An Ode to Brooks Robinson

"As one writer once said, people may have named candy bars after Reggie Jackson, but they named children after Brooks Robinson." -p. 215, The Baseball UNcyclopedia, Michael Kun

I just got done reading the section of Genesis that involves Noah (directly, Genesis 6-10). There's one part where Noah has been shamed by his one son, Ham. Ham is noted twice as being the father to Canaan. Noah, thusly, curses Canaan and no one has been named "Ham" or "Canaan" since (that i know of). But i have known a Japheth in my time and i think Shem was one of the Three Stooges.

I'll get to the point: what type of person do you strive to be? The one that gets the candy bar named after you, or the one that people name their firstborn after?

I think it's easy in this culture to aspire towards the former. Who's the first to know? Who's the greatest? Who has the most? There's nothing really inherently wrong with Reggie Jackson. But there's something really amazing about Brooks Robinson that i think we all deep down desire more.

Legacy.

I believe a true walk with God, a life with Christ, in tune with His Spirit, produces in us the kindness and grace that turns us from "candy bar" into "namesake" type people. And the greatest most frustrating part is that if you try to become a namesake-type person, you end up chasing the candy bar. To truly be the Brooks Robinson, you need to simply be the namesake-type person, not strive to achieve it.

This is a great mystery, but aren't those the best mysteries? Aren't those the ones you can't wait to find out how they end?

Well, you are the mystery. You can be great, or just another candy bar.

By the way, the Reggie Bar only lasted a couple years, and the best info i can find on it is here on facebook!

But "A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold." Proverbs 22:1

Thank you Brooks Robinson for being esteemed over flaunting (see "The Bronx Zoo" portion) over the fact you could get a candy bar named after you.