More Than The ScoreSample

After being drafted in the first round, I attended Major League spring-training camp in 1989 and put that Phillies uniform on for the first time. I can’t describe the feeling when I looked in that mirror in the locker room to see those beautiful maroon pinstripes with the Phillies’ script across my chest. I had made it! This is what I had focused on for most of my waking moments for years. My feet didn’t hit the ground for at least a week. And then, some feelings I can’t fully describe began to take hold.

There was an empty feeling as I wondered, “This can’t be all there is to it, can it?” I’d worked my entire young life to achieve this incredible goal that only a few people in the world ever get a chance to accomplish. Yet, there was this feeling that something was missing.

Then Mike Schmidt joined the spring-training camp. Mike was one of the greatest power-hitting third basemen ever to play the game. He was also an all-around great guy and team leader. When Mike walked into the clubhouse, it was like seeing a mini-god to this 22-year-old rookie. So, on our first Sunday together in camp, when Mike announced the team Chapel service would begin next door in the media room in 15 minutes, I went. 

The pastor’s message that morning captured my full attention. After he spoke, he invited the room full of ballplayers to pray with him. At that moment, it hit me; I had never asked Jesus to be my Savior.

Think for a moment: Who was your favorite coach, teacher, or mentor? What makes this person stand out in your mind? They may have taught you an invaluable lesson, come alongside you at just the right moment, or intervened in a difficult situation. That relationship didn’t just accidentally happen. There were seeds planted that made it possible for that mentor to impact your life.

I’m thankful for the people who came along in my life and made an investment in me. For some, they planted. Others watered. Of all these deep and lasting relationships that came through the game, I chose to become closest with those whose values of faith and family first aligned with mine. My playing days came and went in what seemed like a millisecond, but the relationships I made have lasted much longer.