Last week I had the privilege of accompanying the other chaplains in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization on a trip down to sunny Bradenton, FL. Did you know that Baseball Chapel places a chaplain (basically a pastor) with every major and minor league baseball team? Pretty cool…
At the end of last summer’s season, the Pirates did an exit interview with every man on every roster. I don’t know all the questions they asked, but one of the questions dealt with the importance of faith in the lives of the players. 25% of the men in the Pirates’ ranks indicated that their faith in God was the most important thing in their lives!
The State College Spikes have had a strong group of believers each summer. In fact, every year at least one of the coaches (or managers) have been incredibly committed to Jesus! From Turner Ward to Sid Bream to Mike Steele (2 years), we’ve been blessed to have some great leadership and day-to-day encouragement from the dugout.
The Pirates have been on a lengthy stretch of losing seasons, but there’s a plan to turn things around. Kyle Stark was hired a couple of years ago as the Director of Player Development, and the changes that he’s brought to the club are beginning to take effect on the field, at least at the minor league level. This year the Pirates have hired an assistant for Stark (Brian Selman) who is tasked with helping the develop the players off the field as well.
The thinking goes like this: Better men make better teammates. Better teammates make better teams. Better teams make for a better product on the field. By investing in the lives of the men who fill the rosters at each level, the Pirates are going to be making their team better.
I’m looking forward to another season of baseball with the Spikes, and believing God for opportunities to shape the hearts of the young men who will be spending their summer in the sun here in Happy Valley. And who knows–maybe we’ll see some of the former Spikes wearing the black and gold in the Burgh some day…
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