Over the last 50 years, a few baseball players have stood out as the very best pure hitters of this era. I’m talking about Rod Carew, Kirby Puckett, and Pete Rose.
But don’t forget about George Brett, who came the closest to hitting .400 of any hitter since Ted Williams.
Brett was known for his incredible discipline at the plate. He could read every pitch. And more often than any other player of his generation, he could hit every pitch. Brett stayed healthy and enjoyed a long career with the Kansas City Royals. As his Hall of Fame career neared its final act, Brett came to the last game of his final season.
A broadcaster for the Royals asked Brett how he envisioned his final at-bat. “Would you like to hit a game-winning home run?” he was asked.
“Nope,” said the great hitter. “The way I envision my last at-bat is that I will hit a routine ground ball to the shortstop. He will throw me out, as I run as fast as I possibly can – just in case he makes a bad throw.”
“Why do you want that to be your final at-bat?” he was asked.
“Because I want the younger guys in the dugout to see how the game of baseball was meant to be played.”
Paul said it like this, late in his ministry: “I press on toward the goal” (Philippians 3:14).
Recovery Step: Today, sprint toward recovery. Go all in. For all you know, today could be your last at-bat.
