2006 julyaugust by Sports Spectrum

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No unsof/c/led manuscripts, please E-mail: editor@sportsspectrum.com Mall: Managing Editor, Sports Spectrum, 3000 Krait SE, Grand Rapids, Ml49512 Permissions, Reprints Contact: Sports Spectrum permissions Fax: 1·704·821·2669 E-mail: permlssions@sportsspectrum.com COVER PHOTO: Tom DiPace INSET PHOTOS (clockwise from top right): Courtesy: Luis Palau AssocI Photo: Yoon Sol; Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images; Chris McGrath I Getty Images; Soo« Halleran I Getty Images; Victor Oecolongon I Getty Images Volume 20, Number 5 July-August 2006 SPORTS SPECTRUM MAGAZINE A product of Sports Spectrum PublishinQ,Inc:. PUBLISHER Robert B. Walker publisher@sportsspectrum.com MANAGING EDITOR Dave Branon edilor@sportsspeCliUIII.com

ART DIRECTOR Steve Gier graphics@sportsspectrum.com GRAPHIC ARTIST Laurie Nelson DIRECTOR of ADVERTISING Jocelyn Godfrey MARKETING DIRECTOR Kelly Moore marketing@sportsspectrum.com CREATIVE DIRECTOR Alex Warner alex. warner@sportsspectrum.com AOMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Debbie Miller CONTROLLER Sharon Wade WEBMASTER Steve Colthorp webmaster@sportsspeclrum.com CHAPLAIN Steve Jirgal Spons magazine seeks to highrOOht 1 Christian athletes ol all spons and levels to help motiVate, encourage, and 11 their through the exciting and chal1enoinQ wor1d ol sports. Printed In USA CWyriQhl 0 2006 by Sports Spectrum Publishing, Inc. Bible quotations, otherwise noted, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAl VERSION. Copyright 0 1973, t978, 1984, 1ntematiooal Bible Socle1y. US<d by permission ol Zoodervan Bible Publishers.

SPORTS SPECTRUM (USPS t 023·364) is produced o;mes ayear by Sports Spectrum Publ;shing, Inc:.. 1 105 Co<porate Boulevard, 2, Trail, 1 NC 28079. Periodicals postage paid at Indian Trait, I NC, and addotiooal offices. POSTMASTER: : Send address changes to SPORTS SPECTRUM, 1 PO Box 2037, Trail, NC 28079·2037. 1

Full Nelson

Soccer hasn't turned out exactly how Nelson Akwari expected, but life is working out very well anyway BY JEFF ARNOLD

Aiming High Sure Ben Crane wants to continue his PGA success, but it's not because of a desire for riches or fame-it's about higher goalS BY ART STRICKLIN

2 G

Fresh Air He's been called the "Michael Jordan of Skateboarding," but Christian Hosoi's air-time meant nothing but trouble till a prison term woke him up to life's realities BY MICAH MCDANIEL

Cardinal Truths Small-town guy Braden Looper is happy to be back in St. Louis with the team with whom he began his major league career BY DAVID AUSTIN

34 Saving Grace

He just may be the best closer ever, but the saves Mariano Rivera gets on the mound are part of a plan to get more important saves in the lives of others BY BOB BELLONE

.,Down Under,. Achiever From Queensland to Pepperdine to the LPGA Tour, Katherine Hull has been motivated by doing something she feels God prepared her to do BY JENNA SAMPSON

---------------------------------------- ----------------------42 Grand Vision Down in the Grand Bahamas, Omeko Glinton has discovered that even bonefishing can be used for higher purposes than just rec reation BY CHRISTIE PETTIT

. . . . Power Up! pull-out devotional guide. l The Sports Spectrum athlete contributor for this edition is Teri McDonald-Cadleux.

departments 4

Focal Point With Aaron Baddeley

Countdown It's all about the numbers

Up Close Q & A with Cindy Klassen

Lee"d Story Sports commentary about " getting it" spiritually BYVICTOR LEE

SS Radio Replay One-on-one with Darrell Waltrip WITH BILL HOUSTON

'I 0

Up Next Stephen Drew, Mishael Abbott, Lance Broadway, Luke Braddock BY JIMGIBBs

'I 3

Staying Well BY TRISH BEARDEN

'I 4

The Biz BY DALE GIBSON

'I 5

Training Table BY MIKE SANDLIN

'I 6

Body Language BY DEMIAN GUTIERREZ

'I 7

Pro and Con BY TED KLUCK AND ALLEN PALMERI ...

The Big Picture-Christian Hosoi

Straight Talk-with Scott Linebrink

SPORTS SPECTRU M - JULY-AUGUST 2006

REAL LIFE Six things you didn't know about Brandon Webb, pitdun; AJ·izona Diamondbacks. (IYITH HELP FROM JOSH COOLEY.) 0 Favorite Bible passage: "Psalm 100. I was proba! bly 6 or 7 years old, and we'd sing hymns in [the church] choir. The preacher came over and said, 'Does anybody here know Psalm 100?' I rattled it off, and people were like, 'Wow, man:" 8 Most troublesome opponent: "Over the last 3 years, two of them were both with the Giants, J. T. Snow and Ray Durham. Both of those guys have been the most consistent, for sure. They're both left-handed hitters. They're both low-ball hitters. Both will take it the other way. They stay on the ball well. They have caused me a lot of trouble."

