© 2017 by Rob Maaddi

Print ISBN 978-1-68322-094-7

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All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION^®. NIV^®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture quotations marked NKJV are taken from the New King James Version^®.
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Cover photography: Andrew McCutchen: Icon Sportswire via AP Images; Albert Pujols: Cal Sport Media via AP Images; Clayton Kershaw: AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill; Mariano Rivera: Icon Sportswire via AP Images; Pedro Martinez: AP Photo/Michael Dwyer

Published by Shiloh Run Press, an imprint of Barbour Publishing, Inc., P.O. Box 719, Uhrichsville, Ohio 44683, www.shilohrunpress.com.

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DEDICATION

For Jesus Christ, thank You for the ultimate sacrifice, taking that cross and guiding me every minute of my life. For my twin daughters, Alexia and Melina, you will always be daddy’s little girls, and I love you more than words can adequately describe. For my loving wife, Remy, thank you for your support, encouragement, and unconditional love. For my parents, Issa and Hayat, thank you for everything. Special thanks to Diego Ettedgui and Gethin Coolbaugh for all your help on this project.

“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’”
MATTHEW 25:40

ON DECK

They hit prodigious home runs. They reach triple digits on the radar gun. They make acrobatic catches.

Some are Hall of Famers. Some are perennial All-Stars. Some are just average ballplayers living the dream in the major leagues.

They compete hard on the field and play to win. In real life, they’re all on the same team. They’re a brotherhood, a fraternity, a group of men who share a passion for Christ.

Superior talent and elite skills make them seem larger than life. However, they’re just like you and me. They have ups and downs, good days and bad days. They sometimes have struggles. They often have to overcome adversity.

Through life’s smooth and rough moments, they rely on God. There’s no greater teammate or better coach than the Lord.

Baseball Faith provides a unique and inside look at some of the greatest players in baseball history and guides you through their Christian journey.

CONTENTS

1. Chase Anderson

2. Andrew Bailey

3. Dusty Baker

4. Lance Berkman

5. Peter Bourjos

6. Matt Boyd

7. Blaine Boyer

8. Paul Byrd

9. Adam Conley

10. Chris Davis

11. Brian Dozier

12. Mike Dunn

13. Zach Eflin

14. Maikel Franco

15. Jeff Francoeur

16. Scooter Gennett

17. Kyle Gibson

18. Jeanmar Gomez

19. Chase Headley

20. Cesar Hernandez

21. Matt Holliday

22. Ender Inciarte

23. Don Kelly

24. Ian Kennedy

25. Clayton Kershaw

26. Pedro Martinez

27. Mike Matheny

28. Steven Matz

29. Andrew McCutchen

30. Daniel Murphy

31. Jimmy Nelson

32. Hector Neris

33. Aaron Nola

34. Brett Oberholtzer

35. Jimmy Paredes

36. Andy Pettitte

37. David Phelps

38. Albert Pujols

39. Neil Ramirez

40. Wilson Ramos

41. J. T. Realmuto

42. Ben Revere

43. Mariano Rivera

44. Rene Rivera

45. John Smoltz

46. Brandon Snyder

47. Joakim Soria

48. Daniel Stumpf

49. Mark Teixeira

50. Adam Wainwright

51. Adam Warren

52. Ben Zobrist

CHASE ANDERSON

You hear so much about John 3:16—“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life”—and then you read this verse and realize the Lord didn’t come to condemn us; He came to save us. People think there’s a lot of hypocrisy in Christianity, and there may be some hypocrites, but Jesus didn’t come here to be served but to serve and save us from this world because there’s something bigger for us in heaven.

I grew up going to church here and there. I wasn’t a strong Christian. But when my grandmother passed away in 2009, she left me her Bible, and some of the verses in there hit me hard. The biggest turning point for me came when my dad passed away in 2012, because we were very close. My parents divorced when I was twelve, and I lived with him. We were like peas and carrots. We did everything together—worked, played baseball. He lived vicariously through me. So when he passed away, it was a big turning point for me, and I rededicated my life as a Christian. I realized I need a Savior because I can’t do this myself.

ANDREW BAILEY

I learned this verse early on in the minor leagues at baseball chapel. It stuck with me through all the ups and downs on and off the field. My daughter was born six weeks early with some medical issues. She has a mild case of cerebral palsy, and while she was in the hospital, I trusted in the Lord and knew that, whatever happened, things would be fine. Living by that verse keeps me focused on the ultimate goal. During that rough time, reading that verse at night while she was sleeping kept me on the right path.

We’re all in our own place in our relationship with Christ. For me, it’s been a rocky road at times. There are times in life when you fall off that path, but you jump back on, and at the end of the day, He’s always there for you. He knows what you’re going to be going through before you do, and there’s always a way out of it, no matter what it is. I definitely encourage kids to find the Bible and start reading because it can change your life.

DUSTY BAKER

This verse applied in my life when I was up and down, up and down. When you rise to the top, you have to keep the faith, especially when the Lord has delivered you more than once. I’ve been up and I’ve been down with seemingly no way out, and then the Lord delivered me again. And then it happened a couple more times. It’s a hard way to go. I don’t think of myself as a righteous man as it says, but our Lord has delivered me many times in my life because of the faith I was raised with. Sometimes I would wonder why He did so because I felt so undeserving, but that’s how God is. My family started me out in the church at a very young age. If you were too sick to go to church that Sunday, you didn’t go out to play, so I was the same way with my daughter and son.

The Lord has delivered me through many trials and tribulations and given me a sense of calmness that lets me know things will always work out, and that’s what keeps me going no matter what. People always see the successes, but they don’t see the failures in your life. They don’t see the times when you were going broke, losing money, getting divorced, and thought you had hit rock bottom. The Lord gives you the sense of purpose that you have to have. There are many people out there who are faithless and feel a sense of hopelessness and despair. I’m here to tell them that if you persevere, the Lord will always come through and deliver you.

LANCE BERKMAN