The phrase "in the beginning" is not when a baseball team scores a lot of runs.

• Eve stole first.
• Adam stole second.
• Cain stuck out Abel.

Then the Giants-Angels game was rained out (Nephilim and the Flood)

• Noah took some bats in the Ark. Someone was always on deck.
• Who did Noah have warming up in the bull pen?
• Noah's game was rained out.
• Rebekah took the pitcher to the well.
• David struck out Goliath.
• The prodigal son made a home run.
• The Pharisees and Sadduces kept looking for (to steal) a sign.
• Tennis: Joseph served in Pharaoh's court.



More: A recent new beginning

There are gnats that are bothersome and, in Savannah, GA, there were the Sand Gnats.
The name of the minor league baseball team in Savannah , GA, from 1984 to 2015, was the "Sand Gnats". A sand gnat is like a gnat, but stings. The sting only lasts for a few seconds, but it is quite annoying. Sand gnats are not out when it is very cold nor when it is very warm. When it is nice out, sand gnats make their presence known.

An neighborhood area of Savannah, GA, is known as Sandfly (in the Bacon Park area).

The Savannah Bananas are the current minor league team in Savannah. The Banana name has a bunch of appealing attributes (to pitch some batter jokes).

Running race: Home Run Trot (2005, 2006).

More: So far as the net gain of a gnat into a canopy

The Savannah Sand Gnats relocated to Columbia, SC in 2016 and were then known as the Columbia Fireflies. Apparently that was a bright idea that took the sting out of the team name.

Fireflies are best seen at night. This is a "fly-by-night" idea.

More: So far as the net gain of a gnat into a canopy

The West Point class of 1915 is known as the "Class the stars fell on" as, due to World War II, 59 of 164 graduates (36%) attained the rank of general. Most classes have only a small number of generals due to having many fewer generals in times of peace.

• Dwight Eisenhower
• Omar Bradley

The class of 1886 had 25 of 77 (32%) become generals due to World War I, including John J. Pershing.

More: Song: Jesus loves me

In the Say and Seal novel (#2, #1 was Uncle Tom's Cabin) by Susan Warner (1819-1885), with help from Anna Warner (1824-1915), a little boy named Johnny Fox is dying. His Sunday School teacher comforts him by taking the little boy in his arms, rocking him, and saying the comforting words, "Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so."
Second verse:

Jesus loves me he who died heaven's gate to open wide.
He will wash away my sin, let His little child come in.



More: Song: Jesus loves me

Yogi Berra (American professional baseball player and manager) catcher, manager (U.S. Navy, gunner's mate, Normandy Landings, Purple Heart)

• Player: 1946-1963 (Yankees), 1965 (Mets)
• Manager: 1964, 1972-1975, 1984-1985

Popular book. (2001): When you come to a fork in the road, take it!

Of course, as Yogi once said: I never said most of the things I said.

Yogi Berra returned back to baseball in 1984 as depicted on the April 2, 1984 Sports Illustrated cover "Yogi's Back".

One aspect of the humor (some call it stupid humor) is the double meanings of some of the words or situations used.

Yogi Berra caught Dan Larsen's perfect game in game 5 of the 1956 World Series against the Dodgers in 97 pitches. Only Pee Wee Reese got to 3 balls, in the first inning.

Note that the English word "perfect" is not the same is the Greek which means "complete" or "perfected" (but not necessarily without errors).

---

Christians are not perfect, just forgiven.
Not sinless, but they should sin less.

More: Yogi Berra

More: Yogi Berra

There is a saying that "the only constant is change".

This is often attributed to Heraclitus of Ephesus (Ancient Greek philosopher) (from Plato) as "everything changes and nothing remains stil,2l; and you cannot step twice into the same stream."Saying: No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it's not the same river and he's not the same man.

When, exactly, are two things "equal"?

---

Example paradox: ship of Theseus

What about digital copies? What about military units and soldiers, naval ships and crews, sports teams and players, etc.?

More: Heraclitus of Ephesus

Saint Augustine (Early Christian father) :

• The New Testament is in the Old Testament "concealed".
• The Old Testament is in the New Testament "revealed".

One can find hints of this "after the fact", but such truths are not plain or obvious "before the fact".

Do you see it? Do you need to see to believe? Or can you believe and then see?

More: Steganography: hidden messages

More: Augustine of Hippo

A country music song by Mary-Chapin Carpenter called "The Bug" has a catchy tune and two contrasted lyrics.

Sometimes you're the windshield, sometimes you're the bug ...

Sometimes you're the Louisville slugger, babe, sometimes you're the ball.
Sometimes it all comes together, babe, sometimes you're gonna lose it all.

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hW_maN0eSs. (as of 2023-03-15)

More: Matthew 7:3-23 A splitting feat of how the swine flew on pearls at a wide gait

Have you heard that "the early bird gets the worm"? From the other side, it might be said that "the early worm gets eaten by the bird".
The full saying is "The early bird gets the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese!".

That is, the first mouse gets eaten by the cat. A Biblical parody of this (source unknown) is "Blessed is the second mouse for he shall inherit the cheese."

More: Matthew 7:3-23 A splitting feat of how the swine flew on pearls at a wide gait

The Greek translated as "evil" is that of "toil" as in "oppression" (word slide through Latin). The same diagram for "oppression" works for "deception".

☐ Do you "deceive" others?
☐ Do others "deceive" you?
☐ Do others "deceive" others? Does it bother you?
☐ Do you "deceive" you? (reflexively)

Lord's Prayer, where the Greek for "evil" has the idea of "oppression".

• ... flow us away from evil ...
• ... flow us away from oppression ...

How many of the following prayer segments do you think about when you pray the Lord's Prayer?

