His Base
It’s been said of George Bush senior that “He was born on third base and thought he’d hit a triple.” It’s meant to be an ironic comment on inherited family wealth, entitlement and privilege. The saying has been effortlessly transferred, and more fitting, to Donald Trump.
But I’m not convinced it’s true. Oh, it’s true Trump was born on third base but far from being pleased he’d hit a triple, he was disappointed. He thought, right out of the ‘Lucky Sperm Club’ birthing tube, he should have hit a home run.
So, since It’s coming on the summer season folks, and since my favorite sport, baseball, was virtually canceled last season, I thought I’d bring out, or should I say, toss out, a baseball metaphor: I learned most of the valuable lessons of life playing baseball (I borrowed that modified title from a wonderful little book of essays titled, “All I Needed to Know I learned in Kindergarten.”)
From being a batter, I learned courage (facing a hard, heavy object, hurdling at you at 98mphs and standing firm, takes some true grit), fitness and timing. Getting to first base requires a whole nuther set of skills; athleticism, explosive speed, extreme concentration. And first base develops social skills between you and the first baseman. You have ‘hang’ time together. He/she has to guard the base close so you learn that the enemy is just a bloke like you getting along best way he knows how. I have never met a first baseman for the opposing team I didn’t like.
More and different life lessons are learned getting to second base; judgement, spatial discrimination (the space, speed, time continuum). Ethics—to steal second base or not? And still different lessons to getting from second to third base (why is it so much harder to steal third—is it that short stop in the middle?). These are all life’s nurturing lessons and/or survival skills that kids get from baseball: in other words, messy, positive growth toward maturity.
Step by excruciating step, they are like life’s long arc in capsule form, but with more pitch and moment. They build character. Character is what is lost if you skip the batter’s box, first and second base and are born on third base. Being born on third base means Trump didn’t learn any of the life lessons it takes most of us to get there (if we ever do).
But third base is not the goal of baseball. It’s home plate. From Trump’s exalted height—which he exaggerates--he could probably even see home plate from third base. It’s so close. And so enticing. Yet for Trump, so far. Trump will never get there. He’s grown mentally and, more importantly, spiritually, as far as he’s ever going to grow.
Oh he tries. He tries to put in pinch-hitters to drive him home but they are worse at navigating the game than he is because most of them were born out in deep right field where the grass is tall allowing squinty-eyed conspiracy theories to hatch and fester in the thick duff.
That failing, he tries to change the rules to a game that has been in place for 200 years to favor him and his team. He has some small success but not enough to drive him home. So, what does he do for spite because home plate is the one upward fail he’ll never get to: he trashes third base. And, because misery loves to cause misery, he trashes baseball itself.
He not only goes after players on the other team he goes after players on his own team. It’s as if he is the only player that matters and he would be right if third base was the goal.
Since he knows he can never get to home plate, he extolls the virtue and purity of happier times on second base or even first base until it is pointed out that he’d never set foot on either one.
No growth Donald. Some people grow into a person or a position. The reason Trump never grew into the Presidency is because he never got a chance to grow into a whole person. Who knew being a well-rounded person was a pre-requisite for good leadership?
In general, the game of baseball teaches you patience, fair play, respect and most importantly how to win with humility and how to lose with dignity.
Trump ended up with a third-base bunker mentality, and skipped all the touchstone bases that build character.
Trump was born on third base and it’s very likely he will die on third base.
And after he’s gone, I pity the cleanup crew; third base may be trashed beyond repair and baseball itself may be unsalvageable.