0 Most rewarding church activity: "Right now, we're doing stuff with Hope's Place in Ashland, Kentucky. We help out with sexually abused children. It's pretty unbelievable how many kids go through that." 0 Favorite spiritual build-u p activity: "Before I go outnobody's in the locker room and everyone's at batting practice, I pray. I'll go through a couple sections of the Bible. Nothing special- just read a few chapters or verses. There's a lot of time to kill, so that definitely helps out, and it's a productive way to get rid of the time." 9 Christian accountability partner: "Russ [Ortiz] more than anybody I've ever seen. Two years ago, (pitcher] Steve Sparks played with us. He was very good. Russ Ortiz and [first baseman] Tony Clark- t hey're always there. They're not scared to openly tell you t hey're there for any questions or help if you're struggling . They coordinated with our whole group of [chapel] guys on the team. They're on top of it." 0 Keeping your life-focus off money (4 years; $19.5 million): "I don't think [about t he fact that] I'm going to have tons of money. I'm just going to live my life like I have been. I'm still going to be the same person. I'm just going to be able to provide for my family more now-and for good causes. My wife [Alicia] and I love to donate."

Four Christian track and field stars who hold or share world records in their event. ASAFA POWELL, Jamaica, lOOm dash JONATHAN EDWARDS, Great Britain, triple jump 0 LEROY BURRELL, United States, 4 x 100;

4 X 200 0 JACKIE JOYNER-

KERSEE, United States, heptathlon

M OVING TO THE PROS Three Christian bashetba/1 players who were selected in ...... the first two rounds of the UWBA draft. SOPHIA YOUNG, Baylor; San Antonio Silver Stars SHERILL BAKER, Georgia; New York Liberty 0 SHANNA ZOLMAN, Tennessee; San Antonio Silver Stars 0

STICIUNG TO IT

•llllil•

Five Christian baseball players who have played for just one major league team for 12 years or more. 0 John Smoltz, Braves, 18 years 8 Tim Salmon, Angels, 15 years 0 Garret Anderson, Angels, 15 yrs. 0 Mike Sweeney, Royals, 12 yrs. 9 Mariano Rivera, Yankees, 12 yrs.

Up Close • THE LORD'S DAY Two Christian golfers who captured PGA toumaments on Easter Sunday. 0 BERNHARD LANGER, 1993, The Masters 8 AARON BADDELEY, 2006 Verizon Heritage 1' Easy being green. Fred Couples helps Langer with the Green Jacket at the 1993 Masters. (Right) Aaron Baddeley on the 14th hole of the final round.

Lorilee Craker

• In February, Cindy Klassen stole the show at the Winter Olympics in Torino, Italy, by winning five medals for Canada in speed skating. Here's your chance to get to know Cindy a little better. We asked Lorilee Craker, who writes for Sports Spectrum and who was at one time Cindy's Sunday school teacher in Winnipeg, Canada, to help you find out a little more about Canada's most successful Olympian.

! Lorilee: We heard about how your high school and home church made up prayer cards for you during the Olym pics. How do you

i think those prayers most affected your time in Tori no? Cindy: I thi nk that people were praying for my safety and that I would keep God close to my heart. The prayers helped to keep me grounded during the Games and reminded me that I was skating for God fi rst.

Lorilee: How do your family and friends keep you grounded? Cindy: I know that my family and friends accept me for who I am and not because of what I've accomplished. We hardly ta lk about things like results, and I know that if I ever got carried away, they would confront me on it because they care.

THE QUEST One question you may have wondered about. "What are the toughest challenges Christian athletes f ace while being Ch1'ist{ollowers in a non-Christian environment?" " I here are two stereotypes that I find challenging

to overcome. First, I'm not sure why, but people assume that Christians are 'soft'- that they don't play hard. I guess going in hard to brea k up a double play isn't exactly what they picture when they think of 'turni ng the other cheek: Second, they think we're unapproachable- that Christians don't like to hang around with non-believers. I guess some Christian players choose to live 'safe' rather than expose themselves to temptation, so they isolate themselves. It's a challenge to find common areas of interest with non-believers, but it's well worth it when you do." - MATT DIAZ, OUTFIEL DER, ATLANTA BRAV ES

Lorilee: You had a terri ble injury a couple of years ago. How did you overcome tha t mentally as well as physically? Cindy: It was the best thing that ever happened to me. I got to spend more time with my family and friends and with God too. It helped to build more perspective, and when I got back to the ice I was hungry to com pete again. Lorilee: What was it like sharing the podi um with Clara Hughes, your teammate and fellow Winnipegger? Cindy: It was a very special mome nt, especially when we sang the Canadian anthem together. We were so pro ud to represe nt Ca nada! And it always has extra mea ning when you are on the podiu m with a fellow Canadian speed skater. Lorilee: You are indisputably Canada's sweetheart these days! How have you or how do you plan to use your platform to share your faith? Cindy: I'm a shy person, but when the opportunity presents itself, I will talk about my faith. I was excited to see how much the media recognized my faith, and that it was n't hidden from the public.

1. May 16: Diaz singles to knock In winning run in t he 11th against the Marlins.

WE B SITE: www.Spor t sSpec t r um. com

Lorilee: People notice your humility and gentle spirit, such a contrast to some of the more arrogant, in-your-face athletes who com peted at Torino. How do you maintai n that humble nature in the wake of such amazi ng success? Cindy: I'm just so grateful to be given this opportunity to skate. I can't be arroga nt about what I've done because it was all a gift from God, and I need to make sure that I use it to the best of my ability. SPOR TS SPEC TRUM - JU LY·AUGUST 2006

