By Abdul Masih –
With men on 2nd and 3rd base and one out in the bottom of the 9th inning, Enrique Hernandez caught an uncatchable line drive, glanced to 2nd base and threw out Addison Barger who looked stunned. The Dodgers won 3-1 on Oct. 31, forcing a 7th game for the World Series.
“Obviously, as a baseball player, your goal is to win the World Series. But I think for me, my goal is to be able to use the platform that I have to impact as many people as I can. It’s important for me as a Christian to be able to spread the word of God as much as I can,”says Dodgers switch hitter Tommy Edman.
Hernandez and Edman are two of the 10 or so Dodgers players (along with the manager) who are Christian. Of the Blue Jays, half a dozen baseballers follow Christ. On Nov. 1, the Dodgers won the World Series 5-4.
This means the World Series is NOT the Worldly Series.
Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. scribbles “Dios” (God, in Spanish) with the handle of his bat every time he steps up to the plate. When he hits a homerun, he points to God in Heaven.
Other players on the Dodgers who are Christians are Blake Treinen, Alex Call, Clayton Kershaw, Freddie Freeman, Mookie Betts, Tyler Glasnow, Teoscar Hernandez and manager Dave “Doc” Roberts.
Other players on the Blue Jays who are Christian are Addison Barger, Bo Bichette, Mason Fluharty, Tyler Heineman and George Springer. Also first base coach Mark Budzinsky is Christian.
Here are some of the more outspoken Christian Dodgers:
Kershaw The long-time pitcher (who retires this year) made his decision to follow Christ in his sophomore year of high school.
“I feel like Jesus is the only true way to Heaven,” he says. “Baseball’s a great platform, but baseball’s going to be done. I’m going to be a former baseball player a lot longer than I am a baseball player.”
At Dodger Pride night, Kershaw wrote Gen. 9:12-16 on his cap. The verse talks about how the rainbow is a promise from God to never wipe out humanity by flood again like he did in Noah’s time.
Treinen At every at-bat, the relief pitcher blares Christian music on his walk-ups.
“There’s a lot of great music out there that’s got great beats but maybe not a great message,” Treinen says. “In today’s world people want to know who we are, what we’re about. For me, God’s given me this incredible platform, this incredible gift of being able to play baseball.
“If a song pumps me up for a game and gives a great message of salvation and the power of God and what Jesus Christ did for us on the cross, then I’m going to find it,” Treinen adds. “I want to honor God with the first of everything I do. He’s the God of my success and my failures. And in my weaknesses, he’s made strong.”
“I started to have that more personal relationship with Jesus my Junior year of college. I had a couple of mentors in college that worked with Christian athletes and helped me throughout the beginning stages of my relationship with Jesus, and that was the foundation. And these past few years I’ve been working to increase my faith.”
Edman The second baseman got into his walk with Christ when played at Stanford University.
“I started to have that more personal relationship with Jesus my Junior year of college,” Edman says. “I had a couple of mentors in college that worked with Christian athletes and helped me throughout the beginning stages of my relationship with Jesus, and that was the foundation. And these past few years I’ve been working to increase my faith.”
On God, he is building his marriage to Kristen, a wedding that took place after the 2019 season ended.
“We make sure we’re praying, incorporating our Christian faith into our day-to-day activities,” he says. “Whether that’s prayer before eating, praying before bed. I think it’s so important for when we have kids too that we have faith instilled in them early so that it just becomes a part of their life before they even realize it.”
Call A life-long Christian, the right fielder says faith helps his performance on the field.
“I think that you can actually perform at your highest when you’re fully surrendered, when you’re fully present in the moment,” Call says. “I think having a relationship with Christ actually allows you to get to that place where it’s like, all right, I know I’ve done the work. Now I’m just going to give it to God.
