One of my Arminian friends asked me a fun question. Noting the Calvinist view on foreordination and the meticulous sovereignty of God, this friend wondered why Calvinists even bother watching baseball. “If God has already ‘fixed’ the outcome why bother,” he asked.
The Calvinist faces a similar question concerning prayer and evangelism. Some ask, “If the outcome is already ‘fixed’ why do we even bother praying or sharing the gospel?” The answer to this one is a little more simple. We pray and share the gospel because God commands us. Spurgeon said something close to this:
"If God had painted a yellow stripe up the backs of the elect, I'd go through London lifting up coats and preaching only to them. As it is, He has not, so I preach the Gospel to all, and God brings his sheep."
But what about baseball? There is nothing in Scripture that commands us to watch baseball, so why bother? There are at least three reasons why I can still watch and enjoy baseball even though I believe that God has already “fixed” the outcome.
First, I watch to enjoy God’s history unfold. This is not to say that baseball history is anywhere near as important as salvation history. Yet that does not mean that salvation history has nothing to do with baseball history. Nor does it mean that God isn’t also writing the story of baseball.
Secondly, I enjoy baseball. I believe that when Alex Gordon makes an insanely good catch in left field that he is doing so as a gift of God. And I really do believe that it is through a very real human freedom that Alex Gordon makes that catch. I don’t fully understand how this intersects with the meticulous sovereignty of God, but I believe that Scripture teaches both. As I enjoy baseball I’m enjoying God’s story and I’m also enjoying humanity imaging God.
Lastly, I view baseball and history from a “field” view instead of from the “grandstands”. My friend noted that we Calvinists cannot rightly say, “That was a lucky catch”. I agree. So, I jokingly told him that I would from now on say, “Wow, that providentially ordained catch sure looked lucky from my finite human perspective”. And that’s the third reason why I can enjoy watching baseball as a Calvinist. If I had a view from the grandstands—where I already knew the outcome I’m not sure that I would get the same enjoyment. In fact I’m confident that I wouldn’t—because I get less enjoyment watching a game that has already been completed. But I don’t have that type of perspective. I view baseball as it is happening. Therefore, I’m still able to enjoy watching history unfold.
Whether Calvinist or Arminian you should watch baseball and enjoy it.
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Here are a few other articles on baseball that I’ve enjoyed recently:
Our National Pastime by Kevin DeYoung
How Baseball is Like the Christian Walk by David Prince
Because of my stellar NFL picks, I know that many of you are dying to hear my 2013 MLB predictions. Wait no longer. For the next couple of weeks I will roll out my predictions for the 2013 season. I will begin with the most boring division (the NL West) and end with the only one that really matters (the AL Central). 
Our Life Group will be having a Super Bowl party this year at our house. Once again I think I will be cheering for the refs. I could care less about these two teams. Because many of you relied on my regular season picks to look like a genius I thought I’d give you my Super Bowl Picks. 
9-7 last week. I should have gotten that Lions upset over the Texans. I did pick the Browns win over the Steelers but it was more of a faux-Steelers team with no Big Ben. Not so hot on my other picks either. Lance Dunbar was only 92 yards away from 100. This is week 13 which is the last week for many fantasy football leagues. Our 20 team league has 8 teams vying for 4 open slots. I could squeak in after an abysmal start but I don’t think it is going to happen. Here are my week 13 picks:
I called the Packers and Jags being a close game but totally blew it on the Pats and Rams being close. Picked the Brownies upsetting the Chargers and the Niners blowing out the Cards. Got Titus Young right, CJ2K was somewhat shut down, Drew couldn’t hang with Peyton (missed that one), Jamaal Charles scampered for 196 yards less than 200, and Romo almost had the 4th quarter comeback. Not bad for a football idiot. My fantasy football team also improved to 3-5. This week I’m going for 10 wins:
7 Viking sacks but wrong about the Cardinals win in spite of it. No Tebow. No Eli injury. Nate Washington did have a 4th quarter TD for the win. McFadden almost had 100 yards. Arian Foster was a stud but not as studly as Chris Johnson. This week I’m feeling some upsets:
That would frustrate me to no end. I would get double digit updates every day of someone writing an article on Reds pitching or 
flank. Andrew Hawkins and Titus Young barely even showed up. And Ryan Fitzpatrick was about as big of a stud as Steve Urkel. This week I’m gunning for 10 wins.
Matt Hasselbeck looked more like Elizabeth. I was right about the Tebow chants and almost right about Brady Quinn, Brandon Weeden, and Mendenhall’s stellar return. Not horrible but also not very good. Sounds like my fantasy football team. Here is your idiot’s guide to week 6 picks.
I nearly called the Browns upset. I was right about Peyton’s bounceback game. Sproles wasn’t horrible but wasn’t a stud. But all in all I’m still an idiot and as one commenter pointed out I’m a false football prophet. So here are your bad burrito picks for week 5.
I was right in picking the Seahawks. I was right that the Pats and Cards were close (but got the winner wrong). Correct about Eli’s 4th quarter comeback, I was right about Trent Richardson and almost correct with Romo and Andrew Luck. So without further bragging here are your week 3 picks:
Brady’s nose so that has to count for something. I totally called the ineptness of Beanie Wells and Ryan Williams. But blew about everything else. So as typical you are probably best to pick the opposite of me. 