Lee'd

•

Victor Lee

What Does It Mean To Win? • Five of my sports-writing colleagues were driving together from San Diego to Los Angeles to cover a Padres-Dodgers series many years ago. They made the mistake of putting the two goofiest ones in the front-the most disoriented as the navigator, the second-most as driver. They made it to the LA area fine-it's a straight shot up I-5-but quickly became confused. The navigator broke out the map and began to calculate and direct. An hour or so after entering the LA area, and with the time for them to be at the ballpark fast arriving, the trio in the back became frustrated. The one in the center back finally yelled, "Give me that map!" and grabbed ney-day after day, week after it. Glaring at the colorful interweek, year after year. section of lines, the man became "Your journey is the important even more irate and yelled, "No thing. A score, a trophy, a ribbon wonder we're lost- this is a map is simply the inn. Thus, there are of San Diego!" many, many games that gave me You can't get to Dodger Staas much pleasure as any of the dium with a map of San Diego. ten national championship games I suggest you can't become a we won, simply because we prewinner with the world's map of pared fully and played near our winning. highest level of ability. Is there a road map to winning? "The so-called importance of a Is it a trophy case, a hall of particular game didn't necessarily fame, a podium? Does a win-loss add to the satisfaction I felt in record define it? Or a letter preparing for the contest. It was the journey I prized above all." jacket with every square inch covered? What does it say about So, we must define victory "winning" when we win, put the before we can attain it. trophy in the living room, and To define winning, I suggest still feel empty? we go to the Word of God. In Our culture says winning is Luke 18:18-29 we find a young everything. The iconic picture of man who had the look of a Michael Jordan crying passionate- winner. The Rich Young Rulerly as he grasps the NBA champilet's call him Rich for short-was onship trophy suggests that he probably respected because of has found the Holy Grail. Hey, · his position. Rich was on to Jesus I'd love one of those trophies too, Christ. Being the winner he was, but what good will it do me in Rich wanted a meeting with the a year or two? Am I a "winner" main Man. He wanted to win just because I have one? at life, and he knew Jesus had Is "winning" an event, a singu- something to do with that. His lar act. or a lifestyle of traits and dialogue with Jesus ended with attitudes that result in some sucan unexpected shock that gives cesses-but is not defined by us insight into what it means to those successes or lack thereof? be a real winner. John Wooden, who won ten First, look at some lessons from national championships the oldRich's story that reveal what winfashioned way, quoted Cervantes ning is not. Rich asked Jesus as saying, "The journey is better what he must do to have eternal than the inn." Wooden added, life, and after hearing a list of "He is right, and that is why I earthly tasks, Rich proclaimed his derived my greatest satisfaction success, only to be told by Jesus, out of the preparation-the jour- "You still lack one thing" (v.22). 8

SPORTS SPECTRUM - JULY·A UGUST 2006

Winning is not merely worshiping Jesus. You may think this one is crossing the line. Surely you can't worship someone you don't know, right? When Mark McGwire was en route to the singleseason home run record, I was in Atlanta for a Cardinals game. Long before game time, a group of fans stood down the third base line calling his name. I walked with McGwire down the line as he went to the outfield seats to sign autographs. I was amazed at .a. Pointers. Coaching legend John Wooden the scene when he points out the finer aspects of the game to arrived. About 40 his Bruins during a time out. (Bottom) Mark McGwire points to his father after tying Roger fans were pushing Maris' single-season home run record in 1998. and shoving each other to get to Winning at life is not merely Mark. They wore McGwire hats acknowledging Jesus' identity. and shirts and carried McGwire bats. Men pushed children out of Rich called Jesus "good teacher." the way to get to the front of the Clearly, Rich recognized Jesus as line. Clearly, this group of people someone very important. is worshiped Mark McGwire! vital. but insufficient. Satan fully But I guarantee you this: recognizes Jesus (James 2:19). None of those people knew Mark This is a necessary starting point, McGwire. but it is not faith or relationship. You can worship what you Winning at life is not merely don't know. Many in church do following after Jesus. The Bible it each Sunday. Many sports fans says Rich "ran up" to Jesus do it daily. (Mark 10:17). He went where Jesus was. He was intrigued by Winning at life is not merely Him. Many people today are being a good person. Rich was intrigued by Jesus-curious about a great guy! Jesus tested him Him. Many are "religious" and go on the commandments, and Rich to His house. Many chase after got 100 percent. Aced it. So he Him only when they need somewins, right? No. There are plenty thing. In Jesus' day, many people of "good people" by the world's didn't necessarily want to sell out standards who won't have eternal to Him; they just thought He was life in heaven. putting on a good show! Some So what does this guy have to still want to see a show. do to get in? Or does he really WilliAM GREENet.An

Q,._,.U.IA LIAISON

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AUGUST 30 "Then jesus said to her. 'Your sins are forgiven.' · LUKE 7:48

* Action Paints

A VERY Blli SIN

August 30 • Get Serious: Is there sexual sin in your life you need to confess to God7 Wouldn't it be good to do that right now and receive the renewal of God's forgiveness? • Go Deep: Check out The Forgiveness of God at www.discoveryseries.org/q0602.

