The Resurrection
The Last Inning and Jesus
Every ballplayer who has ever played the game of baseball had a last inning. This final inning is the great equalizer in baseball, or in other words, what is commonly experienced by each ball player.
Every player in baseball history has experienced the phrase “all good things must come to an end.”
For little leaguers, their last inning may have been when they were younger in the small field or older in the larger ball field. High school players’ last inning may have been in districts, state playoffs, or Legion baseball. It may have been in the regular season or playoffs for college players. Major league players’ last inning may have been at home or away.
Regardless of age or level, every player will experience a last inning.
In life every human person has a last day like a baseball player has a last inning. GK Chesterton, a renowned British Catholic writer of the early 20th century, said “death is the great equalizer.” Kings, queens, the wealthy, tyrants, the heroes, the famous, the poor, you, and me - everyone has a last day.
There is one massive difference between baseball and faith: there is no Resurrection in baseball.
When a player comes out of retirement, they come out of retirement—they do not come back to life. Extra innings are the same as the regular game—the game does not end and suddenly come back to life.
In Christianity, there is a Resurrection. The Catechism powerfully notes, “The Resurrection of Jesus is the crowning truth of our faith in Christ.” The crowning truth of Christianity is that there is a last inning in our earthly lives, but there is a Resurrection that changes everything.
We read of a story in the Acts of the Apostles in which Peter and John were taken into custody for “teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the Resurrection of the dead” (Acts 4:2). After the assembly discussed what they were to do with Peter and John, the Sanhedrin ordered each of them to never again speak or teach in the name of Jesus.
Peter and John’s response is simply astounding. They boldly replied, “It is impossible for us not to speak about what we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:20). In time, Peter would be crucified upside down, John would be exiled, and the other Apostles would be martyred in different ways and places.
Baseball has had great Hall of Famers but no martyrs. The faith has had thousands and thousands of martyrs, and there will continue to be martyrs.
The Resurrection simply hits baseball out of the ballpark.
Fr. Luke Daghir
