The Winning Season

By Bill Cashion

Every baseball team wants to win championships, but only a few do so. "Those who are not champions still strive to have a winning season. However, some teams finish the season with a losing record." There are 162 games in the major league schedule. No team in history has won them all. There are 162 devotionals in The Winning Season. They deliver biblical truth, illustrated with stories from baseball history, to help the reader see that every day of the season of life can be victorious when guided by faith in Jesus Christ and him alone.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Covenant Books, Inc.
• Release date: May 11, 2020
• ISBN: 9781646703739

Book preview

Our Substitute

In the early days of baseball, the rules stated that a player could be substituted at any time during the game simply by announcing the change to the umpire. Hall of Famer King Kelly of the Boston Braves took advantage of the rule in a game against The Cincinnati Reds in 1889. A Cincinnati batter popped up a foul ball near the Boston dugout. Charlie Ganzel, the Braves catcher, attempted to reach the ball, but when it became obvious that he would never arrive in time, Kelly ran out of the dugout shouting, Kelly now catching for the Braves. He then proceeded to make the catch to the amazement of everyone present.

King Kelly, at just the right time, announced himself as a substitute for Ganzel. As a result, even though the catcher on the field was powerless to make the catch, the catch was made. The substitute was in the right place at the right time, and the game was saved.

At just the right time, another person announced himself as the substitute for all mankind. The Bible says, You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Rom. 5:6–8). Jesus entered the field of life and saved the day. We were powerless to save ourselves. There was nothing that we could do to cleanse ourselves from sin, so God made him who had no sin to be made sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God (2 Cor. 5:21). Christ did more than take our place to catch a ball and save a game. He actually took our problem, our sin, upon himself on the cross, and bore its consequences, death, in his own body to deliver us from the penalty of sin and to save our souls for all eternity.

It took a quick mind to think that fast and a lot of brashness and daring to do what King Kelly did. However, when Jesus came as our substitute, fighting our battle and suffering our punishment, it took a lot more. It took a commitment to justice and a heart of love. Our rebellion against God had to be dealt with justly. Sin must be punished, so Christ came as the holy and just sacrifice for our sins. He came, sent, and motivated by the love of God, announcing to all who believe, Now paying the price for your sins as your substitute on the cross, Jesus Christ, God’s only Son.

By the way, what King Kelly did led to a rule change in Major League Baseball. No longer can a player verbally announce himself as a substitute. But what Jesus Christ did remains the same. He was a once and forever substitute. There is no need for another. He is your substitute even today.

The Spirit’s Sword

Ted Williams had one of the finest swings in the history of baseball. He is the last man to have a batting average over .400. In 1941, his batting average was .406 with 37 home runs. He finished his playing career with a .344 batting average, 521 home runs, and a .482 on-base percentage, the highest of all time. He played for nineteen years and was an all-star seventeen times. The story is told that one night, while living in Florida, he had to use his bat in a most unusual way. He heard a sound on the roof of his cabin. As he went outside to investigate, he grabbed his baseball bat. As he looked to the roof, a ferocious bobcat pounced at him. Ted’s bat went into action, and the famous swing that had recorded 521 home runs to its credit now added one bobcat.

The Bible tells us in 1 Peter 5:8: Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. As we face this roaring lion, there is a weapon available to us that is more effective than Ted Williams’s bat. Jesus himself used it when the devil tempted him. Three times Satan tempted Jesus when he was fasting in the desert, and three times Jesus defeated him by quoting scripture. The Word of God always defeats Satan.

The apostle Paul encourages us to take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God (Eph. 6:17). Imagine that! God offers us the use of the sword that is forged and fashioned by the Holy Spirit. The Word of God is the Spirit’s sword, but it is freely given to those who know the Lord Jesus Christ through faith in him. We can use it to defeat Satan when he attacks us with doubt: I know whom I have believed and am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day (2 Tim. 1:12); when he attacks us with discouragement: I can do everything through Him who gives me strength (Phil. 4:13); when he attacks us with deceit: when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it (1 Cor. 10:13).

Ted Williams had his bat close at hand when he needed it. David said, I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you (Ps. 119:11). Do you keep his Word, your sword and weapon, that close so that in time of need you can immediately put it to work?

Satan and His Strategy

From 1946 to 1952, Ralph Kiner was the home run champion in the National League. However, he was not the only champion in his family. His wife, Nancy, was a tennis champion. Ralph told her that one day he would beat her. After many tries, he finally did, winning 7-5, 7-5. Ralph proudly told the story of his victory and then added, And two days later our first child was born. It appears that Mrs. Kiner played under a slight handicap that prevented her from reaching her full capability as a player. Ralph had no mercy and took advantage of her situation.