• Sania Mirza is making history. The up·and·coming 19·year·old is the first tennh player from the country of India to break into the Top 50 WTA rankings. Sh also became the first tennis player from India to win a WTA tournament when sh1 won the Hyderabad Open in February of 2005. Mirza. a devout Muslim. has caught some flack from orthodox Muslims for wha she wears on the tennis court. But it was something she said off the court aboJ A"Cust 31 • Get Serious: Spend a few safe sex that really drew their criticism. Some from the Muslim commun ity believ, t DO yth' ? Rich cogmoments examining your own life. Ask yourher remarks about safe sex at a leadership summit in New Delhi advocated se{e 0 an mg ·ft H're self. "What am I pursuing in this life to make before marriage. es Jesus, follows a er 1m, me happylcomfortable!fee/ significant?" Then In her defense. Mirza made the following statement: "I would like to clearly say orships Him, and is a fine guy. read Ecclesiastes 12:9-14 to gain a biblical record that I could not possibly justify premarital sex. as it is a very big sin in lslanat else does Jesus want? perspective. • Go Deep: Read Ecclesiastes and one which I believe will not be forgiven by lie wants Rich:. The essence of 2: 17-21 and 12:9·14. . Th1s ns1ng tenn1s player has.. It part!y nght. Sex before marriage is a "veqh, He wants Rich's riches, not Its not necessa nly any mor: wrong than any other transgression. but it ilause it's money but because it b1g because rt can have far-reachmg consequences. · . . . . While Allah. at least according to the teachings of Islam. may not forgive some'vho !S. Jesus said to Rich, one who has crossed the line of sex before marriage. jesus can and will. The storjle thmg you lack·· ·Go, sell of the woman caught in adultery shows the heart of Jesus toward those involvedrything you have . .. and you in sexual sin (JOHN 8:1-11). l have treasure in heaven" jesus' desire isn't to condemn those caught up in sexual sin. It is to forgive 10:21). renew. If you are there. have you asked for His forgiveness of this "very big sin"? -jEFF OLSolltning is self-surrender. Fast Fact: 5ania Mirza began playing tennis at the age of 6. (ritually, that is how we receive . . . . . tee and power. In the eternal AUGUST 31 All hts days hts work ts pam and grief. .. . This too is meaningless· ECC 2·23 d · 't l ·nnl'ng ·s · ·· spm ua sense, Wl 1 NOT ENOUGH 'ling salvation, which comes • Mike Davis had one of the top coaching jobs in the country. For 6 years. Davis was:>ut as a result of a life the leader of Indiana University men's basketball team. Few NCAA schools have:hange: Jesus gave His for us, the rich tradition of Hoosiers basketball. Fewer still have such high expectations. d we lay down ours for His use. Davis. who took over th_e program immediately following the dismissal of ultra1 don't "earn" salvation, but popular head coach Bob Kn1ght 1n 2000. led lnd1ana to the 2002 NCAA Gd ks out from us Power Up! is published by the game. He guided the Hoosiers to a 115·79 record during his tenure. Yet it wasn't enough en wor . creators of Sports Spectrum magazine On February 15, 2006. Davis resigned as Indiana's basketball coach. (He concluded He m us- eternal and is designed to help its readers remainder of the season and coached the Hoosiers in the NCAA tournament.) e and H1s Spmt-what results understand the gospel of jesus Christ and Tamilya Davis told the Associated Press. "I think my husband's had enough ota surrendered life. the li melight." grow in their faith in Him. ·······----------------------------------------------prestige. The money. The attention. All the perks and accolades that come d th' h t d Managing Editor: Dave Branon lnd1ana basetball was not enough to sustain Mike Davis. a strong Christian who ?es . IS ave do 0lir Graphic Design: Steve Gier th Wlnmng m day-to- ay 1e.1 --------------------------------·--------------------- that there is so much more to life. Contributing Writers: In Ecclesiastes. another man found similar realities in life's pursuits. Riches, pleasure,erything. Winning is selfRob Bentz, freelance writer power-the teacher of Ecclesiastes declared them all meaningless. What does man gairy:riftce. Winning is thinking Dan Deal, radio producer. RBC Ministries; from hard work. from the pursuit of riches. or from the chasing after knowledge? Theothers. On the court, winning Tom Felten, Web Content Manager; RBC Ministries: teacher writes that nothing was worthy of man's time and energy apart from a life withdistributing the ball playing Molly Gretzinger, freelance writer: a healthy fear of Ciod and a yearning to honor Him by following His h · ttit de Tim Gustafson, managing editor. Our Daily Bread; Seeking all that the world has to offer is simply not enough to sustain. Only a ense, . avmg a grea a u ' Brian Hettinga, host. producer. Discover the Word; ,couragmg your teammate, relationship with God can do that. Jeff Hopper, editor links Letter; -Ros BfNd.anging positions for the good of Jeff Olson, Biblical Counseling. RBC Ministries: Fast Fact: Mike Davis became coach at the University of Alabama-Birmingham on April z 20061e team, having a great attitude Roxanne Robbins, freelance writer: - - - - - - - - - -- - - -- - - - - - - ------hile you wait your turn to play. George McGovern, Chaplain. NY Yankees: Teri MacDonald·Cadieux, racecar driuer Winning is a lifestyle, the ------------------------------------------------------sence of the person, not a Weekend articles: ore, a trophy, or a Hall of Fame. Brian Adams, minor league pitcher: Darren Adams, freelance writer; inning is living as Jesus lived, Kelly Moore, marketing director. Sports Spectrum ld living for Jesus, and that Alex Warner, creatiue director. Sports Spectrum lates to every aspect of life. -----------------------------------------------------For more from Sports Spectrum. go to You become a winner in life www.SportsSpectrum.com 1 trusting Jesus as Savior-and -------------------··································· \en letting Him be Lord of your To subscribe to Sports Spectrum and fe. Then when you meet Him Power Up! ca11 1-866-821-2971 1 eternity, you1l have plenty of ophies-not for yourself but to •Y at His feet. 0

sportswriter Victor Lee lives Knoxville, Tennessee. Comment on is article at victor/ee@victorlee.org.

! 'J---1-

- --

ss Radio Replaij SpuCs

With Bill Houston

Radio Goes Gae-oa·Oao with Da.ftll 'WaiCRp

Darrell Waltrip has made the transition from behind the wheel to behind the microphone seem like a Sunday drive. The 83-time NASCAR champ has developed a following as the "Boogity" man with the interesting perspective and knowledgeable voice of racing coverage on television. Bill: Talking NASCAR with Darrell Waltrip. It's such a pleasure. Thanks for being with us. Darrell: It's exciting for me to be a part of your show. I've heard it a few times. Y'all do a great job, and I'm glad you're interested in what we do. Bill: We appreciate you and your wife Stevie. You guys have meant a lot to us. Tell us about the transition from being a driver to being an analyst. Darrell: You come to a point in your career when you're just not getting the results that you know you've gotten in the past. I was in my late 40s when I was still driving and everybody was saying, "Hey, you've done everything you can do. You've won aU these races. You've won aU these championships. Why do you keep doing it?" And I don't think people have any concept of the love and passion we have for our sport. But it's also a routine. It's what I've done-from the time I was 12 years old. Every Sunday I got up and went to the racetrack. So, it's hard to cut it off cold turkey, stop doing that and say, "Okay, I'm not gonna do that anymore." It's really difficult to give that up.

