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⚾️ Home runs are nice, but these MLB players pursue a higher calling 🔌

Editor’s note: Every Friday, “Weekend Plug-in” meets readers at the intersection of faith and news. Click to join nearly 10,000 subscribers who get this column delivered straight to their inbox. Got feedback or ideas? Email Bobby Ross Jr. By Bobby Ross Jr. | Religion Unplugged ARLINGTON, Texas — The Texas Rangers boast an estimated $243 million annual payroll.  The MLB team — presumed dead in the pennant race two weeks ago but suddenly … Continue reading ⚾️ Home runs are nice, but these MLB players pursue a higher calling 🔌

Welcome back, Carter: Faith helps Texas Rangers’ ‘Little Savior’ overcome setbacks

By Bobby Ross Jr. | Religion Unplugged ARLINGTON, Texas — “The Little Savior made everyone a believer.” That’s how the Dallas Morning News characterized Evan Carter after he made his MLB debut in September 2023 — just 10 days after his 21st birthday — and helped the Texas Rangers win the World Series for the first time in the franchise’s 63-year history. After such a meteoric rise, the … Continue reading Welcome back, Carter: Faith helps Texas Rangers’ ‘Little Savior’ overcome setbacks

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A spiritual home run in Michigan

Detroit-area congregation extends a warm welcome to a visitor. By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle DETROIT — I woke up in my happy place Sunday: close to a major league ballpark. While in the Motor City reporting a story, I saw my beloved Texas Rangers play the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. But before donning my blue Texas cap, I put on a black dress shirt and made my way … Continue reading A spiritual home run in Michigan

🏟️ Faith and baseball: Why these fans feel a special connection to MLB’s playoff teams 🔌

Editor’s note: Every Friday, “Weekend Plug-in” meets readers at the intersection of faith and news. Click to join nearly 10,000 subscribers who get this column delivered straight to their inbox. Got feedback or ideas? Email Bobby Ross Jr. By Bobby Ross Jr. | Religion Unplugged D.J. Iverson’s love for the San Diego Padres runs deep.  Soul deep. Baseball is not a religion to Iverson, the associate pastor for New Vintage Church in … Continue reading 🏟️ Faith and baseball: Why these fans feel a special connection to MLB’s playoff teams 🔌

Hitting the Target (Field): My Minnesota trip and new MLB ballpark rankings

By Bobby Ross Jr. MINNEAPOLIS — I checked Target Field off my bucket list over the weekend. I’ve now experienced MLB games at 22 current ballparks (and 27 overall). I’ll rank my favorites below. On a reporting trip to Minnesota, I saw my beloved Texas Rangers (the defending World Series champions!) play the Twins on Friday night and Saturday afternoon. As happened last year when I … Continue reading Hitting the Target (Field): My Minnesota trip and new MLB ballpark rankings

What’s really going on at the Texas Rangers game

The story behind ministers spending an afternoon in a ballpark suite. By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle ARLINGTON, TEXAS —Fishing is about more than fishing. That was the gist of a Top 10 country song released in 2011. Trace Adkins’ “Just Fishin’” details a father’s deeper desire for simple time spent with his daughter: And she thinks we’re just fishing on the riverside Throwing back what … Continue reading What’s really going on at the Texas Rangers game

From MLB faith nights to refugee ministries, my Top 10 stories of 2023

By Bobby Ross Jr. I love what I do. I get paid to travel and tell interesting stories. 2023 marked my 34th year in full-time journalism, and I thank God for allowing me to live my dream. This year, I was blessed to report from a dozen states and four countries, including Cuba and Mexico. My stories from Australia and Vanuatu will publish early next year. Related: … Continue reading From MLB faith nights to refugee ministries, my Top 10 stories of 2023

Keeping the faith: Texas Rangers win the World Series

After the long-awaited triumph, it’s easy to draw parallels between baseball and the Christian life. By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle ARLINGTON, Texas — I lived to see it. The Texas Rangers just won the World Series. Forty-one years after I first walked into the old Arlington Stadium and became a Rangers fan at age 14, my team achieved the ultimate baseball glory. Finally. Related: Road to the World … Continue reading Keeping the faith: Texas Rangers win the World Series

A baseball blessing in Cuba

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. A weather warning? A breaking news alert? Nope, a different kind of … Continue reading A baseball blessing in Cuba