God's Coaching #29

God's Coaching #29

Baseball and January go together like hotdogs and chocolate sauce. Yuck! In many parts of the world, it’s way too cold to grab a bat and swing away. Yet on this day in 1936, baseball was on everybody’s mind as the first players in baseball’s Hall of Fame were announced. And what an amazing class it was!

Ty Cobb batted .367 in his career, hit over .400 in three seasons, and won 12 batting titles. Babe Ruth smashed an amazing 714 home runs. His New York Yankees won four World Series. Honus Wagner won eight batting titles and stole 722 bases in his career. Christy Mathewson won 373 games as a pitcher. “Matty,” as his teammates called him, won 37 games during the 1908 season. Walter Johnson was a power pitcher who won 417 games. He amassed 3,508 strikeouts and 110 career shutouts.

What’s the Score?

Although these five athletes were elected to the Hall of Fame in 1936, the actual Baseball Hall of Fame didn’t open in Cooperstown, New York, until 1939. Today, more than 350,000 people visit the National Baseball Hall of Fame every year.

Cooperstown showcases a who’s who of baseball greats. Just look at the statistics for Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, Honus Wagner, Christy Mathewson, and Walter Johnson. They’re staggering! No modern-day pitcher would ever dream of winning 37 games in a season. And Babe not only could crush a ball with his bat, but he also won nearly a hundred games as a pitcher.

Baseball players are judged by what they do on the field. Similarly, we’re judged for what we do with our lives. Jesus said, “The Son of Man will come with his angels in the glory of his Father and will judge all people according to their deeds” (Matthew 16:27). Try to build up some impressive statistics for Jesus Christ. Tell others about Jesus. Show kindness to the people around you. Be a friend to someone who’s lonely. Pick up trash around your school or town. Give some of your money to help the poor. Good works don’t save us, but they do show whose team we’re on.

On the Ball

God doesn’t want us to just sit around. To be a Hall of Famer for Jesus Christ, you need to get in the game. Swing for the fences to help people with the talents you’ve been given. Your actions can make a difference for Christ.

Coach’s Comment

The Son of Man will come with his angels in the glory of his Father and will judge all people according to their deeds. Matthew 16:27