I was looking up a baseball stat a while back, and in the “lifetime achievements” section I came across a list with some rather impressive names on it.
At the top was Reggie Jackson, followed by Jim Thome. Also prominently placed were Ken Griffey, Jr., Willie Stargell, Tony Perez, and Derek Jeter — all Hall-of-Famers.
Can you guess which lifetime achievement this list represents?
The most strikeouts.
Hard to believe, isn’t it? Mays, Mantle, and McGriff made the list, too, with more than 5000 between them.
And yet, that’s not how any of these players will be remembered. Instead, they each left behind a legacy of greatness.
A key to that legacy can be found in the fact that they kept stepping up to the plate. Even when the negative numbers were piling up, even when the slumps extended game after game, even when their whiffs caused their team to lose, even when disgruntled fans called them “overpaid bums” — they kept stepping up to the plate.
I quote this verse often, because there are many of us who need to hear it often:
The godly may trip seven times, but they will get up again. But one disaster is enough to overthrow the wicked. (Proverbs 24:16 NLT)
You may have a string of strikeouts behind you, and you may feel as though you’re on the verge of setting the world’s record for failure. But that’s not the legacy you were created to leave behind.
Keep stepping up to the plate. No matter how many times you miss, keep swinging.
You’ll eventually make contact.
© 2007/2026. Today’s memo was taken from Steve’s book, It’s All in the Dailies.
