The Angry Man of Baseball
Bridle your anger, trash your wrath, cool your pipes – it only makes things worse.
Psalm 37:8 (MSG)
Baseball legend Billy Martin’s volatile anger was well-chronicled through five decades of playing and managing. In fact, he was voted as the biggest hothead in major league history.
This might be an urban legend, but he told this story on Late Night with David Letterman. There was an occasion when he went hunting with teammate Mickey Mantle. Mickey had a friend in Texas who allowed him to hunt on his ranch.
Upon arriving, Mantle left Martin in the truck and went in to greet his friend who said, “Sure, you can hunt. But would you do me a favor? I have an old mule that’s gone blind. He needs to be put down, but I don’t have the heart to do it. Would you help me out and shoot my mule?”
Mickey agreed to do it. But on the way back to the truck he decided to play a trick on Billy, who himself was known for practical jokes. Mickey acted irate and told Billy that his friend wouldn’t let them hunt after all.
“We drove all the way down here and now he refuses to allow us access! I’ll show him. I’m going to shoot one of his mules.”
Mickey pulled out his gun and walked down to the barn. He put the mule out of its misery and started walking back to the truck. Laughing to himself, he then heard a couple more shots. “Blam! Blam!”
He turned and Billy ran up to him. “Where were you?” Mickey asked. To which Billy replied, “We’ll show that guy. I just killed two of his cows as well.”
Anger in His Eyes
We may chuckle, but anger did in fact control Billy Martin. And that was no laughing matter.
Columnist Tony Kornheiser wrote, “At his funeral, he will be described as a rebel and an individualist, a man who took the blows and did it his way, an original, an American hero. They will speak of the private, caring Billy Martin, and they'll mention he was a man of God, and wore crosses on the crown of his Yankee cap. For nearly 20 years I sat in dugouts and hung around batting cages and clubhouses near him. I was in big and small rooms with him. I saw the crosses, but I never saw the kindness and charity that befit them. When I looked into his eyes, all I ever saw was anger.”
That last line is sobering: “When I looked into his eyes, all I ever saw was anger.”
The Price of Anger
The Bible is very specific about uncontrolled anger.
“Fools give full vent to their rage, but the wise bring calm in the end.” Proverbs 29:11(NIV)
“An angry person causes trouble; a person with a quick temper sins a lot.” Proverbs 29:22 (NCV)
“A hot temper shows great foolishness” Proverbs 14:29 (NLT).
“Bridle your anger, trash your wrath, cool your pipes – it only makes things worse.” Psalm 37:8 (MSG)
Bottom line? When you lose your temper, you always lose more than your temper. You can lose your spouse. You can lose your kids. You can lose your friends. You can lose your job.
When you lose your temper, you always lose more than your temper. You can lose your spouse. You can lose your kids. You can lose your friends. You can lose your job.
That’s a heavy price tag, wouldn’t you agree? And that’s not a cost worth paying. So don’t. “Bridle your anger, trash your wrath, cool your pipes…”
PRAYER
Lord, I realize that occasions will arise when my anger builds. Before I give vent to it, help me to consider the implications of that as it relates to my relationships and my reputation.
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