Baseball Faith: 52 MLB Stars Reflect on Their Faith Paperback – March 1, 2017

Got for my 12 year old son he loves it!

As baseball begins again (a sure sign of spring) we are reminded of our athletic heroes from days gone by. We also think of the current rosters and the stars they may produce. These players demonstrate their athletic abilities in each game. We can tell from their demeanor on the field what their attitudes are and how they approach daily life. Even their charitable work—visiting hospitals, appearing at fundraisers or working at their local food banks or Boys and Girls Clubs—shows us what they are willing to give back to the community. In his book, Baseball Faith, author Rob Maadi reveals another fact about these men—their faith. Not all are Hall of Famers or All-Stars, but each one has woven faith into his professional life. In the game as in life, a coach often helps to keep the player on track. For baseball players, these include the manager, trainer and skill coaches. But when they’re not on the field, whom do they (and we) turn to help us follow the rules of the game and get out of our “slumps”? Author Maadi answers this question by including the thoughts of 52 baseball players who consider God their coach and are willing to share their faith. The stories of their religious journeys are both familiar and inspiring. Each short devotion begins with a Bible verse of particular significance to the player. Beautiful photography depicts each writer in action. Following each entry written by the player are two pages of facts and stats including a longer fun fact entitled “Seventh Inning Stretch.” Readers can learn when the player entered the league, his position and the teams he played for. Some are retired, some have been both players and managers and others are still playing the game. But in all cases, these men of faith depend on God and approach Him with praise and gratitude for their talents and opportunities. Some came to their faith as children and some as adults. And there are many, just like their fans and readers, who develop their faith over and over as they mature as people and Christians. For those seeking a Father’s Day (or even Mother’s Day) gift for a baseball fan, you can’t go wrong with this book. It would also be a good addition to any church library, bible study or faith-based book club. I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review.

This reader is not a baseball fan. He does not spend summer evenings or weekends sitting in front of my 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.______________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.