Bare Necessites - Faith

This is the second segment in the series "Bare Necessities" that examines what are the essentials of the Christian faith for kids at VBS.

Alexander Grover Cleveland was a fine pitcher but he had his struggles. Before he made it to the majors he was hit in the head while running the bases and it almost ended his career. The blow left him with double vision that took sometime before it cleared up, and it left him with epileptic seizures. To deal with such events in his life Alexander often took to drinking alcohol.

But finally he made it to the big leagues and began his pitching with the Philadelphia Phillie's in 1911. Over the next six years he lead the league in wins 5 times, shutouts five times, strikeouts six times and innings pitched six times. He is one of only three other players in baseball history to win the pitchers Triple Crown (wins, strikeouts and earned run average)three times.

Strapped for cash the Phillie's sold Alexander to the Cubs in 1918. He then was drafted and ended up in World War 1 and suffered hearing loss due to shell shock. The horrors he saw on the front lines drove him deeper in to the bottle.

The cubs ended up in last place in 1925 and sold Alexander to the St. Louis Cardinals in the middle of the 1926 season. The reason for the sale, said the Cub's manager, "The Cubs finished last last year and if they finish last again, I'd rather it be without him."

Manager Branch Rickey saw something in the old pitcher and had faith he still had big wins left in him.

That same year in 1926 the Cardinal's finished the season by winning the national league pennant and faced the Yankees as under dogs in the World Series. Alexander started and won games 2 and 6 with undoubtedly his best pitching performances of his career . After game six Alexander celebrated by getting drunk and staying out all night. He set in the dugout nursing a hangover during the decisive game 7.

The Cardinals were leading the Yankees 3-2 in game seven. But in the seventh inning the Yankees loaded the bases with two outs. Yankee slugger Tony Lazzeri was up to bat when they called in Alexander. Woozy and reeking of alcohol Alexander took his good sweet time walking to the mound from the dugout out in right field.

He struck out Lazzeri to end the inning and protect the lead. He kept the Yanks scoreless in the 7th, the 8th and the 9th.The Cardinals went on to an upset World Series win over the heavily favored New York Yankees.

What in the world did Branch Rickey see in a drunken old pitcher? Where in the world did he get the faith to believe an old has-been could produce a heroic save in the World Series on half a days rest? I have no idea. The only thing Rickey had was faith in Alexander.

It has taken me a long time to get to my point but I am "rounding third and heading for home." In order to please God you must have faith. Faith, according to the Message Bible,faith is: is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It's our handle on what we can't see (Heb. 11:1).

Let us pray that God gives the kids at VBS faith in Jesus and that we encourage it and help build it up. Is not the one we have faith in greater that the object of Branch Rickey's faith?

Alexander was a half deaf epileptic - Jesus was perfect in order to be our high priest.
Alexander struggled with alcohol - Jesus turned water to wine but was never controlled by the drink.
Alexander was a shell shocked veteran (of which we should all be thankful for as Americans) - Jesus was killed in battle but rose again on the third day (for whom we should give thanks and praise in every nation!)
Alexander saved the Cardinal's win in game seven of the 1926 World Series - Jesus saves all humanity from sin for all time!
Alexander was simply a man who was a pitcher - Jesus was a man who is God.

A bare necessity that children need is faith in Jesus Christ. May God give it, may we build it up and may the kids use it . May they have faith in Christ when they face a situation in life where circumstances have the bases loaded and it looks like a devastating loss is inevitable. May they call on Jesus in faith to come in for the save and lead them to victory!