My father emigrated from Costa Rica to the United States in the late 1940s. Like nearly all Latin Americans, he was an ardent fan of fútbol, what we in the U.S. call soccer. But he soon became deeply enamored of baseball. My father passed on his love of baseball to his three children.
Born and raised in Los Angeles, I have been a Dodgers fan since birth. I am old enough to remember watching Sandy Koufax pitch. In my childhood, I went to countless Dodgers games with my transistor radio to catch Vin Scully narrate the game. I always bought a program and diligently kept score. When I moved to New Jersey, I remained a Dodgers fan, much to the annoyance of some of my friends.
May was National Mental Health Awareness Month, and I believe there are some fascinating connections between baseball and mental health. Many of us are familiar with the idea that in baseball, one can succeed three times out of 10 and still be considered very good. That comes from a player’s batting average.
For those of us who do not feel that we are good enough, let us keep in mind that if we succeed a third of the time, we are very good. Having said that, we should not stop there. Striving to succeed more, what Saint Ignatius calls the magis, should be our goal.
The Dodgers and the Toronto Blue Jays played a memorable World Series this past fall. In Game Seven, the Blue Jays were winning 4-3 in the top of the ninth inning. With one out and the Blue Jays’ best relief pitcher on the mound, Jeff Hoffman needed just two more outs and Toronto would win the World Series. Up comes Miguel Rojas to bat. A veteran, but one who had not had a hit in a month, worked the count to three balls and two strikes. Rojas smoked the next pitch over the fence in left field for a game-tying home run. It was completely unexpected. The announcer yelled, “No way!” as Rojas ran around the bases. He also said, “The most unlikely source has changed Game Seven.”
Imagine if you had been that batter and you heard the announcer shout, “No way!” For those of us who struggle with low self-esteem, we say, “Yes, Way!” Because. We. Can. Because every one of us has the potential to change whatever Game Seven we might find ourselves in. When down and out, we need to be aware of our strengths. We all have them.
Game Three was an epic extra innings game. The Dodgers relief pitcher, Will Klein, hardly ever used, was literally the last relief pitcher the Dodgers had left in the bullpen. Klein was called on to stop the Blue Jays – and did he ever. For a pitcher who had never thrown more than 30 pitches in any game, he tossed 77 pitches over four innings, struck out five and allowed ZERO runs. Klein is an unsung hero.
Mother Teresa of Kolkata is credited with saying, “The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow. Do good anyway. Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough. Give the world the best you have anyway.” When faced with a seemingly formidable challenge, we reach deep within us – and with the support of friends, and biological and Church family, we can overcome great challenges.
Clayton Kershaw will go into the history books as one of the best pitchers ever. Extraordinary in the regular season, he often faltered in the postseason. One could easily be thrown into a deep depression feeling worthless and insignificant, not being able to contribute to the team’s win when it matters.
Kershaw came into the game in the 12th inning, tied score, bases full of Blue Jays, needing only one out. Many Dodgers fans held their collective breath knowing his past postseason performances. No doubt this was in Kershaw’s thoughts as well. However, he got the next batter to weakly ground out to the second baseman, ending the Blue Jays threat and preserving the tie. The entire Dodger stadium let out a collective breath of relief. In baseball parlance, he came up clutch.
For those of us dealing with depression, coming up clutch is challenging. What helps us out of depression? Exercise, hobbies, friends who listen to us, a good therapist, healthy diets, sleeping the right amount, taking the time to pray and be present with our Lord.
Not everyone likes baseball … but everyone understands and strives for good mental health. How’s yours?
Rod J. Herrera, LCSW, is the former director of the Office of Child & Youth Protection and a mental health therapist in Cherry Hill.
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