The Harvest (One Sixty-Two: Day 134)

Writer’s note: One Sixty-Two is a season-long series of blog posts connecting baseball’s major-league players to life’s universal themes. Just as there are 162 games in a season, so there will be 162 posts in this series. Let’s play some ball.

Day One Hundred Thirty-Four: Brett Myers, Houston Astros

One of my girls’ favorite picture books has always been The Carrot Seed by Ruth Krauss. This beautiful story tells the tale of a young boy who dutifully waters and cares for the ground in which he’s planted a tiny carrot seed. While his family members tell him that nothing will grow there, he maintains his faith. At the end of the book, just when all appears lost, the leaves sprout out of the ground, followed by the largest carrot known to man.

We had our own Carrot Seed moment this evening. All summer long, we’ve been dutifully watering the green bean plants in our vegetable garden, with nothing to show for it. But as I walked out to the garden before dinner tonight, I couldn’t believe what I saw: Dozens upon dozens of green beans, all fully grown and ready to be picked. By the time I’d finished, there were a good hundred beans in my bowl. I called to the girls, and together we marveled over just how much had finally come up.

Faith. It can be hard sometimes to keep it, especially when you’re not seeing what you’ve been hoping – and perhaps praying – to see. But life isn’t easy, and the results we seek don’t always sprout overnight. So we hold onto our belief that it can get better, and we watch the garden with hopeful eyes.

Ed Wade was general manager of the Philadelphia Phillies in 1999, and he oversaw the selection of pitcher Brett Myers in the amateur draft’s first round. For the next decade, Myers was a part of the Phillies franchise, but he didn’t always produce a bountiful harvest for his team. From injuries to legal troubles, Myers had some dark moments in Philadelphia. While he was part of the Phillies’ championship team in 2008, he never really lived up to his promise there.

So when Myers hit the free-agent market before this season, it was Wade – now general manager of the Houston Astros – who came calling. Wade signed Myers for a bargain price, and placed him right into the team’s starting rotation. With one month to go in this 2010 season, Myers has been one of the true bright spots on a struggling Astros team. The 30-year-old has won 10 games, struck out 145 batters, and posted a 2.97 earned-run average. And you talk about a workhorse: In all 27 of his starts this year, Myers has pitched at least six innings.

So as Ed Wade saw his harvest finally come to fruition this summer, he made sure of one thing: Brett Myers is not going anywhere. Wade signed the pitcher to a contract extension that will keep him in Houston for at least two more years, with a team option for a third year. Since the contract was signed, Myers has shown no signs of letting up. He and left-handed starting pitcher Wandy Rodriguez provide hope that with some improved offense, the Astros can become competitive again next season.

We don’t watch too many Astros games here in Central Jersey, although my oldest is a big fan of the team’s logo. But we do know a thing or two about patience rewarded. We’re going to eat a lot of green beans this weekend, and I’m looking forward to it. When you finally see those seeds work their magic, you feel hungry in all the right ways. Your faith has seen you through, just as you knew it would.