For Almost 70 Years,

FOR ALMOST 70 YEARS, fans reveled as their favorite baseball players performed in the annual All-Star game. But in 2002, the commissioner’s decision left everybody with an empty feeling.

The contest began with pageantry. An hour-long pregame ceremony featured Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, Cal Ripken Jr., and memorable moments in baseball history. Former Milwaukee Brave and Hall of Fame pitcher Warren Spahn threw out the first pitch to his ex-catcher turned announcer Bob Uecker.

Minnesota’s Torii Hunter wowed the crowd early with a leaping catch in the first inning that robbed Barry Bonds of a home run. Bonds exacted revenge in his next at bat by blasting a 3-0 pitch into the second deck to put the National League in front 2–0.

Then both teams battled back and forth. Lance Berkman’s two-run single in the seventh gave the NL a 7–6 margin, but Omar Vizquel tied it 7–7 with an RBI-triple in the eighth.

Heading into extra innings, managers Joe Torre and Bob Brenly eventually played everybody on their 30-man roster by the 11th inning. They had few pitching options left. After conferring with baseball commissioner Bud Selig, all parties agreed that no additional innings would be played.

Once Luis Castillo flied out to open the bottom of the 11th, the PA announcer informed the crowd of the decision. A couple of batters later, Freddy Garcia struck out Benito Santiago for the game’s final out, and the players exited the field to a chorus of boos.

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POINT Fans felt empty inside. Many had stayed up past midnight, only to see the second tie in the history of the game. (The other tie occurred in 1961 due to rain.) And on a night when the game’s MVP award received Ted Williams’s name, no one earned the honor.

The next day outraged fans flooded baseball’s office with irate e-mails and calls. Too late, the commissioner vowed to never again let the game end in a tie except due to acts of God. But nothing removed the emptiness.

The apostle Paul used a lot of sports analogies in his writing. He encouraged Christians to press on to win the prize that God has called us to win. Achieving victory for Christ is important.

GOAL! What are some occasions when ending in a tie would be okay? When it comes to a relationship with God, he doesn’t want our second best. Ask God to help you win the prize that he’s called you to achieve.