The umpires in baseball keep, at least in theory, the game honest. Behind the catcher the home plate ump calls balls and strikes as he judges pitches relative to a strike zone that changes with the size of a player. Again, theoretically, an umpire does so honestly and accurately. Of course, the vantage from over either the left or right shoulder of the catcher is not quite in alignment with the pitch, the plate, and the catcher’s glove. So, the ump might call an outside pitch a strike or a corner pitch a ball. No one can effectively argue the matter. The ump’s on-the-spot judgment is as final as the Day of Reckoning.
In pick-up games, there’s no ump, so the players rely on the judgment and honesty of the catcher. Because the catcher is an opponent of the batter, the call sometimes draws criticism: “You’re just trying to help your own team. That was a ball.” Again, there’s no real recourse; a call is like stellar light. Once it leaves the star it travels through an indefinite, and possibly infinite, universe: Calls are irrevocable.
Trusting the catcher to make the calls requires faith, faith in the spirit of the game and faith in the integrity of the catcher. Do some pick-up game catchers cheat? We can make a guess: Yes, of course they do. Do all pick-up game catchers cheat? No, of course not.
Daily relationships are very much like a pick-up game of baseball. All the players on the field are aware of certain principles, the game’s decorum; all are aware of what constitutes honesty. And all catchers who are also umpires can be tempted to call strikes when they see close outside pitches that fly inside or outside or above or below the strike zone. There’s rarely a trustworthy neutral umpire to call the pitches in daily life since virtually all pitches are part of an on-the-spot pick-up game.
Assuming the integrity an official umpire, batters still have to deal with vantage point: Umpires have a skewed perspective by position. Umping is prone to mistaking balls for strikes and vice versa. So batters have to protect the plate. If a pitch is close, they should assume strike.
And that’s what people need to do in relationships: Assume that even an honest umpire might make a mistake because of vantage point. The error isn’t necessarily an intentional one. So, every catcher/umpire in the pick-up game of life, even in friendly opposition, has a difficult task in playing competitor and neutral judge.
In pick-up games, there’s no ump, so the players rely on the judgment and honesty of the catcher. Because the catcher is an opponent of the batter, the call sometimes draws criticism: “You’re just trying to help your own team. That was a ball.” Again, there’s no real recourse; a call is like stellar light. Once it leaves the star it travels through an indefinite, and possibly infinite, universe: Calls are irrevocable.
Trusting the catcher to make the calls requires faith, faith in the spirit of the game and faith in the integrity of the catcher. Do some pick-up game catchers cheat? We can make a guess: Yes, of course they do. Do all pick-up game catchers cheat? No, of course not.
Daily relationships are very much like a pick-up game of baseball. All the players on the field are aware of certain principles, the game’s decorum; all are aware of what constitutes honesty. And all catchers who are also umpires can be tempted to call strikes when they see close outside pitches that fly inside or outside or above or below the strike zone. There’s rarely a trustworthy neutral umpire to call the pitches in daily life since virtually all pitches are part of an on-the-spot pick-up game.
Assuming the integrity an official umpire, batters still have to deal with vantage point: Umpires have a skewed perspective by position. Umping is prone to mistaking balls for strikes and vice versa. So batters have to protect the plate. If a pitch is close, they should assume strike.
And that’s what people need to do in relationships: Assume that even an honest umpire might make a mistake because of vantage point. The error isn’t necessarily an intentional one. So, every catcher/umpire in the pick-up game of life, even in friendly opposition, has a difficult task in playing competitor and neutral judge.
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