1arried. eally a 'ar as 11ywork jid have was very 19 me to :. Also, Nere l a lot of )ed me MUSIC

BILL HOUSTON talked with DARRELL WALTRIP on Sports Spectrum Radio. You can hear Sports Spectrum across the United States on Saturday at noon Eastern time. Go to www.sportsspec· trum.com for a list of stations that carry the program.

Bill: Was there ever a time when you thought. "You know, this is all I have known. Maybe there's something else I would like to do, but I'm not sure what that would be." Darrell: I think the successful athletes, the ones you and I know- ! don't think that's ever a consideration. I think there are sidebars in our life. I think there are things that we enjoy, but I don't think there's anything that we even consider other than what we've done our whole lives, as far as an occupation. As you grow older you start to think more about your family. Or you think more about your faith. Or you think more about your future. Bill: Darrell, how important was your faith to your success on the track and everything you were about as a driver?

- -- - - - - - - { , RTS SP EC TRUM ON THE WEB : www.Spor t sSpec t r um.com

Darrell: God gave me an incredible platform. He gave me a platform of racing. And I viewed that platform as mine. At some point in time I started to realize-God put me here for a reason. He put me here to spread the gospel, to do what He called me to do. I was pretty fortunate to have gotten it, and I've responded accordingly. I've gone out to do things. I'm Chairman of the Board of Motor Racing Outreach. Stevie and I helped create MRO, and this is the first time I've been the Chairman of the Board in 20 years, so it's pretty exciting. I have a Bible study in my home every Tuesday morning. I have for 20 years. So God gives a lot of opportunities. You've just got to realize that He gave them to you, and you didn't do it yourself.

s got ; 9 or 10 I was 12

Bill: What do you think of the changes in the Nextel Cup series with the Chase for the Cup? Darrell: I'm not a big fan of it. I won my championships and aU of those before me and after me-we've had to run 36 races. You're a champion based on the entire season, not just 10 races. The other thing I'm not a big fan of is that there's just not enough premium put on winning. Theoretically, some guy that has never won a race the whole year long could end up winning the championship. And I just think that's wrong. T FOX-T V:

Mike Joy, Larry McReynolds, & DW.

get ut of the went while Christ rd for (ings

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SPORTS S PEC TRUM - J ULY · AUGU S T 2006

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Up Next • Written and Compiled bq Jim Gibbs

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STEPHEN DREW: Band of Brothers • Tradition tells us that it's not unprecedented for brothers to share time in the major leagues. The Alou brothers. The DiMaggios. Tommie and Hank Aaron. And, of course, the Ripkens. More recently, the Boone brothers excelled. And the Molina boys have made their parents proud. And in the last several years, the Drew family has gotten into the act-putting three players with major league organizations as J. D., Tim, and now Stephen are all affiliated with teams in the National League West. J. D. Drew is in Los Angeles with the Dodgers. Tim Drew is trying to work his way back to the majors while on rehab assignment with minor league teams in the Colorado Rockies organization. And now Stephen Drew, a sure-handed infielder who left Florida State University after his junior year to sign with the Arizona Diamondbacks, seems to be on the fast track to get a shot at the major leagues. "When we were all growing up, there was a lot of competition between us," Stephen says. "But now that we're all trying to get into or stay in the big leagues, we aUjust root for each other." Stephen was the top draft pick of the D-Backs after his junior year in 2004, the 15th player taken in the first round of the draft. But when "" Good s tart. Through 51 games In Tucson: .310, 9 HR, 31 RBI.

contract negotiations stalled, he found himself sitting out for an entire season. "I held out for a whole year we couldn't agree on a contract," he says. "But in the end it aU worked out fine, and after taking that year off, I was assigned to the Arizona Fall League in 2005."

By April of 2006, Stephen was playing with the Tucson Sidewinders, the Diamondbacks' Triple A team. Through the first 24 games of the season, he was batting .340 with six homers and five doubles. By this summer, he could be in a Diamondbacks uniform. "When you have brothers that have played in the big leagues before you, the comparisons are

inevitable," he says. "J.D. had an unbelievable college career and only spent 4 months in the minors before he was called up. Will I get called up this summer? Well, that would be great, and I would love that. But I'm Racecar driver. Indianapolis, Indiana. Age 25. happy playing here in Tucson right now, and • One of the top up-andi God has me here for a coming young drivers. Has 1 reason. So I want to actually qualified for 1 1 respect that and the Indianapolis 500 but lacked respect God's sponsorship. timetable. If and First female to when I make it to compete in the big leagues is MIPS event at all up to God." Homestead-Miami, "I really try to be as finishing in eighth place. Competed at Indianapolis godly as I can around Motor Speedway on both oval my teammates, because and road courses in MIPS. I know that they are . HIGHLIGHTS: "All of last sea-"' always watching," he son was a highlight. To drivel says. "And when the an Indy car in the Indy pro series race. Race on the I# opportunity is right, I1l oval and the road course at talk to someone about Indy race." Christianity. In this day TOP VERSE: Philippians 4:13 and age, I see a lot of HER STORY: "I was exposed people who call themto Christianity at a very selves Christians but they young age. I've been a Christian most of my life, but' are not doing the things I had an experience when I Christians should be was 18 that literally changed doing. Their language or my life. A friend of mine had their lifestyle just doesn't leukemia and was very sick reflect it. And I just never for a long time. And there was one point where we want that to be the case with me, because it really thought we lost him and he came back and he said, 'I puts Christianity and the saw Grandpa, and I'm going cause of Christ in a bad to be okay.' He died later that light." C) day. He was 20 and I'll never -JIM GIBBS

forget that."

