The rules of baseball have been changed over the years. Each change alters the game significantly to favor pitchers or hitters. For example, today, a ball hit down the line that clears the fence in fair territory but curves foul before landing is a home run. Prior to 1920, such a hit was a foul ball! Some hitters lost home runs because of the old rule.

A bigger change occurred after 1968, the best year for pitchers in baseball history. Don Drysdale pitched six shutouts in a row, Denny McLain won 31 games, and Bob Gibson pitched 13 shutouts and recorded a 1.12 earned-run average! When the American League’s leading hitter, Carl Yastremski, hit only .301, and one of every five games was a shutout, something had to be changed. The mound was lowered from 15 to 10 inches, and the strike zone was shrunken. It became a whole new ballgame, and batting averages and home-run totals began to escalate.

Revelation 21 – Renewed

Believers in Jesus Christ will enjoy a “whole new ballgame” as circumstances are drastically altered in the eternal state! Though we don’t know many details, the current heaven and earth will pass away to make way for a new heaven and a new (or renovated) earth (Luke 21:33, Psalm 102:25-26, Hebrews 1:10-12). God will dwell with us forever in a fixed, permanent relationship. All things will be renewed in minute detail. Sin, the source of all misery, pain, and death, will never invade the new heaven and new earth. No temptation, no testing, no tears, no night, and no need to rest characterize eternity.

The Kingdom Coach and Athlete reflect God’s glory, holiness, and purity as they worship Christ through competition.