The question asked Jesse Barfield, the former great Toronto Blue Jays right fielder of the 1980s, easily a decade before the student was born, was illustrative about the man and his commitment to making the right decisions and living right.
“Are you still playing with the Blue Jays?” the young teen girl asked Barfield during his talk to students of Roland Michener Secondary School in South Porcupine.
Barfield looked surprised and smiled that wide, sincere smile of his that has been his trade mark for life.
“Nah, not anymore, I wish I could,” he replied. “I miss the comradery I had with the players, especially after the media left the room.”
The soft spoken Barfield smiled as he told anecdotes about his fellow great Blue Jays outfielders, George Bell (left), a one time MVP clubbing 47 home runs and 130 plus RBI’s; and Lloyd “Shaker” Moseby.
“One of the steadiest and even keeled individuals I ever met in my life,” Barfield recalled.
That trio is renowned as the greatest outfield of the 1980s.
Barfield is in town as a guest speaker of the Grace Bible Chapel 36 annual Athletes in Action Dinner at the Dante Club tonight at 7 p.m.
But Barfield learned years ago actions speak louder than words when it came to convincing others to make changes in their lives.
He learned this lesson from Blue Jay reliever Roy Lee Jackson some 30 years ago on the field and in the club house – actions and examples speak louder than words.
“Back then there was a musical group we listened to,“ Barfield recalled. “Say Roy, what you think of that group?”
“I don’t listen to the stuff,” Barfield recalled Jackson as saying. “I listen to Christian music.”
Barfield pantomimed a motion as if he was slipping away from an savoury situation. “Okay, Roy Lee, I understand see you later man,” Barfield said reverse moon-walking away for the imaginary Roy Lee.
But Barfield kept studying Roy Lee. He noticed the reliever never lost his composure. Whether he got shelled for eight runs to blow the save or whether he was able to strike out three in a row with the bases loaded. Night in and night out. Jackson was solid and firm in his demeanour.
Many athletes who go through emotional roller coasters crave this attitude and Roy Lee Jackson, a man who listened to Christian music had it.
Barfield joined with Jackson and made a commitment to follow a Christian path.
“In our lives we must make decisions and choices,” he told the students.
“Make the right decisions in life,” Barfield urged them.
He provided examples from his own life and the life his had led with Marla his wife for 34 years.
As an emerging star with the Blue Jays in 1981 Barfield was hitting with an impressive .333 batting average with only one last 10 game road trip a head of him which included stops in Oakland and Los Angeles, California. If he continued at that pace he would be the rookie of the year.
However, the lure of California parties took its toll on Barfield.
“I partied like I had never partied before,” Barfield told the students. “And my batting average plummeted to .230. Today I shudder at what could have been.”
The story was told under the watchful, calm demeanour of Marla Barfield who lived through Barfield’s highs and lows as a Major League Ball Player.
They were not going out during that period, but a couple of years later Jesse and Marla married.
“It’s not easy being married to a ball player,” Marla Barfield said. “They are on the road so much.”
But the Barfield’s marriage of 34 years has survived whereas the majority of professional ball players’ marriages end up in divorce.
This story segued into the main point of his address – we have to make the right choices.
“I am going to tell you about the 4 Ds” that will help you lead a good life,” Barfield said.
The first is Discipline.
Followed by Dedication to your craft
Tempered with Determination.
And right Decision-Making
He told the students write the 4 Ds down as there would be would be a quiz and those who remembered the 4Ds would get a Barfield autograph.
Barfield gave the quiz. Those who answered right did get a Barfield autograph.
The youthful millennial fans who had never heard of Barfield before swarmed around him.
The Barfield magic is reaching out to a new generation. Thrilling them with stories of his storied past.
But more important sharing with them life lessons to help them make the best decisions in life.