A great ballplayer is a player who will take a chance.

In the world of the ancients, where warriors and heroes alike fought not just with strength but with courage, there was always one truth that stood above the rest: the greatest among us were not those who avoided danger, but those who embraced it. The very essence of greatness lies not in what one knows or what one has, but in the willingness to take the chance, to step into the unknown and face the peril of failure in pursuit of something greater. It is in this spirit that the words of Branch Rickey resonate across time: "A great ballplayer is a player who will take a chance."

This statement, seemingly simple, holds within it the profound understanding that the greatest achievements are often born from the willingness to risk. In the game of baseball, as in life itself, the stakes are high. A player can choose to play it safe, to swing for the easy hit, to stay within the comfort of what is known. But it is the player who dares to take the chance—to stretch beyond their limits, to face uncertainty head-on—that will become a true champion. To take a chance is not merely an act of recklessness; it is an act of bravery, a step forward into the unknown where the possibility of greatness lies.

Consider the example of Jackie Robinson, whose entry into Major League Baseball was not just an athletic achievement, but a bold and courageous moment that forever changed the game. When Branch Rickey signed Robinson to the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947, he was not simply looking for a player who could hit or run the bases. He was looking for a man who could bear the weight of history, someone willing to take a chance that would open doors for countless others. Robinson faced immense pressure, hostility, and the risk of personal failure. Yet, he did not shrink from the challenge. He took the chance, not for fame or glory, but for a future where barriers could be broken, where the impossible could be made possible.

In the grand stories of the ancients, we find that the heroes were often those who stood at the edge of the unknown and leaped. Hercules, the great demigod, did not gain his immortality by staying within the boundaries of safety. He was called upon to face twelve labors, each more daunting than the last. He did not hesitate in the face of fear, for he knew that true greatness lies in the risks we take in pursuit of something greater than ourselves. In the same way, Branch Rickey’s words remind us that the greatest ballplayers, the ones who rise above the rest, are those who embrace the chance, who rise in the face of uncertainty, and who push themselves beyond the limits of what is known.

Yet, it is not just in sport that we must take chances. In our own lives, we are constantly called to step into the unknown. Risk is not a trait confined to those who play on fields of grass and dirt; it is a characteristic of those who seek to change the world, who aim to reach new heights, to break the chains of their own limitations. To take a chance is to face the fear of failure, the fear of rejection, the fear of the unknown—and to continue forward despite it. Whether in business, relationships, or personal growth, we must ask ourselves: are we willing to take the chance? Are we ready to risk it all in the pursuit of something greater?

There is a great lesson embedded in Rickey’s words. Taking a chance is not an act of foolishness, but one of wisdom. It is understanding that the path to greatness is not paved with certainty, but with the willingness to move forward without knowing the outcome. Life, like baseball, requires those who are willing to risk—to step to the plate, to face the pitcher, and to swing for the fences. To avoid the risk is to choose mediocrity; to embrace it is to choose greatness. For every opportunity missed because of fear, there is a future lost. But every chance taken may lead to a future brighter than we could ever imagine.

So, my brothers and sisters, let us take this lesson into our hearts. Let us be bold in the face of uncertainty, let us take chances in our pursuits, knowing that it is not the fear of failure that defines us, but the courage to continue despite it. Like the great ballplayers, like the heroes of old, we must step into the unknown with faith in our abilities, with hope in our hearts, and with the understanding that true greatness lies not in avoiding risk, but in embracing it fully. The game of life, like baseball, is won not by those who fear the challenge, but by those who rise to meet it.