You May Be Ryan Howard, But I Think I’m Shane Victorino

I am a Phillies fan. I also just spent a week in Philadelphia on a mission trip. The Phillies and Philadelphia. They just can’t not go together. It should be illegal. Just about everyone in Philadelphia I talked to said they liked the Phillies. They also said their favorite player was Ryan Howard. To me Ryan Howard is good, but he comes in second as my favorite Phillies player. Shane Victorino is my number 1 Phillies player. While I was in Philadelphia, it seemed like I was Shane Victorino. It seemed like everyone else was a Ryan Howard. They were hitting grand slams and winning games. Then there was me. Not as popular, not as powerful, but still able to play. Ryan Howard is good; all teams need a few of his type. But I came to realize that teams need the Shane Victorinos of the game. Those people who aren’t always in the spotlight, who stay quiet and serve, who are consistent in doing small things to help the team win.

Let me expand in a slightly different way. Bruce Springsteen once said, “Some people get a chance to change the world, and other people, they get a chance to make sure the world don’t fall apart.” When I was in Philadelphia, it felt like I was watching my team change the world and leave me behind. I lost sight of the fact that I was helping to make sure that some kids worlds didn’t fall apart while I was there. I didn’t lead anyone to Christ or have a bunch of “spiritual” conversations. I didn’t change people’s worlds in that way. But I kept some worlds together so that someday, those worlds could be changed. Playing soccer endlessly, throwing Frisbees, showing kids how to make bracelets or box with gimp, chasing a 3 year old who had a basketball. These activities didn’t seem like much to me at the time, but now I can see I was just keeping worlds together.

I was talking with my sister, and it was interesting because she was seeing me as that Shane Victorino and world-keeper together and I was seeing her as a Ryan Howard and world changer. We were both frustrated because we wanted to be doing more of what the other was doing. Not everyone can be Ryan Howard and change the world. Some people need to be there to be Shane Victorino and keep worlds together. The little things DO count. And my doing little things helped my team accomplish bigger things.