#15 - Full Force

1991 - The World Series between the Atlanta Braves and the Minnesota Twins.

The Braves player Lonnie Smith was forced to move on Home Base and charged at the Twins catcher Brian Harper. Although Smith was moving with extreme speed towards Harper, the Twins Catcher did not back down. A famous collision occurred and Smith was out, preventing a run and thus the Twins winning the game.

Later on, Smith and Harper were photographed shaking hands. They had reconnected, to ask each other if there were any injuries from the collision. Harper's team, the Twins, won the World Series that year. The Twins won all 7 home games.

I only recently learned this story. I myself was born in 1991. After the whole affair was over. But I was looking at the metaphor in my last essay and I didn't want to leave you all with a bad impression. More specifically I didn't want to indicate that the GM, or the players should be punitive in the game.

Nor should they be, outside of the game. What I wanted to focus on was sportsmanship.

Baseball is famous for sportsmanship. There are easy enough ways to see this. Players shaking hands, or when the whole team rushes out of the dugout to celebrate a win. Often times the winning and loosing team meetup on the field after the game. We may only see the players from the bleachers, but we trust they respect each other. We know that they appreciate the good show and effort from the other side.

In an RPG you may be at ends with the person across from you. You may be working with them. They may be your friend or a stranger, but you are not merely playing a game, you are participating in all the activities that go beyond the game.

If we were ball players, we are not merely on the field throwing pitches and catching balls. We are also there for the spectators. We are there for the home team, the away team, for teams not even on the field, and for the folks watching at home.

What poor ballplayers we would be, if we did not try our best, and expect the best from those around us?

That is the lesson I want to remember from Harper and Smith. They didn't give 50%. Nor was it 80% or only 90%. They did their best!

Not only that, even after, and one team was all but about to win, and another to loose, they continued to play. They continued to be good sports. 

Play for fun. For your fun, and the fun of the others on and off the field with you. Do your best and expect it from the home and away team.