
I began playing baseball around the age of 5 years old and played every year for the next 13 years of my life. I never played college baseball because I answered the calling to attend bible school however I would have loved to get a few more years in. Playing baseball for 13 years, praying for our nation, and being heavily engaged in politics at seasons in my life I have learned that there are several ways that the sport of baseball is like American politics. One of these ways is by the umpires of the game. The umpires are the judges on the field. Each baseball game has an umpire that makes their judgments from behind the white home plate. In this case the white home plate is the White House or the white Capital building for the House of Representatives. Players, coaches, and fans often agree, disagree, praise, and fight with the umpires pending on the type or quality of judgment calls that are made. In the same manner citizens often disagree with the senators, congressmen, the president, and others represented in these houses.
The umpire has the power to call the strikes, fouls, out of bounds, outs, and the runs. The umpire is the “shot caller”. In baseball a run does not count and is not added to the scoreboard if the player does not get that run or the runner to pass the white home plate. The people of America can have a lot of great ideas, wishes, and requests they want signed into law however if what the American people want does not pass the approval of the house or the umpires it will never post on the scoreboard for the people of the nation.
In baseball there are a lot of efforts that almost make it past the white home plate but never get there. In order for the run to make it past the white home plate it takes a skilled player and the nod of approval by the umpire. However no matter how skilled the player is, what team they are on, if they are a democrat, or a republican the umpire needs to see them pass the white home plate and approve the effort to cross the white home in order for the effort to carry weight and be signed into law.
In baseball the game starts, stops, is paused, and continued by the rule of the umpires. If you want to win the game the position to play is not the pitcher, the #4 batter, the fan in the stands, those watching on TV, or those catching the highlights at the sports bar. The position to play is the umpire.
Who does the people of the United States America want the next umpires of our empire to be? To be the umpire it takes doing more then watching CNN or Fox News clips at the office on break, its takes more then following the news on TV in the comfort of your own home, and it takes more then attending a political club or convention. It takes the fans that are watching at home, the supporters of the political clubs, the political parties, and the power of conventions to support and elect the individual running for office. Everyone who runs in the game of baseball is running for home or the white house plate. It is the matured and seasoned individuals who are placed in the game as umpires.
In baseball the game starts, stops, is paused, and continued by the rule of the umpires. If you want to win the game the position to play is not the pitcher, the #4 batter, the fan in the stands, those watching on TV, or those catching the highlights at the sports bar. The position to play is the umpire.
Who does the people of the United States America want the next umpires of our empire to be? To be the umpire it takes doing more then watching CNN or Fox News clips at the office on break, its takes more then following the news on TV in the comfort of your own home, and it takes more then attending a political club or convention. It takes the fans that are watching at home, the supporters of the political clubs, the political parties, and the power of conventions to support and elect the individual running for office. Everyone who runs in the game of baseball is running for home or the white house plate. It is the matured and seasoned individuals who are placed in the game as umpires.
I am reminded of the slogan from the movie Star Wars when thinking about the power of an umpire. That slogan is The Empire Strikes Back. If you want to have the power to call back the strikes and end vain, unfruitful, error filled, or wrong legislative efforts then become the umpire or elect the type of umpire you want to be the shot caller.