Bench Warmer, or First String?

Sometimes life is like a game. Players are benched or traded for various reasons. The Astros just traded Ivan Rodriguez to the Rangers. He can now say, "gee this place looks familiar" when he arrives at the park. I see that Bret Favre has decided to un-retire again. Will he ever learn? Too bad, now the Texans won't get the game they wanted which would have had quarterback Matt Schaub against former backup Sage Rosenfels. Rosenfels was hoping to be the first string QB with the Vikings. He and Tarvaris Jackson were competing for the top spot. Now they will have to sit and wait for Favre to be benched or injured.

I have a great deal of empathy for those wonderful bench warmers who just sit and wait for their chance. Sometimes they get it, other times they get traded and still wait. Whether it be a young,eager player waiting to show what he can do, or a wily,old veteran hoping for one last chance for glory, they sit. They dream of what could be or what could have been.

Brian McTaggart, the Houston Astros blogger said he just talked to "Pudge". Rodriguez is sad to leave the Astros but is excited to go to the Rangers who have a chance to get into the playoffs.

Too bad that in the game of life we don't always get the chance to play or even just be able to be a bench warmer. Maybe we need to talk to our agents and tell them we're not happy on the bench. We've still got some pop in our bat. Surely we could be of use to some team? Where's the manager? Where's that high paid agent? What's that? The telephone? I'm a free agent? No? I've been traded? Well...Put me in coach, I'm ready to play. All I need is the bat and the glove...We're only 10.5 games out of first place? Oh...well, let's get out there and play some ball. This is the game of life, right?