☐ 1. ... flow me away from me oppressing others ...
☐ 2. ... flow me away from others oppressing me ...
☐ 3. ... flow me away from others oppressing others ...
☐ 4. ... flow me away from me oppressing me ...

Is there one of these which is, by far, the one thought about the most during the Lord's Prayer?

More: Matthew 4:1-11 Examining evil temptations

Baseball example: Ted Williams, the last MLB player to hit 0.400, studied opposing pitchers to get any advantage he could get. Here are some quotes from Ted Williams.

• God gets you to the plate, but once your there your on your own.
• Baseball is the only field of endeavor where a man can succeed three times out of ten and be considered a good performer.
• If you don't think too good, don't think too much.
• Hitting is fifty percent above the shoulders.

Yogi Berra: Baseball is 90 per cent mental. The other half is physical.

More: Adversaries

Pitcher-batter problem: (zero-sum game)

• Pitcher tries to throw a pitch the batter cannot hit.
• Batter tries to hit the pitch thrown by the pitcher.

A sensitivity analysis reveals more insight.

Each player must randomly vary their viewpoint (with the proper mix) without letting the other player know what to expect. This is one reason managers, through coaches, signal players what to do.

More: The pitcher-batter problem

A decision tree can be made from the batter's point of view.
A decision tree can be made from the pitcher's point of view.

More: The pitcher-batter problem

When a baseball player gets 2 hits in 6 at bats, what is the batting average?

The number of hits, 2, and the number of at bats, 6, are counts.

The batting average is 2/6 = 0.333 = 33.3% which is a measure.

The ERA (Earned Run Average) is more complicated.

More: Counts and measures

This paradox is called Simpson's Paradox, after a statistician and not Homer Simpson. Simplified reason: comparing averages of averages.

[Berkley sex discrimination suit, baseball strike]

More: Simpson's paradox

• The Latin word "pater" ≈ "father" as in the English word "paternal".
• The Spanish word "padre" ≈ "father".

MLB team names:

• San Diego Padres, St. Louis Cardinals (bird, not the church official)
• California (Los Angeles) Angels, Los Angeles Dodgers

In the Bible, the word "Abba" is not a Hebrew word. It is an Aramaic word that appears in Greek.

More: The Father and Abba

For baseball fans, the numpire calls balls and strikes. Is that correct?

The numpire is not the odd man out but the odd man in. Is Jesus a numpire?
The English word "umpire" comes from the English word "noumpere" which comes from the French word "nonper" ≈ "umpire" which means "odd number" or, literally, "not divisible (by two)" and thus "not even" since a third party (making an odd number) is required to settle a dispute between two parties.

• Contrast: Third party cookie.
• Analogy: Jesus as intercessor or "umpire".

Over time, the words "a noumpere" was heard as "an umpere" so that "umpere" and later "umpire" become the word. Same for "napron" to "apron" and "nadder" to "adder" but not "napkin".

God challenges the Devil to a game of baseball.

More: Adding and dropping letters

Aristotle wrote a book called On Sophistic Refutations in which he detailed the "false reasoning" used by Sophists (from the Greek word for "wisdom") who would use invalid logic to convince others of ideas to make money for themselves. In English, "sophistic" logic or "false reasoning" is "sophistry".
One of the many types of invalid logic detailed by Aristotle was "eristic" reasoning. Paul uses that word often but it is often translated, without the "bad logic" connection, as "strife"

More: Eristic reasoning creates strife and contention

More: Aristotle

A "red herring" distracts from the something more important. The Greek for "temptation" is an "examination" that deceives using what you already think is true.
Consider the temptations of Jesus by the devil in Matthew 4. You may have encountered debates or discussions between the following views.

• One liberal view: The temptations were in the mind of Jesus and not a reality.
• One conservative view: The temptations were real and happened exactly as recorded.

Discuss: How might this discussion be considered a "red herring"? Note that there is no discussion of the meaning or translation of "temptation".

More: Matthew 4:1-11 Examining evil temptations

More: Red herring: look at me distraction deception

A "red herring" distracts from the something more important. The Greek for "temptation" is an "examination" that deceives using what you already think is true.
Consider the change to the Lord's Prayer suggested by Pope Francis in 2017.

• Original: "lead us not into temptation".
• Revised: "do not let us fall into temptation".

Discuss: How might this controversy be considered a "red herring"? Note that there was no discussion of the meaning or translation of "temptation".

More: Matthew 4:1-11 Examining evil temptations

More: Red herring: look at me distraction deception

Paraphrase: Do not be deceived by ideas/beliefs that you already think you understand. Help us move/flow from being oppressed by others or oppressing others or oppressing ourselves with toils (based on those deceptions).

• Avoid confirmation bias (deciding what it says before investigation).
• Ask deep questions.
• Do fundamental research on meanings and ideas.
• When there are differences, which makes more sense?



More: Matthew 4:1-11 Examining evil temptations

Saint Augustine (Early Christian father) :

• The New Testament is in the Old Testament "concealed".
• The Old Testament is in the New Testament "revealed".

One can find hints of this "after the fact", but such truths are not plain or obvious "before the fact".

Do you see it? Do you need to see to believe? Or can you believe and then see?

More: Steganography: hidden messages

More: Augustine of Hippo

Saturday, July 17, 1966. Phillies vs. Dodgers. Sandy Koufax was Jewish and did not pitch on Saturdays (Sabbath). Chris Short threw a 2 hitter, Phillies got 6 hits, won 3-0 (LP Joe Moeller). There were not many hits (8 hits). Dad decided we could leave before the end of the second game (12 hits), which the Dodgers won, 3-1 (WP Claude Osteen, LP Phil Regan). Notice the pillars holding up the decks. One had to look around those pillars.