Spring has sprung! The resurrection is right around the corner! And Major League Baseball is back! It’s the single greatest time of year.
I love baseball, and I have since I was a little kid. Many complain that the season is too long. Others say that the games are too slow. I feel spoiled that my Cleveland Guardians give me nine innings at least 162 times per year!
There are about a million reasons I can’t get enough of the game. It’s hard not to! Picture the beauty: there’s a gentle sun setting over the Cleveland skyline, a gorgeous breeze that wafts the smell of bratwurst, a good friend squeezed into stadium seating on both sides of you, and a scoreless division rival squad self-imploding. The only way life gets any better is if there’s a summer shandy in your hand.
The truth is, I love baseball all the same on any day of the week; I don’t care if it’s a drizzly April weeknight or a Sunday afternoon in August. I find it to be the most beautiful game in the world, and it connects me intimately with God. I’ve developed a spirituality of baseball over the years. The sport is emblematic of the Christian faith. Let me state my case.
No one can expect you to be perfect:
Hall of Famer Ted Williams once famously said, “Baseball is the only field of endeavor where a man can succeed three times out of ten and be considered a good performer.” I’m quick to add the Christian life to that short list.
Baseball is a game of slumps and hot streaks. My faith isn’t any different. Sometimes I carry a Joe DiMaggio-esque, 56-game-hitting-streak level of confidence into my prayer and can connect with whatever God throws my way. Oftentimes, I don’t. I’ll miss what God is trying to communicate, fail to respond generously to someone in my circle, or overlook a person on the street altogether. There are highs and lows. You just gotta get in the box. God is far more merciful than the most faithful fanbase.
You’re always given another chance:
There’s no “running out the clock” in baseball. Every team is entitled to twenty-seven outs. That means if you get back in the box, they need to pitch to ya. You still might lose. But I try to never forget my mantra during the season: we get to play again tomorrow—that’s just one of the perks of the long season! Tommy Lasorda said it well: “Every team wins 54 games, and every team loses 54 games. It’s what you do with the other 54 that counts!”
God knows we’re bound to have good days and off days. He has no interest in packing up early and blasting off during the 7th inning stretch to beat the traffic. He’s going to keep lobbing balls over the plate, and just wants to see how far we can hit ‘em.
Team success is more exciting than personal accolades:
Ted Williams is the last player to accomplish the remarkable feat of registering a batting average over .400 (.406 in 1941). That same year, Williams and the Boston Red Sox finished seventeen games behind the New York Yankees, who won the World Series. There’s nothing more Williams could have done to help his team break The Curse of the Bambino, and yet I’m almost certain he would have traded in his batting title for a trophy without a second thought.
A Catholic is a Catholic because she belongs to the Church. She might be rewarded in heaven for her individual holiness on earth, but at her best she’s bringing other people to God’s remarkable love. No one who has experienced God’s unconditional compassion wants to hoard it all for themselves – they want to share it with the people they love.
The beauty of the game is for everybody:
I don’t want to name names, but have you seen some of these guys..? You’ll have a 6’7” 280 pound outfielder standing next to a 5’6” middle infielder who wouldn’t weigh 170 pounds if he were soaking wet, and they’re both some of the most talented players to ever put on a jersey. If you can play, you can play.
The Church is built up just the same. Two people who might look like they have nothing in common share the most important identity one can have. You have people from every political persuasion, socio-economic status, race, and relationship status. If you want to be a Catholic, you need look no further. Everyone is called to be a saint.
All you have to do is enjoy the show:
I’ve never seen my hometown team win the World Series (we were so, so close in 2016), but I have seen some incredible baseball along the way. We live in a golden age of the sport. Watching guys like Ohtani, Lindor, Ramírez, and Tatis excel on both sides of the chalk is an absolute treat. That’s worth savoring!
God’s glory is on display day in and day out. When we pay attention, we’re given countless reasons to marvel at the Lord. Holding onto those sacred moments is always a cause for gratitude. Soak it up! God is good at what He does!
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Image: CNS photo/Vatican Media