Samson was the strongest man who ever lived. God told him never to cut his hair. This was the symbol of a Nazarite or, in other words, a person who had been consecrated to God and set apart for his special use. Samson won many great battles against the enemies of God and his people. However, Samson had a weakness. His weakness was women, especially women of ungodly character. He made the great mistake of giving his heart and love to Delilah, a Philistine woman who did not share his commitment to God. She took advantage of his weakness and used her feminine charm to discover the secret of his great strength. Once she knew his secret, she informed the Philistine rulers. Then she invited Samson to lay his head in her lap, and with soothing words, she put him to sleep. A servant was summoned who shaved Samson’s head while he slept. His strength was gone, and he was no match for the Philistines when they rushed into the house.

Satan constantly looks for your weaknesses, and once discovered, he will use that which seems pleasurable and even beautiful to ruin your life. That is why it is so important to follow Jesus Christ and to give him complete control of your life. Then when Satan probes your weaknesses, intending to take advantage of them, you can say, No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us (Rom. 8:37).

Faith and Life’s Challenges

Never has there been a pitcher as overpowering as Nolan Ryan. In 1973, he struck out twelve of the first fourteen batters he faced in a game against the Detroit Tigers. Norm Cash, the Detroit first baseman, came to the plate in the fifth inning with a ping-pong paddle. The umpire tossed the paddle away. Then in the ninth inning, Cash stepped into the batter’s box swinging a piano leg. Again, the umpire would not allow Cash to improvise. Ryan went on to finish the game with a no-hitter.

It is the nature of man to try almost anything when trouble comes his way. Ping-pong paddles and piano legs seem to be as effective as a Louisville Slugger against a one-hundred-mile-per-hour fastball. Of course, it is possible to hit a home run with a bat, even against a Nolan Ryan fastball. Ping-pong paddles and piano legs will never work.

Isn’t it strange that most people will try to overcome life’s problems with ping-pong paddles and piano legs instead of with a top-grade bat. When a tough challenge comes, most people arrive at the batter’s box with an array of weapons that run the gamut from materialism, to astrology, to positive thinking, to religion. There they are, trying to buy their way out, think their way out, luck their way out, or work their way out of their problems. Yet all the time the bat has been left in the dugout.

There is a beautiful story in the Bible about a man who picked up the bat to face a one-hundred-mile-per-hour pitch. He was a commander in the Roman army. A beloved servant was sick, and death seemed certain. The commander heard of Jesus. He sent for him. As Jesus approached the house, the commander sent this message to the him, ’Lord, don’t trouble yourself, for I do not deserve to have you come under my roof…But say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.’ When Jesus heard this He said, ‘I tell you I have not found such great faith even in Israel’ (Luke 7:1–10).

Norm Cash tried a ping-pong paddle and a piano leg. The Roman commander overcame with the right bat—faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. That’s the purpose of faith. It is meant to be put in the only place where it works—in the living Son of God. Bats are for baseballs. Faith is for life’s challenges.

So when the next high hard one comes your way, what will it be: ping-pong paddles, piano legs, or faith? Batter up!

Don’t Boast about Tomorrow

In 1876, a pitcher named Joe Borden tossed the first no-hitter in National League history. However, before the season ended, Borden had been given a new position. His effectiveness as a pitcher deserted him, so he finished the year as the team’s groundskeeper.

I have no idea why Borden went from a no-hit pitcher to a groundskeeper. Maybe he injured his arm, or perhaps he lost his confidence. Maybe personal problems plagued him, or just maybe his no-hitter was a fluke. There could have been a multitude of reasons for his demise. The reason for his fall, however, is not nearly as important as the point of the story. What happened to Joe Borden reminds us of the frailty of human beings and the uncertainty of life.

Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth (Prov. 27:1). The writer of this proverb is talking about that attitude of self-sufficiency that is so prevalent in our world today. That is the attitude that says, I have it made. Nothing can stop me now. Usually, this attitude is expressed after we’ve experienced success or a high moment in our life. For example, most ballplayers feel this way after signing their first contract. Nothing can keep me out of the major leagues now! The truth is, however, that only about five percent of those who sign contracts ever put on a major league uniform, and the majority who do so only hang around the big show for three or four years. Do not boast about tomorrow for you do not know what a day may bring forth does not mean to lack self-esteem or to forsake commitment to your goals. Neither does it mean to go through life with a defeatist attitude. What it does mean is don’t build your life upon that which you can lose or upon that which can be taken from you. Jesus said, But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own (Matt. 6:33–34). In other words, decide today that your life will be built upon God’s will for you. Plan to serve him as the best servant you can possibly be. That may mean serving him as a baseball player, or as a teacher, or as a doctor, or as a store manager, etc. Plan to serve him all your life. Remember that very few succeed as professional athletes. Far too many people fail to plan for other possibilities. Education is neglected and training for other occupations ignored. Then when tomorrow does not turn out as planned, the future’s dreams become today’s nightmares. Boast not yourself of tomorrow, but plan to live for his glory today.

