Elder Paul H. Dunn, Part Four: Bob Feller and a Dual Lesson From a Single Story

For Part One, Part Two, Part Three, or Part Five, choose one of these previous links and click.

I have a certain fascination for what happens to literature and the arts over time. Which is at least part of the reason why I love older books and sources so much.

Not only are they often forgotten (and hence a lot easier and cheaper to acquire), but they often teach unintended lessons.

That's what happened with today's quote from Elder Paul H. Dunn's talk, "Know Thyself, Control Thyself, Give Thyself" from the April 1972 General Conference. 

Wait. You'll see...

 

The Quote

"I had the opportunity in World War II to bat against the immortal Bob Feller in a servicemen’s game. 

If you ever want a lesson in humility, bat against Feller. 

Bob Feller had a unique distinction as a sixteen-year-old boy. 

He could take a 9 1/2-inch, 5-ounce baseball and throw it from 60 feet 6 inches, 105 miles an hour.

Now that may not impress you, but you go to bat and you’re very impressed. 

To those of you who may not understand that velocity, 

a 9-inch baseball is the size of an aspirin tablet at 60 feet 6 inches, at 100 miles per hour. 

I submit to you, it makes a difference which side of the plate he throws it.

Bob Feller at age sixteen had a problem. 

He lacked control. He was a great athlete. He had tremendous capacity. 

He was born to succeed. He knew himself, 

but he hadn’t disciplined his great talent of speed, 

so that it was questionable as to whether he would stick in the majors.

But Bob Feller became the great athlete he was 

because he listened to wise counsel. 

He had great coaches, and one of them took him aside one day and said, 

“Bob, it really doesn’t matter whether you throw 105 miles an hour or 95. 

If you will take a little speed off your pitch and put the ball where it belongs, you will succeed!”

We call that control in baseball, 

and you little leaguers know how important control is to a pitcher. 

Bob listened and became the strike-out artist of his era.

You don’t know Jim Rusick, I think, 

unless you are related to him. 

I played ball with Jim. Jim Rusick was a sixteen-year-old boy 

on the Hollywood High School baseball team. 

He could throw a 9 1/2-inch baseball 105 miles an hour, 

but he wouldn’t listen to counsel. 

He didn’t learn to control the talent that he had, and Jim has never been heard of since."

Do you see the unintended lesson here?

Elder Dunn gave the intended lesson right after this story - and it's a good lesson:

"It’s one thing to be born with ability to succeed; it’s another thing to harness it and to control it." 

A very good lesson.

But what's the unintended lesson?

Here's a clue:

How many of us remember Bob Feller?

Ponder that for awhile. 

I'll remember him - the husband of my eighth cousin twice removed. There's always more room under the family tent. Welcome to the family, Bob!

 

What greatness are you striving for today that will be forgotten in 100 years?