TO SU BSCR I BE T O SPO RTS S PEC TR UM : CA L L 1· 866·821·2971

KEY INGREDIENTS:"I read my Bible every day, and that really helps me stay strong. I also go to chapel every week when we race." GOALS: "Right now I'm really working hard on my goal to race cars in the Indy 500." FAVORITE CHILL ACTIVITY: "I love to go to the beach and read." LIFE'S TOUGHEST MOMENT: "I had both the high and the low of my career in the same season. I got to drive on both Indy tracks, but unfortunately I didn't secure enough sponsorship money to actually compete in the Indy 500." SPORTS HERO AND WHY: "I have two. AI Unser Jr.1don't know why exactly! had posters of him all over my room and loved him. Greg Moore is another one of my heroes. He was an incredible racer. He never forgot where he came from. Unfortunately, he was killed in a racing accident at California Speedway in 1999." FAVORITE CHRISTIAN MUSIC GROUP: MercyMe.

LANCE BROADWAY

Baseball. Right-handed pitcher. Birmingham Barons (Class AA, Chicago White Sox.} Mansfield, Texas. Age 22. â&#x20AC;˘ Entered second year of pro

ball this season after attending school at Dallas Baptist University and Texas Christian University. Drafted by the Chicago White Sox in the first round in 2005 (1 5th overall). Went 1-3, 4.58 ERA last year -. in Winston-Salem. Was a consensus first team All-American going 15-1, 1.62 ERA last year i for TCU. Entered this season as the No. 9 prospect in the White Sox' organization. i Attended big league camp as a non-roster invitee. HIGHLIGHTS: "Throwing nohitters in my first two starts at Dallas Baptist University." TOPVERSE: Proverbs 3:5 HIS STORY: "I became a Christian when I was 11 years old, and I was baptized- but I think my real spiritual growth came during the summer after my freshman year at Dallas Baptist University. I spent the entire summer playing baseball in Alaska with Athletes in Action, and it was great being around such strong Christians who really knew the Lord. That year I think I really understood what being a follower of Christ meant." KEY INGREDIENTS: "My mom is really great about reminding me where I came from and keeping me strong. I also remember how wild I used to be in high school and how unproductive

those years were and what a waste that was. I just never want to go back to that old life." GOALS: "Hopefully I'll be in the big leagues in a few years. That's always been my dream." FAVORITE CHILL ACTMTY: "I like to read and go to the movies. I used to like to hunt and fish, but I don't get to do that as much as I used to." LIFE'STOUGHEST MOMENT: "During my senior year in high school, I got mono really bad in December and I lost about

15 pounds, and I had no arm strength at all. It really affected my senior year too. I only threw about 14 innings and had a 1-2 record and my ERA was really high. So no schools were even interested in me. Fortunately, some coaches at Dallas Baptist University saw me play in a summer league and took a chance on me. Otherwise, I probably wouldn't be playing baseball right now." SPORTS HERO AND WHY: "My dad got me started pitching, and so he's really my sports

hero. But my parents got divorced when I was 9 or 10 years old, and when I was 12 or 13, my mom re-married. My stepfather was really a great help to me as far as helping me develop my work ethic. He saw that I did have some ability, and he was very instrumental in helping me to get the most out of it. Also, my coaches at DBU were great. So I really have a lot of heroes who have helped me out along the way." FAVORITE CHRISTIAN MUSIC GROUP: Third Day.

LUKE BRADDOCK

about, and I accepted Christ then. But gradually I drifted away from the Lord. In high school, I was just empty and broken. But then I remembered how happy I was when I was younger and all those Bible verses that I had read. Suddenly, I started reading my Bible and praying, and soon I began to feel that old joy and peace again. So I desperately ran back to God and got my life back on track." KEY INGREDIENTS: "Fellowship with other believers who love the Lord. Also reading my Bible and praying every day and positioning myself in a way that God can speak to me and show me love." GOALS: "''d like to keep skating until I'm 40 or until I'm unable to skate. Then do some graphic arts design work." FAVORITE CHILL ACTIVITY: "I really like to surf. I also like to work on my old 1953 Mercury Monterey." LIFE'S TOUGHEST MOMENT: "''ve had a ruptured spleen and I've broken several teeth in the front of my mouth. I also severed off the thumb of my left hand but the doc-

tors reattached it, and I get about 95 percent use out of it now." SPORTS HERO AND WHY: "Christian Hosoi, one of the world's best skaters. He went to jail for drugs but then, while in jail, he gave his life to Christ and now he's skating hard for Christ as part of King of Kings Skateboard Ministries. It's very inspirational." FAVORITE CHRISTIAN MUSIC GROUPS: Third Day and Switchfoot.