Trust God

Never has there been a franchise worse than the St. Louis Browns. They invented new ways to lose and tried everything possible to win. Once, owner Bill Veeck hired Eddie Gaedel as a secret weapon. Gaedel, a midget, was placed in the batting order and given the following instructions by Veeck, I’m going to be up on the roof with a high-powered rifle watching every move you make. You stand there and take four pitches. If you so much as look as if you’re going to swing at the ball, I’ll shoot you dead. Gaedel was too frightened to move, and the Detroit pitcher, Bob Cain, was laughing too hard to see the plate. He threw four straight balls then went into hysterics as Gaedel ambled to first base.

When you are losing, it is tempting to try almost anything to win. The same is true in life. When problems come our way and things we do not understand enter our lives, we often find ourselves seeking solutions anywhere and everywhere.

Job was a man who had everything going his way. The Bible tells us that he was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil. He had seven sons and three daughters, and he owned seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen and five hundred donkeys, and had a large number of servants. He was the greatest man among all the people of the East (Job 1:1–3).

One inglorious day, however, Job’s franchise began its descent from first to last place. All his possessions were destroyed or stolen, and his children died in a desert storm. Then on another day, Job was afflicted with painful sores from the soles of his feet to the top of his head. His pain was so great that he sat among ashes and scraped his body with a piece of broken pottery (Job 2:8). Even his wife said to him, Are you still holding on to your integrity? Curse God and die! (Job 2:9). Her counsel to him was God has forgotten you. Now forget Him! Curse Him and die. Job 2:10 gives us his reply: You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God and not trouble? Then the Bible says, In all this Job did not sin in what he said. Job decided that the God he loved and served was worthy of his loyalty whether he was winning or losing in life. What about you? Do problems cause you to seek new solutions, or when your franchise is in trouble, do you lift your face to the God who never fails?

By the way, Job made the right choice. In Job 42:12, we read, The Lord blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the first. In fact, he gave him seven more sons and three more daughters. God doubled the amount of possessions that Job had before he lost everything.

Don’t send a midget up to the plate. Trust God. He knows what he is doing.

Influence and Example

All of us have seen bench clearing brawls during a baseball game, but I wonder if what took place between Baltimore and Boston in 1894 was not the worst rhubarb in the history of our national pastime. John McGraw of the Orioles and the Boston third baseman traded punches after a close play. Suddenly, both benches emptied. Then the crowd got into the act. The fans set fire to the bleachers and watched as the stadium burned to the ground. Before the fire was extinguished, 170 other buildings were destroyed as the flames raced through town.

It is doubtful if the two original combatants that day thought one little fight would lead to so much misery. The truth is that all of us underestimate the power of our influence on others. Our day is characterized by a preoccupation with the individual. We have been told that individual expression, regardless of its effect on others, is our right. Jesus Christ taught a much different view of life. He reminds us that we are responsible for our actions and that we will be held accountable when our actions, example, or influence cause others to sin. In Matthew 18:6–7, he said, But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to sin! Such things must come, but woe to the man through whom they come.

Little did John McGraw realize that one punch would result in the destruction of a ballpark and 170 buildings. Do you realize that one word spoken in anger or one immoral act could be the spark that ignites sin in the hearts of many? How many children have grown up to be abusive and vulgar adults because of the negative putdowns and the profanities they have heard from their parents? How many alcoholics live in misery and bring misery to their families because of the endorsement and use of beer, wine, and whiskey by prominent athletes? How many lives have been scarred because of the sexual promiscuity of one or two people as homes are broken, abortions performed, and AIDS transmitted?

By the way, businesses, houses, schools, and churches were counted among the 170 buildings that were destroyed the day John McGraw decided to exercise his right to use his fists. Make no mistake about it. All society is affected by your influence and example.

The Name that Saves

The great St. Louis Cardinal pitcher, Dizzy Dean, was named Jay Hanna Dean at birth. However, he decided to change his name years later to Jerome Herman Dean. A neighbor’s friend suffered the loss of a son. His grief was unbearable. Dizzy wanted to do something to comfort the grieving father. He chose to change his name to that of the dead boy.

The Bible tells us that one day, God sent his Son to earth, and he chose to give him a special name. The record of this event is found in Luke 1:26–27, 30–31. In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendent of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. The angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus.’ Jesus means Jehovah saves. God gave his Son a special name that would allow everyone to understand why he sent him. Jehovah saves. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him (John 3:17).

When Dizzy Dean saw the heartache of a man whose son had died, he did what he could to comfort the man. When God saw the sin of man and the eternal ruin it brings to men, he was moved with compassion and did the only thing that could bring forgiveness and give new life. He sent the Savior.

