Baseball and Faith:

Every ball player who has ever played the game of baseball had a last inning. This final inning is the great equalizer in baseball or in other words what is commonly experienced by each ball player. The phrase “all good things must come to an end” has been experienced by every player throughout baseball history.

For little leaguers their last inning may have been when they were younger in the small field or older in the larger ball field. For high school players their last inning may have been in districts or state playoffs or even Legion baseball. For college players it may have been in the regular season or playoffs. For major league players their last inning may have been at home or away.

Every player, regardless of age or level, will experience a last inning.

In life every human person has a last day like a baseball player has a last inning. GK Chesterton, a renowned British Catholic writer of the early 20th century, said “death is the great equalizer.” Kings, queens, the wealthy, tyrants, the heroes, the famous, the poor, you, and me - everyone has a last day.

These Baseball and Faith columns have tried to live up to the title “Baseball and Faith” by drawing connections. However, there is one really big difference between baseball and faith…there is no Resurrection in baseball.

When a player comes out of retirement they simply come out of retirement. They did not come back to life. Extra innings is the same game - the game did not end and then suddenly come back to life.

In Christianity there is a Resurrection. As the Catechism powerfully notes, “The Resurrection of Jesus is the crowning truth of our faith in Christ.” The crowning truth of Christianity is that there is a last inning in our earthly lives, but there is a Resurrection that changes everything.

We read of a story in the Acts of the Apostles in which Peter and John were taken into custody for “teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the Resurrection of the dead” (Acts 4:2). After the assembly discussed what they were to do with Peter and John, the Sanhedrin ordered each of them to never again speak or teach in the name of Jesus.

Peter and John’s response is simply astounding. They boldly replied, “It is impossible for us not to speak about what we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:20). In time Peter would be crucified upside down, John would be exiled, and the other Apostles would be martyred in different ways and places.

Baseball has had great hall of famers but no martyrs. The faith has had thousands and thousands of martyrs and there will continue to be martyrs.

The Resurrection simply hits baseball out of the ballpark.

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Luke Daghir is a seminarian for the Diocese of Erie from St. Marys, PA. He played catcher for the Elk Catholic Crusaders in 2010-2011 and coached SM Little League for 4 years. Luke was a catcher for the 2009 St. Marys Senior League State Championship team. He currently studies at St. Mary’s Seminary in Baltimore. His favorite team is the Pittsburgh Pirates and favorite baseball player is former catcher Jorge Posada of the New York Yankees.