Josh Lindblom - #52
Team: Los Angeles Dodgers
Hometown: Lafayette, Ind.
Born: June 15, 1987
College:
-University of Tennessee (2006)
-Purdue University (2007-08)
MLB Debut: June 1, 2011
Position: Pitcher
Bats/Throws: R/R
Notes:
-Drafted out of high school by the Houston Astros in the third round of the 2005 MLB Draft
-Drafted out of college by the Dodgers in the second round of the 2008 MLB Draft.
-Along with his wife, Aurielle, founded the Josh Lindblom Foundation to help families and children in need (joshlindblom.com)
Originally Published: July 2012
“Now to Him who is able to do above and beyond all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us—to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” – Ephesians 3:20-21
Playing professional baseball was always a dream of mine. As a kid growing up in Lafayette, Ind., I’d roll my socks up into baseballs and throw them into the couch cushions, imagining I was striking out batters in the bottom of the ninth inning during Game 7 of the World Series.
It was also in Lafayette where my faith journey began as my family and I went to church every Sunday, and I committed my life to Christ at a very young age. But as life went on, my commitment to Christ waivered from one life stage to the next. I always knew God was present in my life, but I didn’t always live my life the way I should have with Him at the center.
Throughout high school I was so caught up in baseball, being popular and trying to find my identity that I didn’t make time for God. I didn’t really see a need for anything to change, though, as my life and baseball career rolled along fine. I was drafted immediately out of high school by the Houston Astros in the third round of the 2005 MLB Draft, but I decided not to sign. Instead, I went to the University of Tennessee to play baseball. I pitched there my freshman year, and then transferred to Purdue University to be closer to home. I played there for two years, and in 2008 I was drafted in the second round by the Los Angeles Dodgers.
My family, friends and I all had high hopes that I’d make it to the big leagues right away, but God had other plans. As I began my pro career in the minors, I really struggled with my mechanics, and baseball became tough for me mentally and physically. I was literally and figuratively throwing up prayers to the plate just praying I would get a batter out.
The next year I was pitching for the Dodgers’ Triple-A team in Albuquerque, N.M., when everything changed. Midway through the season, someone placed a page of the Bible in one of my baseball cleats. The page was Hebrews 11-12 in which the author writes about heroes of faith such as Noah, Abraham and Sarah and how they endured. It also alluded to how we are all to run with endurance the race that was before us.
People always talk about the moment when they commit or recommit their lives to Christ. That was mine.
At that moment, I realized that God had been with me all along. I submitted my life—all aspects of it—to Him. I knew that my life was no longer about my ERA, strikeout total or win/loss record, but about being a follower of Christ and bringing other people to Him. To this day I don’t know who put that page of Scripture in my shoe, but it changed my life.
Several years later, I made my Major League debut, and I’ve been here ever since.
Whenever I can, I try to share the lessons I’ve learned through these challenges. Fans may see me pitching at Dodger Stadium, but they can’t see the trials I’ve overcome and how God has changed me through each one. That’s one reason I share my faith publically and try to model the character of Christ through my life. I truly want others to know that it is God at work in me.
Even though I’ve made it to The Show, both baseball and life remain a work in progress. I’m always looking for ways to improve both on and off the field, and while I know I’ll never be perfect, I still want to become more like Christ every day.
I’m truly thankful that God blessed me with the ability to throw a baseball, and I hope to always use that gift for His glory. It’s all about Him and showing what He can do through me. Just like Ephesians 3:20 says, God is “able to do above and beyond all that we ask or think…”
*Written with help from Steven Lawson of Regal Books
Photo Courtesy of Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers