Hey Batter Batter, Hey Batter, Batter SWING!!

Things could be worse. Suppose your errors were counted and published every day, like those of a baseball player. ~Author Unknown

Ninety feet between home plate and first base may be the closest man has ever come to perfection. ~Red Smith

I believe in the Church of Baseball. I tried all the major religions and most of the minor ones. I've worshipped Buddha, Allah, Brahma, Vishnu, Siva, trees, mushrooms and Isadora Duncan. I know things. For instance, there are 108 beads in a Catholic rosary and there are 108 stitches in a baseball. When I learned that, I gave Jesus a chance. ~Ron Shelton, Bull Durham, 1988

Baseball, it is said, is only a game. True. And the Grand Canyon is only a hole in Arizona. ~George F. Will, Men at Work: The Craft of Baseball, 1990

You gotta be a man to play baseball for a living, but you gotta have a lot of little boy in you, too. ~Roy Campanella

Are you crying? Are you crying? ARE YOU CRYING? There's no crying! THERE'S NO CRYING IN BASEBALL! – Jimmy Dugan (Tom Hanks) in A League of Their Own

It has been a long, cold, wet, drizzling spring. The entire month of May found me on the ball field, trying to focus a camera despite my chattering teeth, wrapped up in winter coats, sweatshirts, gloves, hats, quilts and afghans. My trunk was always equipped with a few chairs and a few blankets. I looked like I was living out of my minivan and trying to camp on a glacier – oi. We had one game canceled because of snow! Other games were played with the mercury in the thermometer registering 49 degrees and 52 degrees. For four weeks our home was fighting ear infections, strep throat, the flu and upper respiratory infections. We were a sick bunch, and it all had to do with our ball games.

Our TANK each play on a ball team this year. A. and K. in the M. Fastpitch League and T. and N. are on A. Hot Stove. Even though this has been a new community and there is a new set of directions to fulfill, there is again a constant in our life: the spring baseball team.

March brought about a devastating reality from our school system: since the tax levy was not passed for nearly every school systems in the region, all schools would close their doors at 3:15 p.m. after school, not permitting any group to meet or have activities. This made a deep impact upon all of the ball teams through the M. Fastpitch and the A. Hotstove, who were now frantically searching for a place to have their indoor practice until the weather broke. (Our March brought at least 18” of snow, sleet and freezing sludge – there were no outdoor practices to be found.)

The Salvation Army gym in Alliance became a home for 11 teams, the only cost would be some canned goods from each team for the Army food pantry, and all revolving their practices about in a schedule which would make your head spin. (Alright, it made my head spin. Baseball and oodles of extra dinners, baseball and a gazillion pots of coffee, baseball and homework tutoring, baseball and computer lessons, baseball and Veggie Tale videos, baseball and Easter preparations, baseball and Bible activities, baseball and Bible coloring books, baseball and new client family intake at 7:30 p.m.) Not only was our family involved with several of these teams, but we were now hosts for the other teams. It felt like 350 people were through our building every week: families with toddlers we needed to divert from the action, young moms and dads and several children not in the gym.

It was demanding and thrilling, exciting and inspirational. Our spring took a ministry connection opportunity through this intriguing sport which includes balls, bats and gloves. Our War Cry piles dwindled, as did our other publications. God connections were made every day. “What are working on?” as an honest question from a mom or dad exposed the fact I was working on some homework from my Master’s classes. The testimony about God’s Word and theological topics were evangelical, intriguing and exciting. God and Creation delved into a testimony about God at work in our present world. God and Women explored being a vessel for God to work with and through. Jesus Christ as God and Man exposed various points, all questioning Jesus’ placement in our faith. God was at work, long before we could plan or schedule anything and God continued to inspire us and strengthen us.

Our ministry reach has deepened in this community because of baseball and softball – baseball has never been a hobby or pastime for us. My next couple posts will be centered around baseball – some terrific, some heart-wrenching, some joy-filled, some just plain mad. But all of it – every pitch, slide, strike, catch and ground rule double have been to the glory of God.

So, whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. 1 Corinthians 10:31 NIV