Skateboarder. Prunedale, California Age 24. â&#x20AC;˘ Has been skating for more than 11 years. Turned pro a year ago and sponsors include King of Kings Skateboard Ministry, Reliance Skateboards www.reliance skate.com, Krux Trucks, Sessions Clothing, Vans Shoes, Bill's Wheels Skateshop. Has an unusual way of skating in that he uses the same flow style that he uses in surfing and applies it to his everyday skating. Travels extensively with King of Kings Skateboarding Ministry as he shares the gospel. Has suffered a ruplured spleen and has broken several teeth and both wrists. Has dislocated an elbow. Recently toured Europe, Jamaica, and Austria. HIGHLIGHTS: "There's no skate trick that beats some kid coming up to you after you perform and telling you that he wants to accept Christ as his Savior." TOP VERSE: Proverbs 3:5-6 HIS STORY: "Basically, I grew up in a Christian family, and when I was 7 years old my mom shared with me what being a Christian was all

S PO RTS SPECT RUM - JU LY - AUGUST 2006

1 1

LIFETIME WARRANTY. CONSUMER PREFERENCE

IourEdg_e GOI.FS &lOST SOliD INVESTMENT'

Well â&#x20AC;˘

Trish Bearden

Thne Rules low AglagWeD Is The we a Fountain of Youth? Did you know you can find more than 1.6 million entries when searching the Internet for "fountain of youth"? Toss out those fancy face creams and stinking sweat suits. Step right up to hear the real deal. The Journal of the American Medical Association recently published a 10-year study on healthy aging. The authors of the report observed 2,339 participants from 11 European nations. They concluded that eating a Mediterranean cuisine, exercising regularly, and refraining from smoking were the Top 3 factors contributing to "aging well." The ultimate result showed more than 50 percent lower mortality rate! This means that over half of the people likely to die in a set period of time from heart disease to cancer were given more life when adhering to this lifestyle. Now, that got my attention! Jesus proclaimed, "I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full" (John 10:10). Because God desires us to enjoy such richness on earth, I am thrilled to know there are folks researching ways to relish a gratifying, long life. It may even buy time to snatch more cronies to heaven! Let's look at the three parts of the study's recommendations. 0 Following the Mediterranean way of eating encourages an abundance of fresh fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts, seeds, grains, cheese, yogurt, and olive oil. Fish, lean poultry, and eggs are eaten moderately. Red meat and processed foods are enjoyed minimally. According to the Nancy Clark's Sports Nutrition Guidebook, "Adding walnuts to oatmeal, peanut butter WÂŁ8 SITE: www.SportsSpectrum.com

to a bagel, sliced almonds to a salad, and mixed nuts to dried fruit for trail mix are just a few simple ways to add these health-protective foods into your daily diet- to say nothing of enjoying a good old

peanut butter sandwich for lunch." Let's recognize some comforts and conveniences that make this a challenge.

Coupon cutting and the neighborhood price club-now globe-trotting as far as Taipei-provide a savings comfort for many. Take a moment to examine your "deals." You1l see that much food purchased is more of a treat variety opposed to wholesome food. Follow an 80:20 ratio with your intake and shopping cart, 80 percent coming from

good nutrition, 20 percent treat. I find it best to use a delivery service for groceries (as low as $5.95/delivery). It enables me to control my consumption, and the fee replaces excess I'd snatch if the bakery aisle is in the nose's reach.

Also, everyone secretly loves fast food. Grocery stores have been adjusting their inventories as the demand for cooking items like flour and sugar have waned. Not too surprisingly, McDonald's spent $665 million on food advertising in 2000 while the National Cancer Institute could only extend a mere $3.5 million for their 5-A-Day Program promoting fruits and vegetables. Not to ban Burger Barn-just savor it sparingly. 8 Exercise as a lifestyle. Anything will do. Create a way to enjoy it on a recurring basis. I have a friend who jogs to work a couple times a week, another who walks to work every day. When calculating the duration it takes to exercise, shower, and work, time is actually saved "sweating the com-

mute" as opposed to doing it later. The American College of Sports Medicine advises 30 minutes of exercise 3 to 5 days a week. If that seems a horrid joke, start with 5 minutes a day walking around the block, adding a block each time. For those able to strive for 5 days, diversify your workouts for optimal enjoyment and benefit. And remember to stretch post workout. Ideas: Day 1- Walk Day 2 - Weight Train Day 3 - Bike or Elliptical Trainer Day 4 - Pi\ates Class or Tape Day 5- Jog The biggest hurdle of exercising is busyness. Over the years, I've conducted a lay study of clients' workout times vs. adherence to exercise. Hands down, those who work out first thing in the day show up. Those who don't plan it early in the day, might show up. And, we've aUheard, 80 percent of life is just showing up. G Lastly, with utmost empathy, please stop smoking. Or don't ever start. If needed, clinics are available. Two in-patient cessation programs can be glanced at through www.mayoclinic.org or www.smokefreelife.com. Tl'ish's 2-Minute Dl'ill: ..,. Eat nuts. ..,. Exercise like a nut. ..,. Just say no to a smoke. ..,. And thank God for your abundant life. 0 Trish Bearden creates balance in her clients' lives through exercise, nutrition, Pi/ales, and massage therapy. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Exercise and Wellness from South Dakota State University and is certified by both the National Strength and Condih'oning Associah'on and the American College of Sports Medicine. As a healthstylist, Trainer Trish has enjoyed working in both the inner city and the inner circle in Washington, D.C.

SPORTS SPECTRUM - JULY-AUGUST

2006

The Biz •

Dale Gibson

[EXAMINING THE MANY SIDESOFSPORTS AS BUSINESS]

The Magical Appea_l lthough golf is a game enjoyed by most but mastered by just a few, the success factor really does not matter. It is a sport that can be addictive, regardless of skill level. Many people even catch what is known as "golf fever," or the need to play as often as possible. Golf is extremely popular, as evidenced by the many televised tournaments, the advanced technology in golf products, the specialized sport marketing of players and products, and the various ways that golf is used for both golfers can only tie, never beat, that.

social and business functions. The annual industry report (Golf 20I 20) indicates that dose to 40 million people participated in golf in the United States in 2003. It is doubtful that the Scots, whom most historians credit for inventing the game of golf in the sixteenth century, would have predicted its unparalleled success. Given the enormity of golf's reach, one has to wonder why people are willing to spend so much money on a game in which success requires specialized skills, intense training, and mental toughness.

