Not praying for Texas Rangers’ wins, but thanking God for them anyway. By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle MATANZAS, Cuba — I crouched in anticipation as I stared at the TV. In a dark room with no air conditioning, I ignored the sweat dripping down my face and focused on the screen. The drama unfolding before me was … a postseason baseball game. With … Continue reading A baseball blessing in Cuba
By Bobby Ross Jr. ARLINGTON, Texas — Magical. That’s the best way to describe the Texas Rangers’ 2023 season. An exhilarating and sometimes excruciating journey has taken my beloved favorite team since 1982 all the way to the World Series. Update: Keeping the faith: Rangers win the World Series For the first time, my sons Brady and Keaton and I will get to experience the Fall Classic … Continue reading Road to the World Series: My Top 10 Texas Rangers games of 2023
By Bobby Ross Jr. | Religion Unplugged LOS ANGELES — “Blue Heaven on Earth,” declares a sign behind the center field pavilion at Dodger Stadium. That description seemed fitting as Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw and his wife, Ellen, appeared on the stage before a recent Sunday afternoon game. A crowd clad in Dodgers blue cheered as the Kershaws reflected on their faith during a question-and-answer … Continue reading For baseball star Clayton Kershaw and his wife, faith provides a foundation
By Bobby Ross Jr. | Religion Unplugged SAN DIEGO — At 8:15 p.m. on a recent Saturday, Texas Rangers catcher Mitch Garver swung and missed at an 86-mph slider from San Diego Padres closer Josh Hader. Garver’s strikeout secured a 4-0 victory for the home team in front of 42,677 fans at Petco Park. Three minutes later, an electric guitarist and a keyboardist from The Rock Church … Continue reading Jesus at the ballpark: Why MLB teams host faith nights
By Bobby Ross Jr. SAN DIEGO — My love of baseball is no secret. Nor is my desire to see games at all 30 MLB stadiums. This past week I combined work and pleasure when I traveled to Southern California to work on a story for ReligionUnplugged.com on Faith Night events hosted by a number of teams. I flew into Los Angeles and then drove to … Continue reading Another ballpark checked off my bucket list: Petco Park in San Diego makes 21
By Bobby Ross Jr. CHICAGO — I finally made it to Wrigleyville. For a long time, I’ve dreamed of seeing a game at Wrigley Field — the iconic ballpark with ivy-covered outfield walls that opened in 1914. I had experienced America’s favorite pastime at 19 of the 30 MLB stadiums, plus five former big-league fields (I’ll list all of them below). My family and I even … Continue reading Thrill of Wrigleyville: Checking off the No. 1 ballpark on my bucket list
Stranger’s kindness makes granddaughter’s first Texas Rangers game even more memorable. By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle ARLINGTON, Texas — In my family, births, weddings and baptisms count as major milestones. So does one’s first time to attend a Texas Rangers game. I’ve followed Rangers baseball — through pulse-pounding wins and heart-wrenching losses — for 40 years. I still chuckle at the intro to his devo No. 60 … Continue reading A heavenly day at the ballpark
For Faulkner coach and his wife, love for ‘adoption’ extends from their home to the team’s players. By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Patrick and Katie Beth McCarthy’s oldest son, Miller, once told a reporter his family lived at the ballpark. “We just go spend the night at our house sometimes,” he quipped. Baseball is extremely important to the McCarthys. Patrick is the head coach … Continue reading All in the family: baseball and Jesus
The Texas church elder was a pioneering reliever for the Cardinals, Cubs, Giants, Yankees and Royals. By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle When Joe Chesser was 9 years old, his family attended church with Lindy McDaniel, a young pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals. One Sunday, Chesser brought a baseball to worship at the West End Church of Christ in Wellston, Mo., just … Continue reading At 84, retired major-leaguer Lindy McDaniel still ‘Pitching for the Master’
Faith. Family. Fastballs. 