Thursday is “Elimination Day” in Major League Baseball’s Wild Card playoffs, which means three teams will be advancing into divisional matchups this weekend and three more will be going home for the season.
On Wednesday, the New York Yankees edged out divisional rival Boston to force a decisive game three – in large measure thanks to Fernando Cruz’s masterful relief appearance that kept the game tied in the seventh inning.
Cruz, age 35, spent 15 seasons in the minor leagues – an extraordinarily long tenure that left most people thinking he’d never make it to the “Big Show.”
That is most everyone except his mother, Virginia.
Virginia Mahon died of cancer in 2021, one year before her son pitched for the Cincinnati Reds.
Through his years of disappoint, Fernando, who is from Puerto Rico, thought of hanging it all up many times. If not for the encouragement of his mother, he likely would have done so.
“She told me [back in 2019]: ‘Don’t quit please. God has something really, really special for you,’” he reflected.
“It took me 16 years to get to the big leagues. And those 16 years, straight up, I was always thinking about those words. And here I am. Living a dream every day.”
There’s a touching video circulating of Fernando praying over 13-year-old cancer survivor DJ Daniel, the young man President Trump appointing as an honorary member of the United States Secret Service.
The relief pitcher has long professed a strong faith in Christ.
On Wednesday night, Cruz told reporters how he was able to remain cool under the pressure of a high stake’s playoff performance.
“I have a powerful giant on my side,” he reflected. “His name is Jesus Christ. I will deliver for Him, first of all. It’s time to compete. It’s time to go after – just compete. I grab the ball, grab that white thing, and let’s go — you versus me.”
Does God take a rooting interest in particular teams and playoff outcomes? Does He care who wins?
As a Christian, Fernando Cruz is correct that Jesus is with him. In fact, Jesus Himself has said, “I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). We also know that Jesus cares. We in 1 Peter 5:7: “Casting all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you.”
Not that Cruz is saying He is, but does God root for one team over the other?
We know the Lord is sovereign. He already knows who’s going to win, so He doesn’t need to root for any particular team. But He cares about everything, most especially a player’s relationship with Him as well as his character and heart.
Thankfully, Major League Baseball teams, whether in or out of the playoffs, are filled with Christians on their rosters. But it’s especially encouraging to see those players maximize their public platforms and share their personal testimonies of just how much the Lord means to them.
Image from Getty.
