Kevin Costner has made a lot of different sports movies.
FOR THE LOVE OF THE GAME is one of my favorites…no, it’s not the Classic, FIELD OF DREAMS or the funny, BULL DURHAM or even TIN CUP or DRAFT DAY, but it has some strong moments.
It’s about Kevin’s character, Billy Chapel near the end of his career playing for a not so good Detroit Tigers Team and he’s literally pitching the game of his life. He’s pitching a no-hitter going into the bottom of the 8th inning with a one run lead and he’s tired with not a whole lot left in the tank, when his catcher counterpart tells him that the whole team is behind him and that right now because of his awesome performance versus the New York Yankees that they “Don’t Stink.” He encourages his tired, nearly worn-out friend to:
“JUST THROW”
Oh, that’s right, he’s lost the love of his life and will soon find out that even throwing a no-hitter means absolutely nothing if YOU HAVE NO ONE TO SHARE THE JOY.
But, but that’s not the story, really.
The real story as told by Kevin Costner recently in an appearance on Mike & Mike on ESPN was that the movie almost never was able to take place; at least not in Yankee Stadium.
George Steinbrenner, who was still alive and the owner of the Yankees almost pulled the plug on the whole project.
Do you know why?
It was because when George read the script he found out that someone would come into HIS HOUSE of Yankee Stadium and actually NO-HIT his beloved ball club. He almost pulled the plug on the whole project because THE YANKEES LOSE!
They had to convince George that the Yankees, in fact, had already clinched the Division and it was just another game at the end of the season before they made another march in the playoffs. They had to assure George that the game MEANT NOTHING–that it was just a throw away game. And after believing that the game didn’t have significance he allowed the movie to be shot in Yankee Stadium with the Yankees being defeated in a dramatic No Hitter.
I love T H A T!
I so very much admire and at times envy THAT Passion of Mr. Steinbrenner.
That makes the movie, ultimately different, doesn’t it?
WHAT. . .
IN YOUR LIFE WOULD YOU NOT NEGOTIATE
unless you were totally assured it really had no meaning or significance and that indeed, it was actually to illustrate a greater outcome?
Now THAT question is like an all day sucker you can’t quite get your tongue around. . . .
JUST THROW
is really good advice if you know you’ve got THE WHOLE TEAM behind you; if you knew that just for this one significant moment in your life you could put your EVERYTHING in to IT with nothing to lose, when you were at your weakest, at your can’t-do-one-more-thing-exhaustive-break point.
JUST THROW
is really easy to do with pure, unadulterated PASSION!
It’s one thing to Recognize THAT Moment. . .
It’s one thing to Have THAT Moment. . .
It’s one thing to Give THAT Moment. . .
It’s one thing to Share THAT Moment with another. . .
It’s one thing to Combine THOSE Moments into ONE. . .
Go ahead…
JUST THROW!
Be the Magic!
Batter UP!