Cold beer here! Get your cold beer here! Anyone who has attended a major league baseball game has heard the shouts of the vendors. Forty years ago today (June 4, 1974) the vendors were very successful in Cleveland. The Newberg Report gives a detailed account of the event on their website but the first two paragraphs sum it up quite well.
“On Ten-Cent Beer Night at Cleveland, unruly fans stumble onto the field and cause the Indians to forfeit the game to the Rangers with the score tied 5–5 in the 9th inning. A rally by the Tribe ties the score in the 9th, before fans pour on the field and surround OF Jeff Burroughs and try and take his hat and glove. Players from both sides then ran to his aid and the forfeit is called.
The idea behind the promotion was to offer as many eight-ounce cups of Stroh's beer as the fans could drink for just 10¢ apiece, thus increasing ticket sales. However, the stunt also had the effect of slowly turning the calm and orderly baseball fans into a rowdy and raucous crowd devoid of inhibition. Ultimately, the game was forfeited to Texas on the orders of home plate umpire Nestor Chylak because of the crowd's uncontrollable rowdiness, and because the game could not be resumed in a timely manner.”
How often do we come up with ideas that end up not panning out quite the way we anticipated? It probably happens to all of us from time to time. Unfortunately, there are times when the consequences can be fairly steep when we make a miscalculation. In this instance it cost the Cleveland Indians the game plus a whole lot of chaos in the process. Were the extra sales of tickets worth it?
What are the consequences of our actions when we make miscalculations in regard to our spiritual life? Are we flirting with temptation to sin in a way that leads us to failure? Are we attempting to live our spiritual life in a minimalist way? This is not simply a ball game we are talking about—it is eternal life with God that we seek. Have we truly turned to Christ with our whole heart, mind, soul and strength? As we approach the great Solemnity of Pentecost let us ask for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon our lives! That is far better than an outpouring of 10 cent beer.
“On Ten-Cent Beer Night at Cleveland, unruly fans stumble onto the field and cause the Indians to forfeit the game to the Rangers with the score tied 5–5 in the 9th inning. A rally by the Tribe ties the score in the 9th, before fans pour on the field and surround OF Jeff Burroughs and try and take his hat and glove. Players from both sides then ran to his aid and the forfeit is called.
The idea behind the promotion was to offer as many eight-ounce cups of Stroh's beer as the fans could drink for just 10¢ apiece, thus increasing ticket sales. However, the stunt also had the effect of slowly turning the calm and orderly baseball fans into a rowdy and raucous crowd devoid of inhibition. Ultimately, the game was forfeited to Texas on the orders of home plate umpire Nestor Chylak because of the crowd's uncontrollable rowdiness, and because the game could not be resumed in a timely manner.”
How often do we come up with ideas that end up not panning out quite the way we anticipated? It probably happens to all of us from time to time. Unfortunately, there are times when the consequences can be fairly steep when we make a miscalculation. In this instance it cost the Cleveland Indians the game plus a whole lot of chaos in the process. Were the extra sales of tickets worth it?
What are the consequences of our actions when we make miscalculations in regard to our spiritual life? Are we flirting with temptation to sin in a way that leads us to failure? Are we attempting to live our spiritual life in a minimalist way? This is not simply a ball game we are talking about—it is eternal life with God that we seek. Have we truly turned to Christ with our whole heart, mind, soul and strength? As we approach the great Solemnity of Pentecost let us ask for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon our lives! That is far better than an outpouring of 10 cent beer.
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