ Weatherholt rookie card.

SPEAKER_01 25:08

We'll try to bring as many cards on the can uh on the pod as we are allowed to. Yes. Um and by we, I mean are and by we are allowed to, I mean how much money Dad has in his bank account.

SPEAKER_03 25:24

Uh yeah, we're not gonna just keep buying cards like crazy, but we're trying to ration it out here. So uh let's go crazy. We'll get some more. All right. I think that's it. Go ahead and pray for us. Happy Father's Day again to all the fathers out there.

SPEAKER_01 25:44

Lord, thank you for this day. Thank you just for another podcast you have blessed us with, Lord. Uh I just pray that um we would just learn to not use patience um as an excuse to not be bold, Lord. I just pray that we would be outgoing for your name. And I just pray that uh we would honor you in as many ways as we can today, Lord. I pray this in Jesus' name, amen. Amen.

SPEAKER_03 26:15

See you guys on the on the next one. We got some cool uh footage coming for some baseball. We're going to some ballparking in the next couple weeks, so we're gonna be having those on the pod.

SPEAKER_01 26:24

Yes.

SPEAKER_03 26:25

Alright. See y'all.