Antlers, the Claw and Jesus

Nothing lights a fire more than watching your baseball team compete in the playoffs.

That is unless your sports wood is wet.

For Texas Rangers fans 2010 was a historical journey nearly 40 years in the making that few in the Metroplex are soon to forget. Thanks to the help of some unlikely ingredients – “the claw”, “antlers” and Josh Hamilton’s Jesus, the North Texas baseball team finally broke free of the doldrums of the American League West and not only won a playoff series, but finished off the New York Yankees in considerable fashion in route to their first World Series in franchise history.

The Houston Astros were the first Texas team to do it back in 2005, but even they hadn’t waited in the dark for good baseball as long as Ranger fans had; just 3 playoff trips with just one win and no wins at home!

All season long this underdog, underpaid team of good guys faced transition, hardship and confusion only to fight back each and every time until their goals were accomplished one by one. Soon, two rally cries became “the thing” as “the claw” (symbolizing power and strength) and finger “antlers” (symbolizing speed like a deer) became the craze. Along side those was the incredible real-life story of team MVP Josh Hamilton, whose drug addicted, self-destructive past was turned into a modern life example of the power of Christ. Though not perfect, Hamilton demonstrated a consistent example to us all of humility and dependency on God. Standing on the stage in front of millions on TV while accepting his ALCS MVP trophy he said these words:

“First of all, all the glory goes to God and Jesus Christ. Secondly, I love my teammates,” Hamilton said. “I love them so much. I’m happy to have them. I don’t want to talk about myself. I want to talk about them. We are the reason we are here.”

If only more sports heroes were like this man. Heck, if only more of us reading this article were like him. What a difference we all could make.

Hamilton is so loved and respected by his teammates that after winning the division, and both playoff series, they reserved a special post-game celebration time for him to be sprayed and showered with non-alcoholic drinks. His teammates understood his weaknesses and respected his faith. In our world of intolerance towards all things Jesus, this was simply amazing.

The more real you are and the more you take a stand, the more those around you will embrace who you are. Even the most hardcore cynic has to admit Hamilton is one of a kind. He can cream baseballs out of every park in America and never blink about who gives him that ability. His career and life was saved both literally and spiritually by the only real thing many of us honestly hide under our bushels all too often.

During the World Series you can bet those of us in the DFW are will have our antlers up and our claws out. Only time will tell if the journey ends with a championship over the San Francisco Giants.

Regardless, baseball in Texas is giving those Cowboys a run for their money and over here in this stadium we call Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, Jesus gets a spotlight.

Go Rangers!


“Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong.” 1 Corinthians 16:13


© 2010, J. Brady

"I say it how I see it and I make no bones about it."

Life Before Kids....How Boring

Life before kids.

Remember it?

• Sleep past 9…every Saturday.
• Money in the bank
• Never touched, smelled or tasted poop (admit it –I know some of you out there have gotten the stuff in your mouth)
• Still “pee free”; meaning no human was yet to wet on you
• Big boy movies and TV shows were watched in REAL time most days or night
• 90% of your saved recordings weren’t from kids channels
• Milk never ran out
• Precious items around the house were fully intact and working
• Carpet was crisp and clean
• You didn’t own a mini-van

Life was good…or…so you thought.

On the way to work one morning recently I paused mentally and thought about my life with three kids, a wife and two dogs. I smiled so big I nearly wrecked into the completely stopped MiniCooper in front of me on HWY 360. (I’m sure everyone around me assumed I was texting.)

Regardless, it hit me that the life I had now was what “it” was all about. Kids truly make the world go ‘round and nothing is more rewarding than guiding another human being through the maze of it all. Sure sometimes you want to ship them off to the closest zoo but, to be honest life would be a little boring if you did.

My three kids are all 5 or younger as I write this and some of the words they use and comments they make prove my point perfectly. I’m sure you have a similar list.

Enjoy…

“Dad, why did God make brothers so mean?” Chloe asked me one day.
“CrapNCrunch” – what my son called Captain Crunch cereal for a long time
“ToothKip” –my daughter would say when she needed a toothpick
“I want to do magic so I can make Quinn disappear.” my daughter Chloe said at age 5.
“Daddy, I like when you say that.” Sidney said at age 5 with a very bashful look on her face when I told her she are pretty and she could sing well.
“Daddy, this is hard work.” my son Quinn said in all seriousness at age 3 when he was helping me rake leaves in the back yard.
“I got this bruise when I was running around the house with my shirt over my head and ran into the coffee table” Chloe said.
“Mom, that man has a lot of stamps” Quinn said pointing at a man with tattoos all over his arms at a local fast food restaurant.

I still laugh-out-loud when I think about this hilarious examples and I wish I had days to pillage through the mounds of others many of you reading this could send me.

Life might have been fun and more financially free before kids, but life without them would seem incomplete.

Many things are certain about kids, they stress you out, they break the bank, they do not use their brains often, and they stink most of the time. But only thing is certainly clear – nothing makes you understand love more than having a few.

Thank you God for kids. And thanks for letting us be yours.

Now I get it.


“Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one's youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them!” Psalm 127:3-5


© 2010, J. Brady

"I say it how I see it and I make no bones about it."

The Great Game

When I hear the voice of Milo Hamilton I’m immediately thrown back in time to one of the greatest childhood memories I have; coming home from an Astros baseball game with dad listening to the final innings over the AM dial.

Living south of Houston most of my childhood, dad would take me to a nice handful of games each year at the huge Astrodome. It always seemed I would get a gift as I walked in ranging from free hats, small bats, baseballs and such, some of which I now hold in my sports collection. As the games would get late, we would leave early knowing it was usually a school night and a 45 minute drive was ahead of us. Milo Hamilton kept us informed of the action we missed and eventually I fell asleep.

There is just something magical about baseball games.

Now as a parent, I am getting joy of doing the same for my three kids as dad did for me, taking them to see the Texas Rangers at the Ballpark in Arlington. Watching them cheer “Let’s go Rangers! (clap…clap…clap, clap, clap!), seeing them munch down on cotton candy, hoping “red” wins the dot race, and them asking all about the happenings during the game brings me the same joy my dad must have felt way back when.

Kids love games and baseball keeps it simple and real. A ball, a glove and a bat. And nothing is better than sitting out in the stands during a 75 degree evening cheering on the home team. The sounds of “ice, cold beer!”, “peanuts!”, and the smells of hotdogs and nachos stick in the mind for ages.

I still get down to Houston for an Astros game at least once a year. Though I usually go alone, I sit with a smile on my face cheering like I was 10 years old thinking about those nights with dad and Milo talking us home. At the age of 38 my Astros finally won the National League pennant and made it to the World Series. I can only hope our Rangers go all the way for my kiddos a little faster than the 30+ years it took Houston.

It’s said baseball is truly America’s Pastime and I have to say I completely agree. Nothing is more true. God gave us something special when we invented it over 100 years ago.

It’s a great way, to have a great time…at the great game!



"This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." Psalm 118:24


© 2010, J. Brady

”I say it how I see it and I make no bones about it."