There is another great difference between what Dizzy Dean did and what God has done. Although Dizzy changed his name to that of the dead boy, his kindness could not give new life to the child. However, when a man is willing to confess that he is a sinner, repent of his sin, and trust in Jesus, the one who bears God’s special name Jehovah saves, then God declares him to be righteous, holy, and new in his sight. It is as though the old man died and was given new life by the name of Jesus. Do you have this new life? If not, you can receive it today by receiving Jehovah saves, the Lord Jesus Christ. Ask him now to enter and control your life.

Reason to Celebrate

In 1978, Bucky Dent saw three of his dreams fulfilled. He wanted to play for the New York Yankees. He was traded to them. He wanted to play in a World Series. That same year, it happened. He wanted to find his father. He was raised in a foster home and had spent years searching for his real father. In 1978, he found him.

Can you imagine the happiness that must have filled Bucky’s heart when he found his father? The Bible tells us in Luke 19:10, The Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost. This means that the Lord Jesus Christ came to this earth to save sinners like you and me. He did so in order that he might remove the sin that separates us from God and restore us to fellowship with him. That happens when a sinner admits his guilt and through faith receives Jesus Christ into his life as Lord and Savior.

I don’t know how Bucky Dent expressed his joy when he was reunited with his father, but I do know what the Bible says takes place when the sin of a lost man is forgiven and the wall of separation between the sinner and his heavenly Father is removed. Jesus put it this way in Luke 15:10. It says, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.

There is also joy in the heart of the sinner who was a citizen of hell, as surely as if he were already there, when the grace of God reveals to him that the moment he received Jesus Christ by faith he immediately became a citizen of heaven, as surely as if he were already there.

Do you realize that Jesus is seeking you? Do you realize that he wants to establish an eternal relationship with you? Do you know that he is only a prayer away from your heart? Let this be your day of rejoicing as well as a day of rejoicing among the angels of heaven! Invite him to be the Lord of your life.

Doing the Right Thing

The old Brooklyn Dodgers had a manager named Wilbert Robinson. He decided to start a rookie named Oscar Roettger one day. As he was writing the official lineup card for the umpire, he was having trouble spelling the name Roettger. He wrote Rotg…, stopped, and erased it. This time, he wrote Rott… Then in frustration, he threw down his pencil and said, Oh, let Cox stay in right field.

In that moment, Robinson chose the easy way instead of the right way. The right thing to have done would have been to learn how to spell Roettger’s name or, at the very least, to have asked someone how to spell it. The easy and, by the way, wrong thing was to give up and leave things as they were.

In today’s world, too many people choose the easy thing over the right thing. The Bible is correct when it counsels us, Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind (Rom. 12:2). The world’s pattern is to do whatever makes you feel good. As a result, the streets, schools, and homes of the nation are filled with alcoholics and drug addicts. AIDS and other sexual diseases run rampant. The world’s pattern says, Demand your rights. Therefore, family, friends, and faith are forgotten as selfish, spoiled men who refuse to grow up pursue their own good. The world’s pattern says, Make decisions, not commitments. Decisions can be changed or even forgotten, but commitments are forever. Deciders decide to marry, leaving the door open for divorce. Deciders decide to have sex, risking pregnancy, knowing they can always decide to terminate the baby’s life as a matter of convenience. Some deciders decide to have children and then decide to abuse or abandon them rather than train them up in a godly fashion.

It does not take special ability to follow the world’s pattern. Anyone can say yes to alcohol and drugs. Anyone can give in to their sexual passion; however, the Word of God says that all sexual relations outside of marriage are sin. Anyone can run away from their marriage. On the other hand, it takes a person of character, conviction, and courage to stand against the world’s pattern.

What about you and the choices you face today? Will you be just another face in the crowd and do what is easy, or will you rise above the multitude and do what is right?

Victory over Death

Wilbert Robinson weighed about three hundred pounds when he managed the Brooklyn Dodgers. During his playing days, he was a catcher. Just before an exhibition game in 1917 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, he told his players that he could catch a ball dropped out of an airplane. Things were arranged for him to try. A plane flew over, and down came the ball. It hit Robinson in the chest and knocked him to the ground. Everyone thought he was dead. Blood was everywhere, or so it seemed. Someone, however, had substituted a grapefruit filled with ketchup for the ball. No one admitted to the deed, but a few days later, a prime suspect, Casey Stengel, was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates.

One Friday, over two thousand years ago, a multitude of Roman soldiers, Jewish priests, inhabitants of Jerusalem, and some of his disciples watched Jesus die on a cross. Blood was everywhere. His body was bruised beyond recognition. His side was pierced by a Roman spear. His corpse was removed from the cross and placed in a borrowed tomb.