Hometown: Holly Springs, Miss.
Born: June 25, 1982
Height/Weight: 6-2/220 lbs.
Family:
Wife – Jessica
Son – Wyatt
College:
Mississippi State University
Drafted: 8th overall by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2003
MLB Debut: Aug. 30, 2005
MLB Career:
• Pittsburgh Pirates (2005-11)
• Chicago Cubs (2012)
• Atlanta Braves (2012-Present)
“Now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.” – 1 Corinthians 13:13
This may seem hard to believe considering my current profession, but baseball wasn’t my favorite sport as a kid. Instead, that distinction went to golf. During the summers growing up in the small town of Holly Springs, Miss., my parents would drop me off at the course and I’d play all day until they picked me up.
Now, don’t get me wrong. I still played plenty of baseball, starting with T-ball up through little league and then into high school. Just like other kids, I would imagine myself playing in the majors, but it was just a dream and nothing more.
My family went to church growing up, and faith was a part of my life, but as I got older I stopped going. I still believed in God, but He wasn’t the driving force in my life. After all, things were going fine for me, right? When I got to high school, I started to attract the attention of scouts and schools interested in my pitching abilities.
You can imagine how thrilled the folks in my small Mississippi town were when I signed to play at Mississippi State.
Pitching in the SEC prepared me for my future because every weekend I was measured against the best players in the country. The demanding schedule made me better with every series, which moved me closer to those big league dreams when the Pittsburgh Pirates se-lected me with the eighth overall pick in the 2003 MLB Draft.
Around that time, big things were happening away from the diamond too. I met my future wife, Jessica, when I was a sophomore in Starkville. Through her encouragement and exam-ple, I started going to church again and getting into the Word. I believe God was working through her to help move me in His direction. Before she and I got married in 2004, I was bap-tized. From that point forward, I really believe my life became focused on living for Him.
Fast forward to Aug. 30, 2005, when I made my major league debut with the Pirates. Most players can tell you every detail about that special day in their lives, but mine was more of a whirlwind. A few days before throwing eight scoreless innings against the Milwaukee Brewers, Hurricane Katrina made landfall on the coast back home. A month prior to that, I lost my mother to her battle with cancer. Somehow, though, stepping onto the mound in late August gave me some peace amidst the emotional time I was going through away from the game. That small hill of dirt was my place of comfort where I could connect with God, using the talents He’d given me.
I would’ve liked to have won more games and experienced more success with Pittsburgh, but that time was still filled with joy for my wife and me. The people there shaped us and our faith. The team chaplain, Brad Henderson, and his wife were the two biggest influences on us. As a young married couple, we could go to them with anything, and they encouraged us and helped us know the Lord even better.
I spent eight seasons with the Pirates before signing with the Chicago Cubs in 2012. During the season I was traded to the Atlanta Braves, where I’m now in the starting rotation.
I’ve learned that the company I keep is one of the most important aspects of my walk with the Lord. We have a good group of guys here with the Braves who attend chapel, encourage one another to grow in Christ and keep one another accountable. The baseball player lifestyle has its challenges, but I’m blessed to have those guys and an amazing wife who is committed with me to keep Christ at the center of our marriage. We experienced firsthand the unconditional love of God when our son, Wyatt, was born in 2008.
My faith keeps my life in perspective. Every time I toe the rubber, I compete and try my best to win, but I know there is so much more to this life than my win-loss record and my ERA. The Lord has blessed me with a platform to share His Word and truth and be an example of a man committed to his family and to following Christ’s example here on earth.
Originally Published: July 2013
Photos courtesy of Pouya Dianat/Atlanta Braves