"Losing the Humanity of Umpiring" by Joe Posnanski

I would like to take this moment to bring to you an article of great passion, written by an author who I magnanimously admire, on a subject beyond realistic dispute, except, for the person in authority who got it wrong . . . 

Losing the Humanity of Umpiring

There’s a very famous strike zone story that has been connected with Stan Musial, Ted Williams, Ty Cobb, and others. I’m not sure the story ever happened, but if it did happen, it probably involved Hall of Fame umpire Bill Klem and Hall of Fame second baseman Rogers Hornsby.

It goes a little something like this: A young pitcher, maybe even pitching in his first game, throws what he thinks is a good pitch to Hornsby. The Rajah doesn’t swing, and it’s called a ball. He throws another pitch he likes, Hornsby takes it, and the pitch is called a ball again.

He starts screaming at Klem, who looks at him with a fatherly gaze.

“Son,” Klem says, “when you pitch a strike, Mr. Hornsby will let you know it.”

I couldn’t help but think about that story again on Sunday during the United States’ unsatisfying 2-1 victory over the Dominican Republic during the World Baseball Classic. In the bottom of the eighth inning, Juan Soto led off against Garrett Whitlock. Here’s what the at-bat looked like:

Yes, home plate umpire Corey Blaser rang up Soto on a pitch that wasn’t even close to a strike, and while this wasn’t what made the game unsatisfying — as most of you know, a worse call was yet to come — it really struck me wrong. I couldn’t even believe how much that call ticked me off.

Pleasing God

"And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him." (Hebrews 11:6)

"If you love Me, keep My commandments." (John 14:15)

"So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God." (Romans 8:8)

"To do righteousness and justice, is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice." (Proverbs 21:3)

"And what does the LORD require of you, but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?" (Micah 6:7-8)

"And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma." (Ephesians 5:2)

"But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased." (Hebrews 13:16)

The Last Days

"But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people. For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth. Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men corrupted in mind and disqualified regarding the faith. But they will not get very far, for their folly will be plain to all, as was that of those two men. . . 

 . . . Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work." (2 Timothy 3)

"Jesus said, Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains.

Jesus, Our Only Mediator

"For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all people." (1 Timothy 2: 5-6)

With all respect to my Catholic brothers and sisters, this has always been a stumbling block to understanding the Catholic doctrine of praying to the saints to intercede for us. I'm not debating the theology that those who have already died on earth are alive, with God, in heaven. "For we live by faith, not by sight. We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it." (2 Corinthians 5:7-9) 

So help me understand the belief that praying to Mary, or any of the saints who have gone before us, would yield more power in heaven than praying to the Son of God, who gave everything for us? He knows all, He loves all, He earned the right to be our Savior on the Cross, He laid down all of His rights and power to humble Himself in the body of a man, and He experienced all the trials and tribulations that we will ever encounter.

So what benefit is there, other than tradition, to praying to anyone else?