Quest for Knowledge: 365 Things I Learned This Year Day 4

Today, I started reading a book called Major League Dad: The Moving Story of an All-Star Pitcher Who Gave up Baseball for His Family, (1994) written by Tim and Christine Burke. The story is about Tim Burke, a major league pitcher, who gave up baseball after almost eight years of playing to be a dedicated husband and father.

I learned that Tim Burke played in the Major League from 1985 to 1992. He pitched 498 Major League games with 49 wins, 53 losses, 102 saves, 444 strikeouts and an Earned Run Average of 2.72.

I also found out that he played six-and-a-half years for the Montreal Expos, two years for the New York Mets and part of the 1992 season for the New York Yankees. He had signed as a free agent for the Cincinnati Reds. Then a few months later, he announced his retirement from baseball.

I am a New York Mets fan and Tim Burke's name sounds very familiar. However, I cannot recall seeing him play. My memory is not the greatest.

This decision he made was probably the hardest one in his life. Baseball was his dream. However, he felt that family togetherness meant more. In a way I feel that way too. I work on swing shift at my job, as I mentioned in an earlier entry. This is a hard strain on the family. I am constantly looking for positions at my job that would place me on a steady shift. However, such positions are few and far between. Therefore, I am constantly praying to God in either helping me find a position that would benefit my family better or find a new job.

Whatever happens, God will see me through. Maybe it is his will that I work at my job for the time being.