He Stole First!

Lawrence Ritter wrote one of the greatest baseball books of all time--THE GLORY OF THEIR TIMES. It came about because Ritter, in the 1960s, traveled all over the country interviewing the great Major League Baseball players from the turn-of-the-century.

One of the stories found in the book was told about Germany Schaefer, who was a teammate of Ty Cobb on the Detroit Tigers. Germany Schaefer was the last man to steal first base. Let me explain.

The Tigers were playing Cleveland and, late in the game, the two teams were tied. Future Hall of Famer, Davy Jones, was on third base, while Schaefer was on first. Immediately before a pitch, Schaefer flashed Jones the sign for a double steal. This signified that Schaefer would steal second on the next pitch. If he drew a throw from the catcher, Jones would run for home plate.

The pitcher delivered and, sure enough, Schaefer stole second. However, the catcher refused to throw the ball to second, so Jones had to remain on third base. Now, men were on second and third.

During the next pitch, Schaefer shouted, “Let’s try again!”  Screaming like a banshee, Schaefer sprinted to first base and dove with a head-first slide. He was hoping the catcher would throw to first, but again, the catcher held on to the ball.

As for everyone else, fans and players included, they stood with their mouths wide open. They were completely stunned.

The next pitch, Schaefer let out another whoop and stole second again. This steal attempt aggravated the catcher so much that he DID throw the ball to second. Jones, then, tore off for home. Both runners were safe, and Detroit had scored a run.

Later, Major League Baseball outlawed stealing first. I have to chalk one up for Germany Schaefer. He was resourceful, if he was anything.

I believe we, as Christians, should be resourceful when it comes to the Kingdom of God. We should use our finances, our skills, our time, and every gift God gives to help advance the Kingdom. We may not steal home, but we will help others find a home—in heaven.