CrazyFaithy: I now have a new respect for baseball

Okay, before I begin blurting out a ton of things that you probably won't understand, let me go over some basic info for you:

A no-hitter is when the opposing team in baseball has absolutely no hits. Though it may not seem like much, it's very uncommon. The last MLB no-hitter before this weekend was made by Mark Buehrle on July 23rd of last year.


So why am I telling you this? Well, it just so happens that a former Stagg student, Dallas Braden of the Oakland Athletics, pitched the most recent perfect game on Sunday, May 9th against the Tampa Bay Rays.




(Several articles can give you a behind the scenes look if you're interested.)

Now on to the real story...

Dallas wasn't always the picture of success. In fact, when he attended Stagg, the words that people would use to describe him were quite the opposite. He was known as the slacker, the lazy dude, and the occasional "intelligent but lazy" student. (Did I mention he was lazy?)

This one of my problems as well. I am constantly told that I have the upmost potential to be something great, but usually I just roll my eyes and say "yeah, thanks."

Dallas Braden has officially inspired me. :) If a former Stagg student can have such a cringingly low GPA and leave here to pitch a perfect game in pro-baseball, then America really is the land of opportunity. I really can be anything I want to be!

Don't misinterpret what I'm saying here; high school is one of the most important steps we'll take in life. It prepares you for everything. However, Braden shows that even if we make some bad decisions, there are always opportunities for those that seek them. There is always a way to make your life better if you have the willpower and integrity.

Baseball itself never interested me. I must admit that I now have a new respect for the sport, though. Seeing how somebody can use it to turn their entire life around was amazing. The respect I have for it is now indescribable

What made this game all the more heartwarming was the fact that Braden was inspired by his mother, who died of cancer. His grandmother was at the game, and she supported him the whole way through.

Keep your heads up and keep working hard. You never know what opportunities could be heading your way. :)

photo credit: Lance Iverson/The Chronicle