Play It Right And With Respect

Ryne Sandberg's statue
outside Wrigley Field  

In 2005, former Chicago Cub Ryne Sandberg  was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.  Speaking at his induction ceremony before fellow inductees, Sandberg spoke about his devotion to the game of baseball.  

I was in awe every time I walked onto the field. 

That’s respect. 

I was taught you never, ever disrespect your opponents or your teammates or your organization or your manager and never, ever your uniform. You make a great play, act like you’ve done it before; get a big hit, look for the third-base coach and get ready to run the bases.

These guys sitting up here did not pave the way for the rest of us so that players could swing for the fences every time up and forget how to move a runner over to third. 

It’s disrespectful to them, to you, and to the game of baseball we all played growing up.

I didn’t play the game right because I saw a reward at the end of the tunnel. I played it right because that’s what you’re supposed to do—play it right and with respect.

I came across this speech in an opinion piece that pointed out that the ideals behind it stand in contrast to our current political climate, especially in regards to the Republican Party.

Consider the recent passage of the bill that slashed taxes for the very wealthy and decimated the safety net for the nation's citizens most in need of help.

Many voiced cogent and reasonable objections to the bill.

Those same people still voted for it anyway.

Because it was a chance to win, to defeat the Democrats and gain adultation from Donald Trump.

They acted with disrespect for themselves, the institution they serve in and the very citizens they claim to represent. 

They had a choice to do what was right or swing for the fences for their own personal glory and power, for the win over perceived enemies.  

Instead of helping move a runner over to third, they chose to serve their own selfish interests for power and victory. 

In case my referencing a sports playing person is a bit too unusual, maybe I should lean into to my normal nerd cred by quoting Doctor Who. 

Written by Steven Moffat and performed by Peter Capaldi:  

Winning? Is that what you think it's about? 

I'm not trying to win. 

I'm not doing this because I want to beat someone, or because I hate someone, or because I want to blame someone. It's not because it's fun and God knows it's not because it's easy. It's not even because it works, because it hardly ever does. 

I do what I do, because it's right! 

Because it's decent! And above all, it's kind. It's just that. Just kind. 

Whether it's a Time Lord from Gallifrey or a Chicago Cub Hall of Famer, the lesson is the same: the importance of doing what's right versus just going for win.

Just going for the win is disrespectful and ultimately not much of a victory after all.