The crack of the bat, the roar of the crowd, the music of the seventh-inning stretch. Ahh, the sounds of baseball …

While lazing on my chaise lounge, with a baseball game playing in the background (Cubs, always Cubs, as I’m a Northside Chicagoan), I started thinking about how baseball has much in common with Judaism. And yes, I mean more than Sandy Koufax!

Here are five things to learn about Judaism from baseball:

1. Concentrate and Step Up to the Plate

When a player steps up to the plate, he must have total concentration. He pays attention to every detail from the moment he starts to swing his bat to his follow-through after he makes contact with the ball.

Like the batter, when we perform a mitzvah, we must concentrate and do it with intention (kavana). Pay attention to the details of the mitzvah, and how you can do it best. It’s those details that make the difference between hitting a home run and striking out.

But batters don’t always hit home runs. Sometimes, they just get a base hit. And that’s good, too. The same goes for mitzvot. Sometimes, your mind wanders or you rush through it just to get it done. Does that mean you shouldn’t even go to the plate? No, your job is to get up there and swing your bat, every time it’s your turn.

Not every hit is a homer, but every hit counts.

2. Defense Matters

Baseball is not just about hitting the ball. If your team scores 10 runs and your opponents score 11, you lose the game. You have to play defense and stop the other team from scoring. Good players stay in top condition to be able to run quickly and jump high in the air to do this.

Every day, we’re out on the playing field of life, and the yetzer hara appears like that ball. It can take the form of a little voice in our head or a little itch. Like an outfielder, we must position ourselves to stop it before it scores.

Offense and defense are both essential.

3. Keep Working on Improving

Every baseball player knows the rule “three strikes and you’re out!” He knows where the foul ball lines are. A good player continues to learn throughout his career, working on his weak points and bolstering his strong ones.

And what is the rulebook for Judaism? The Torah, of course! We start learning the rules from the time we’re young. We study the “pros”—the sages and great commentators. Our parents, teachers and rabbis act as coaches and umpires as we hone our skills and graduate to the “Major Leagues” of adulthood.

Like players who continue to work with coaches to keep themselves in top condition throughout their careers, we continue learning Torah to keep our souls in top condition throughout our lives.

4. Baseball Is a Team Sport

A baseball team is a collection of individuals, with individual talents, working together. Even the best player can’t guarantee a win all by himself. After all, if the pitcher throws only balls and no strikes, it doesn’t matter how strong the center fielder is. A player may choose to make the All-Stars his personal goal, but he knows his ultimate mission is to help his team win the World Series.

Judaism, like baseball, is a balance between individual performance and team results. We are unique individuals, bringing our unique talents to the world. We want to excel as individuals. But we are also part of “Team Universe.” Our successes and failures impact all members, and our collective goal is to create a redeemed world.

5. Be a Player!

There is a famous baseball story about the Rebbe. Back in 1955, he was talking to a young boy and asked him whether he was a baseball fan. The boy replied that he was a Dodgers fan and had gone with his father to see them play not long before.

“How was the game?” asked the Rebbe. The boy replied that he and his father had left before the game ended because the Dodgers were losing.

“Did the players leave the game when you left?” asked the Rebbe. The boy answered that while the fans could leave at any time, the players had to continue playing until the game ended.

The Rebbe then said, “That’s the lesson I want to teach you in Judaism. You can either be a fan or a player. Be a player.”

So perhaps the most important point is that we must not sit on the bench.

Get out there and swing the bat. Be a player! The team is waiting!