Just finished reading an article in the July 7, 2014 issue of ESPN the Magazine and I had to share it. The article is about Pastor Dean Esskew and his ministry serving umpires in Minor League and Major League Baseball.
It is a beautifully written article by Jon Mooallem that describes how Pastor Dean began serving the men responsible for bringing order to the chaos that may occur in professional baseball. And it humbled me. My father was a football official, so I've always been somewhat cognizant of the trials of the position. One of my best friends is a police officer who also used to be an umpire and a wrestling official. Talk about somebody with a thick skin! But this article reminded me that officiating is a hard business, especially at the professional level where fastballs come in at 100 MPH and batters can cover the 90 feet, 9 inches from home to first in just over four seconds. These men put themselves out there every night miles and hours away from their families. They are regularly ridiculed for missed calls but rarely credited for making the right ones in difficult situations.
Thank you to Mooallem for reminding me that these men are all God's children who often are dealing with personal demons and tragedies, just like you and me. The only difference: They are performing on a national stage. If you want to read the article and see a video clip, I've provided the link to the ESPN site.
ESPN The Magazine: Lest Ye Be Judged
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