from The Zen Sayings of Arthur Rhodes

Arthur Rhodes has pitched for 20 seasons and nine different major-league teams. In addition to his mastery of left-handed batters, Rhodes has also mastered his passions via the practice of Zen Buddhism.

Central to the practice of Zen is koan study. Wikipedia informs us that a koan

consists of a story, dialogue, question, or statement, the meaning of which cannot be understood by rational thinking but may be accessible through intuition or lateral thinking. One widely known koan is “Two hands clap and there is a sound; what is the sound of one hand?”

Recently, NotGraphs has found a collection of koans that encapsulate Rhodes’ compiled wisdom, generally involving dialogues he’s had with younger teammates. NotGraphs will share these periodically for the spiritual benefit of the readership.

Rhodes on the meaning of baseball:

Mitch Moreland asked Arthur Rhodes, “What is Baseball?” Rhodes said, “Three pounds of flax.”

Rhodes on the trade-deadline deal that sent Mike Adams to Texas:

Elvis Andrus asked Arthur Rhodes, “What is the meaning of Mike Adams’ coming from the west?” Rhodes said, “The cypress tree in front of the hall.”

Rhodes on pregame rituals:

Matt Harrison asked Arthur Rhodes, “I have just joined the starting rotation: please give me some guidance.”

Rhodes said, “Have you eaten your pregame meal?”

Harrison said, “Yes, I’ve eaten.”

Rhodes said, “Then go wash your bowl.”