“Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world.” — Psalm 46:10 (NLT)
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Sandy Koufax is widely considered to be one of the greatest pitchers of all time. In the summer of 1954, after pitching just one year at the University of Cincinnati, Koufax began to receive serious interest from major league teams. A scout with the Pittsburgh Pirates was so impressed with Koufax after watching his tryout he said, “This is the greatest arm I’ve ever seen.” Later on that year, Koufax decided to sign with his hometown team, the Brooklyn Dodgers.
Despite having a rocket of an arm, Koufax’s MLB career got off to a rocky start, as he struggled mightily with his control. The arm talent was clearly there as his strikeout numbers were high, but so were the walks. It wasn’t until a spring training appearance in 1961 when catcher Norm Sherry suggested to him, “If you get behind the hitters, don’t try to throw so hard.”
Koufax took that advice. He stopped trying to throw every pitch with all his might, which often led to a lot of walks and frustration. He began to slow down, trust in his God-given abilities, and focus more on getting the ball into the strike zone.
From 1961 to 1966, Koufax enjoyed one of the greatest runs of any pitcher in MLB history. Here are some of his many accomplishments over the final six seasons of his illustrious career:
- Three-time Cy Young Award winner (1963, 1965, 1966)
- National League MVP (1963)
- Two-time World Series MVP (1963, 1965)
- Six-time NL All-Star (1961-1966)
- Four no-hitters
- Perfect game on Sept. 9, 1965
- Three-time Triple Crown winner (league leader in wins, strikeouts and ERA; 1963, 1965, 1966)
That’s quite the turnaround!
Oftentimes when we face adversity or fall behind in our own lives, our first instinct is to “throw harder.” The adjustments Koufax made on the mound are the same adjustments we as Christians should make in our everyday lives. In today’s fast-paced world it can be very difficult to slow down. You might even think it makes you look weak if you take your foot off the gas, but actually it’s quite the opposite.
God’s pace is not hurried. God’s pace is not slow. God’s pace is perfect. We must learn to trust God’s timing in our lives. When we walk with God step by step and put our trust in Him, we can reach heights that we never imagined!
— Juan F. Chestang
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