“Jesus is my Savior,” he said during the World Series. “He’s my peace. My life would be so much different without him. I would be feeling way more stressed. Honestly, because he died on the cross, because he took care of all the things that really matter, he’s given me a place in Heaven, because of that I can have freedom to enjoy the gifts that he has poured out over me, the blessings he’s poured out over me, and truly enjoy this moment to play in the World Series.”
Freeman Born into the Salvation Army going back five generations, the first baseman and homerun hero points the praise to God when people want to praise him.
“My identity is 100%, no doubt, rooted through Christ. Baseball is just something I do,” he says. “He’s at the forefront of everything. Christ means a lot to me.”
Hernandez Characterized as a “big believer,” the Dominican post verses regularly, mostly in Spanish. He psyches himself up for the game listening to Christian tunes.
“I don’t usually do any loud music,” Hernandez says. “For me, it’s more relaxed. I listen a lot to Christian music. That’s what makes my mind and my head calm, so I can be ready for the game.”
In Game 7, Hernandez hit a sacrifice fly in the 4th inning to drive in a run to cut Toronto’s lead to 1-3.
Betts As a lifelong member of Mount Zion Nashville Church, the slugger credits God’s help in his move to short stop.
“Just for me moving to short and then praying — a lot of prayers on wanting to be a successful shortstop, especially in His image,” Betts says. “But He really just answered all the prayers. I mean, He answers everyone’s prayers as long as you have a relationship with Him, you talk to Him, you come to Him with everything, and I did and He’s definitely led me this far.”
When Betts threw to first base for the final out, on his right wrist was a “God is greater than the highs and lows” wristband.
Muncy is Mormon. He hit a solo homer in Game 7’s 8th inning to edge up 3-4 against the Blue Jays.
Here are some of the more outspoken Christian Blue Jays
Barger His Instagram profile says “follower of Jesus.” The third baseman takes God over baseball.
“Christianity means everything to me,” he says. “I come from a Christian family. That was my upbringing. To me, it’s more important than anything, and keeping my faith in Jesus. Having him every day, it’s everything. I know whether I play good or bad, I’m loved, and that’s the only thing that really matters.”
Bichette Calling himself a “believer who happens to play ball,” the short stop has on his IG bio Phil. 4:6 Don’t be anxious for anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, make your request known to God.
“I deal with anxiety, nerves and everything just like everyone else does, he says. “When you rely on yourself to get over those things, it doesn’t always work.”
“Faith is everything,” he adds. “My whole life, I’ve prayed to stay grounded through all this, through accomplishments and through failures. There’s no way that I could stay as close to who I have been my whole life without God.”
Bichette drove in a 3-run homer in the 3rd inning to put Toronto ahead in the 7th game.
Fluharty Becoming a Christian at Liberty University, the pitcher excelled in the Big Leagues.
“Jesus is the foundation that we all stand on,” the pitcher says. “One of the team pastors really put Jesus on me, that’s when I fell to my knees and found Christ. The World Series is great, but having a relationship with Jesus Christs is better. Being with Jesus is the best thing. Jesus is the foundation that we all stand on.”
Heineman The catcher came into faith early on in baseball.
“I gave my life to Christ in 2017 when I was in Triple A Colorado Springs Sky Sox. Ever since then, it’s been amazing, it’s been really difficult as well. It’s the anchor that I go to every single day. There’s nothing I’d rather have my life rooted in.:
Springer The outfielder attends Woodlands Church of Texas, where the pastor says he does daily devotionals, which he shares with teammates. His career hasn’t always been smooth sailing; Jesus helps him make it through the storms.
Dodger catcher Will Smith crushed a homer in the 11th inning to win for Los Angeles the come-from-behind World Series.
Regardless of what team they belong to, it’s good that these players are not “dodging” the call of God.
Updated Nov. 2. Related content: R.A. Dickey opens up about being abused as a child, Clayton Kershaw struck out his 3,000th batter. Sources: Wikipedia, His Huddle, God Reports, Sports Spectrum, CBN, Facebook, Instagram, others
