Baseball Faith - A Review

Baseball Faith

by

Rob Maaddi

A Review

This reader is not a baseball fan. He does not spend summer evenings or weekends sitting in front of a TV set watching baseball games. Having said that, he does own season seats to seats for the local Triple-A team right behind home plate. He enjoys the sound of the crowd, the taste of a diet soda in a giant cup, and the smell of an occasional food item from the venders stationed beneath the stadium.

That was enough to catch the interest of this reviewer for “Baseball Faith” by Rob Maaddi. Well, that and this reviewer’s own faith.  

And that is what this book is about - a look at the faith of 52 major league players. The entries are a simple four pages each: a full-page picture, a one-page testimony, a page summarizing the player’s career, and a page highlighting significant stats from their career. But with that the reader becomes aware that God is alive and well on the ball diamond, though it may not be obvious during the nine innings of play.

Not being a fan of MLB baseball, most of the names pass me by like a ball goes wide of the batter, but that does not make their stories any less intriguing. Their stats provide the justification for including them in this collection. We hear in their own words how and where they came to a point of believing in Jesus; and we begin to understand how their faith influences their game, both on and off the field. As they share, they also set an example for those of us who play on some field other than a ball diamond - whether it be in an office, a factory floor, or a classroom, etc. It is this modeling which gives this book its real value to this reader. This is a book that can be shared from mentor to mentee, from the little league coach to the young player, or from father to son.

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This review is based on a free electronic copy provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review.  The opinions expressed are my own.