Baptism and Baseball

Lorraine Hess solicits her baseball-player sons to share their wisdom about the parallels between their favorite sport and our mission as baptized Christians. 

A baseball mom balancing liturgy and sports

I recently completed my twenty-sixth season as a baseball mom. All four of my sons play(ed) the game from age five though high school, and two of them play(ed) in college. During years when all four were playing, I was queen of the Crockpot and a prisoner of the laundry room.   

I have also been a music minister most of my life and have a self-declared blackbelt in balancing music ministry with baseball season (both of which dominate weeknights and weekends).  

I was asked to give a TED talk on the subject of “Baptism and Baseball” a few years ago by a Catholic organization that knows my life revolves around balancing liturgy and sports. I enthusiastically accepted.  

Our kids learn more than we think

I decided to solicit some words of wisdom from two of my sons just for fun. Let me preface. My sons are not “holy rollers.” They have a strong Catholic foundation, and as they have become young adults, I have come to realize their faith is deeper than I thought. I had the same struggles as most parents about “dragging” them to church. However, their analogies not only gave me great material, they reassured me that more is sinking in than we think — which is hope for all of us! 

Before sharing their wisdom, I want to communicate why we tolerated such chaos in our family routine. Despite the tumultuous schedule, baseball was never about championships or earning college scholarships; it was about developing virtues that would help them discern their vocations in life and become the men God intended them to be. In baseball, they learned how to win and lose; they learned perseverance, trust, respect of authority, loyalty, and putting others first. Baseball required self-control, self-discipline, and selflessness.   

Through Baptism … we become members of Christ, are incorporated into the church and made sharers in her mission. [T]he person baptized belongs no longer to himself, but to him who died and rose for us. (Catechism of the Catholic Church 1213, 1269) 

On a team, one must commit to the mission of the team. This unity forms a brotherhood or sisterhood, a family helping one another toward a common goal. Just as the Body of Christ has many parts, in baseball, they learn which positions best suit their skills. All parts of the body are need, and a team needs all nine positions on the field. Imagine a pitcher with no catcher.   

My children have learned more about the Christian virtues (especially love/charity) on the field than anywhere else. Being part of a sports team means you are a small but important piece of something bigger than yourself. Without you, the team is incomplete. As baptized Christians, we are also part of something so much greater than ourselves. If we miss our vocation, the “team” suffers.  

So, from the mouths of babes … According to my second-born, even when his batting average was .625, batting practice was still necessary for improvement. He compared it to a priest giving a homily that challenges us even when our relationship with Jesus is good. We should always be willing to try harder, never becoming complacent. However, even though a coach can instruct, and a priest can preach, it is up the person to put what they learn into action.  

He also reminded me that it only takes one good hit to get out of a batting slump. That is the Sacrament of Reconciliation.   

My third son suggested we cannot just play games without going to practice and staying in shape. As a baptized Christian, checking a box on Sundays at Mass is not sufficient. We must live a Christian life in everything we do to prepare us for the grand slam of all rewards, eternal life with Christ. He also reminded me that a good batting average is only .300, which means that seventy percent of the time, the batter does not get on base. As Christians, sometimes we miss the mark, but God allows us to stay in the game and try again. Baptism and baseball share the gift of mercy. God loves us unconditionally but expects us to learn from our mistakes. 

Our playbook is Scripture and tradition

I am constantly immersed in liturgy, and it has given me a lens through which to see our rituals at a deep level. I also see the spiritual benefits of immersing our children in activities that develop the virtues we read about in Scripture and sing about at Mass. Our playbook is Scripture and tradition. Our teammates are one another. As baptized Christians, we were not meant to sit on the bench nor in the bleachers. We were meant to stay in the game, use our charisms for the benefit of the Gospel, and practice our faith every day. 

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Copyright 2024 Lorraine Hess
Images: (top, bottom) copyright 2024 Ron Hess, all rights reserved, used with permission; all others Canva