Life after baseball: A Time of Transition

The transition. Every ball player has to make it at some point in their life.  There will come the day in their baseball career when: no one is coming to recruit you for college, the final round of the draft has passed and your name has not been called, that one injury that just won't heal so you can return to the field, the coach calls you into his office and says "we have to let you go", or when you decide that your last baseball game has been played and it is time for you to become a "normal" citizen and return home to your family.  On "that day" I am sure it seems like the player's career ended just as soon as it began and there are a flood of emotions: relief, happiness, anger, sadness, frustration and the excitement of potential opportunities. 

"That day" happened for us about a month ago.  Raynor went to Arizona in January to rehab a wrist injury and had been working very hard to get ready for the season.  Once Spring Training began, he was doing very well in group 2 (the double A team).  His last game of spring training, he almost hit for the cycle with a home run, double and single and made a few really good plays in the field.  We weren't sure where he was going to go for the season until "that day".  I remember getting a call from him Saturday at 10am and I asked him what he was up to and he said "I'm in my hotel room".   As soon as I heard him say that I knew something was not right because once the guys leave for the field at 7:00am, they stay there until their game is finished around 4:00.  And then he told me that he had a flight home the next day and that his baseball career was over.  I was shocked.  Everyone that we told was shocked as well.  In fact, since April 1st was the next day, they had a hard time believing it thinking it was a bad april fool's joke.  They had basically told him that since he will be 25 in the summer and he wasn't as experienced in the minor leagues as some of the older guys that they had to let him go.  It is a little shocking that 25 is considered old right?! Not in baseball.  Especially when compared to some of the guys who signed right out of high school and have been playing in the minors since they were 18 years old.  Everything seemed completely unfair.  Raynor has always been an extremely dedicated and very talented player.  Because of this, all of his teammates and coaches respected him very much.  It was so tempting to get angry at the people in charge of this decision, especially when Raynor did not deserve to be treated this way.  However, we ultimately knew that God had a bigger and better plan for us and even though this seemed like a turn for the worst, it actually could be a blessing in disguise. 

Our whole world had completely changed. Life as we knew it would no longer be the same. The hectic schedules, the games, the traveling, the unpredicability, the excitement, the stress, the injuries and everything else that went along with it, completely gone. It took us a long time to cope with the fact that we would no longer be traveling around the country to pursue Raynor's dream.  You would think that I would be extremely relieved.  Now that my husband is home I have someone to help take care of Kylar and everything else while I finish PA school.  But I was very upset and sad for Raynor.  The thing that Raynor dreamt of doing ever since he was a child was suddenly taken away from him. What added insult to injury was that Raynor did not deserve to lose his chance at baseball.  He had worked harder and outperformed some of the others whose chance at baseball was not taken away.  Despite all of the different ways to analyze the situation, we took comfort in the fact that we could rely on such a great God who would provide for us and console us in this very difficult time.  

The only thing we could do (and still do) was trust that God would take care of us and provide Raynor with job opportunities when he got back home.  After Raynor got home, it was so great to know that I would never have to count down the days until I saw him again.  Nor would I have to give him updates everyday on the new things Kylar had learned to do.  He was home and although we were transitioning, life was so good.  The moment Kylar saw her daddy, she was all smiles!  There is no one in the world that she loves more than her daddy!  Our little family was reunited again and it took away the sting from everything that had happened in the past few days. 

Once people in the area found out Raynor was back home, numerous job opportunities popped up everywhere.  It was amazing to see how the Lord provides abundantly for those who remain faithful to His word. At one point, Raynor had so many jobs lined up that he had to turn away offers to work!  We are so thankful that God has blessed us by putting people in our lives that were able to help us through this time of transition.  Our journey is far from over and we know there will be many bumps and hiccups along the way but we rejoice in them all and will praise Him through any storm we may encounter because the reward in Heaven is so much greater than any earthly desire!

Thanks for reading our story!

Here are a few key Bible verses that got me through this tough time:

"Instead of your shame, you will receive a double portion, and instead of disgrace you will rejoice in your inheritance.  And so you will inherit a double portion in your land,  and everlasting joy will be yours." (Isaiah 61:7 NIV)

"Come to the water you who thirst and you will thirst no more." (Isaiah 55:1)