Baseball is a game of statistics. You can debate almost any issue in the game on the basis of numbers. There is also no limit to what you can measure with math about the game. The obvious example is just the one relating to which teams has the most runs at the end of the game. But baseball people today use all manner of computations to better understand how a player performs in any given situation. A pitcher is not measured only by wins and losses any longer. Experts use several equations to determine the effectiveness of pitching. A batter is no longer measured just by batting average or home runs. Teams pay people to again decipher the hitter's ability in differing scenarios. Calculators seem to be as important as the ball and glove now.

Times change in the history of the game as well. Some of the earliest players reached marks beyond any chance of them being broken. The game was just so different in its infancy. From the time of Babe Ruth to today is as opposite as night and day. You can even watch old games from the 1970s to see how much change is happening. Baseball seems to be moving past the steroid era of the 90s. That time lasted up to just a few years ago. Players injected themselves with chemicals so they could be stronger and faster. Those who oversee the game may be guilty of looking the other way while the abuse was rampant. More than a few significant records were broken by players now under the suspicion of doing steroids. We cheered their exploits in the moment but now feel robbed of our innocence.

It is just my opinion but Hank Aaron should be the official home run leader in the game. His 755 home runs may be 2nd on the official list but he is my choice. Roger Maris should get his asterisk back for hitting 61 home runs in 1961. It is true that the mark was beaten twice in a span of few years but it should not count. Today a player who has the taint of steroids hit his 600th home run in his career. Do we applaud this event? My response is that the players who took the chemical short cuts need an asterisk and more by their name. Anyone who follows the game knows there is a history of players who were not saints away from the field. But their habits usually limited their skills rather than enhanced God given talent.

We do live in the age of short cuts. Seems like there is a quick fix to many things that go wrong in life. We nearly wrecked our economy over the last few years trying to find the newest and fastest way to make more money. We now have all types of medical helps for the wrinkles of life or the faults we no longer wish to have. We even aim for short cuts while waiting in lines at a store. You can be sure we do that in our spiritual life. We may talk of feasting on God's word but chances are we live a fast food life. We spend more time with our cell phones texting and talking than we do patiently waiting on God. We will end up with what we deserve if we do not break this cycle. We could and should feel upbeat about that which we do. But do we ever wonder what could be if we made the time to do things right? Just something I ask myself lately. Now I am asking it of you.

Bro. Trey