The Sacrifice Bunt

SOMETIMES in baseball, a batter will have to do a sacrifice bunt. A bunt is simply taking the bat and tipping the ball so that it goes up the first or third baseline. The primary reason for bunting is to move somebody else on the offensive team farther along around the bases. A bunt is made because the team has a better chance of hitting it short and moving the person along, than swinging for the fence and perhaps striking out.

Now, when the third base coach gives the sign to bunt, it may come at a time when the batter had plans to swing for the fence. He may have planned to improve his average. He may have planned to improve his stats. He may have planned to show off his strength.

He may have planned to serve notice on this pitcher that no way could he strike him out. But the third base coach tells him to give up his right to swing for the fence so that he can move his teammate along.

“It is in the better interest of the team,” the coach says, “for you to sacrifice your home run swing,” which usually means you are going to be thrown out, rather than to follow your own independent agenda. God has called every man in the context of his relationship with his woman to lay down his sacrifice bunt, to not have his way simply because he is the man, and to raise the question if this decision is in the best interest of the other person.