Unnatural Delight

It is amazing what the human body can do when it has been repetitively trained and has come under the control of a sharply focused mind. And, perhaps, this combination of body and mind is never more evident to me than when I am watching a major league pitcher hurling from atop the mound.

A case in point is Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Jake Diekman whose pitching mechanics defy the physics of the human design. His power on the mound is palpable as the stride of his legs thrusts his chest and shoulder forward with great force. Then, as he stops his upper body movement and his jersey billows like a spinnaker sail on a boat, he begins to catapult his arm and the ball with amazing arm speed. I find the position of his throwing elbow painful to look at for fear that at any point his forearm will separate from him and drop to the ground. The ligaments and tendons in his arm are as tight as piano cords and the tension of his body is even carried into his neck and face. At the point of delivery, there is not one calm thing about him with the exception of his mind that is always in total control. Imagine doing this action 90 to 110 times a game every four nights if you are a starter and 25-50 times a night over many successive nights if you are a reliever. Tonight, my hometown boys rattled Deikman and he lasted not long on the mound. But, while he was out there, my eyes were glued to his movement and I continued to ask myself after every pitch, "how in the hell can he get his body to do that?"

After 12 hours at the office, I snuck out and joined my family for a bit of the game. The weather was perfect and the Twins won the game by quite a great margin. Beating the Phillies is always a joyous affair. Thank you for the wonderful birthday wishes. I actually have a pretty light calendar tomorrow and I hope to be able to view and comment on journals for a change. In the mean time, thank you for your friendship.