• First, we must remember that Americans are extremely competitive. No game creates an environment for competition like golf. Whether it is trying to beat one's playing partner, the course record, his or her individual score, the playing conditions, or even the weather, golf has a way of bringing out the competitive instincts in everyone. • Perhaps another reason for golf's popularity is that the average golfer can identify with pro players, more so than professionals in other sports. Golf is a level playing field for all people. One does not have to be especially tall, muscular, or quick, which are criteria for several other sports, to record good scores. 1 4

SPORTS SPECTRU M - JU LY - A U GU ST 2006

It is difficult for the average fan to identify with Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Tom Brady, or Alex Rodriguez in terms of play. No amount of practice will allow the average fan to copy their on-court or on-field moves. However, it is much easier for fans to watch professional golfers and have confidence that if those people can do it, maybe there is hope for them as well. Although not as frequently, the average golfer can hit shots that land as dose to the flag as shots hit by the pros. In fact, many amateur golfers have recorded a hole-inone. No matter how good, pro

• Golf is appealing because it is an honorable game. Players are paid on their performances for each event, not for the season. Unlike many other sports, golfers are paid for what they do, not for what they have done. Therefore, the fairness issue has appeal for fans. Imagine if baseball players received a check after each game depending on the number of hits or RBI. • Golf is familyoriented and a safe haven for players and participants. When a person attends a pro tournament, he has a reasonable expectation not to hear a constant barrage of four-letter words and name-calling or to witness players having beer bottles or batteries thrown at them. Players are not in referees' faces, there is no jumping-in-theair chest thumping and taunting, players do not spike the ball after great putts or throw their dubs in disgust. • Golf provides fond memories. It is amazing that the average golfer can play 17 holes very poorly but will brag about the one good hole or one great shot that was hit. That rarely exists in other sports. No baseball player would relish going 1 for 18 and be eager to share that with others. • The caveat for golf, though, is

this: It is a magnet for money. Public and private courses are fair game for anyone desiring to spend discretionary dollars. It is relatively easy to find a course to match one's budget. Private courses usually have initiation fees but offer more amenities. According to Jon North, superintendent at Ainsley Golf Club in Roswell, Georgia, "It is probably safe to say that membership dues at a mid- to upper-tier golf dub will run about $5,000 annually. The private dubs where I have worked have initiation fees upward of $40,000." North maintains that although the investment is considerable, the result is that it establishes a membership comprised of long-term residents of a city or town, which, in turn, creates a family atmosphere where many lifelong friendships are formed. He states, "Sure, memberships are expensive, but private dubs are dedicated to insuring unforgettable experiences by creating a hospitable environment and services whereby every member has a voice." Regardless of the amount of money a person wishes to invest, how often he may play, or whether the course is public or private, golf has become an umbrella for the masses. For all the reasons given for the popularity of golf, the greatest reason of all might be that it is simply an enjoyable game. 0 Dale E. Gibson, Ed.D. is professor and (}lair of Physical Education and Sports Management, 7Usculum College in Greeneville, Tennessee.

TO SUBSC RIBE TO SPO RTS SPECTRU M: CAL L 1 · 866 · 821 · 29 71

Training Table â&#x20AC;˘ Mike Sandlin 1\acts Aboat CIU_ldhoocl Obesity ------------------------------------------

DO THOSE EXTRA POUNDS MATTER? In recent months the major fast-food companies have been trying hard to convince Americans that they feel the pain of our expanding waistlines, especially when it comes to our young people. Several of them have announced they would no longer market to younger children. Many restaurant chains are promoting "low-calorie" soft drinks and featuring salads rather than the burgers that contain high amounts of fat and cholesterol. So, what has caused so much concern that even major fast-food chains are becoming concerned with this nutritional problem? Approximately 65 percent of the population is overweightwith around 30 percent being clinically obese. Even more alarming is the estimation that up to 20 percent of the country's young people are overweightwith nearly one third being clinically obese. Young people pay a heavy price for extra pounds. Overweight children are at greater risk for diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, liver disease, cardiovascular disease, and potential emotional complications such as depression and low self-esteem.

What are the potential causes for this epidemic of obesity? FAST FOOD: Some blame the fast-food industry. It is hard to compete against fast-food kids' meals that are usually salty, fatty, and served quickly, in a bright, exciting place. And accompanied by toys! It is no wonder trips to fast -food restaurants have become such a delight for younger children. TELEVISION: Research has also demonstrated that young people are watching more television than ever before. According to various research studies, young people who spend more time WEB SITE : www. Spo tt sS pectrum . com

watching 1V also eat more of the high-calorie foods advertised. Many studies have demonstrated a high correlation between the amount of time spent watching 1V and an increased consumption of high-fat foods and highsugar-content beverages.

SCHOOLS: Some people think schools have indirectly influenced junk food consumption. Many schools allow selling junk food (potato chips, cookies, candy bars) and soft drinks to the student body through school stores and vending machines. Several states have taken action in this area and are prohibiting schools from selling such products. State

legislators are encouraging schools to offer low-fat, lowcholesterol veggie burgers, salads, fruits, and milk as a part of their school menus. NO PE: Another possible factor in this growing problem is that physical education classes are not funded in many public schools. Many schools are experiencing financial challenges. Often one of the first programs to be "downsized" or totally eliminated is the physical education program. Parents should encourage their local school not only to support these programs but also to demand quality curriculum and

it is important to slow down and share with family. This will also ensure a well-balanced meal for your family. HUGS, NOT HERSHEYS: Do not love your children with food. Give your child a hug, and encourage proper nutritional values. A hug and time together will be much more of a positive impact than a candy bar. The only thing you will be depriving your child of is low self-esteem and Type II diabetes. HIT THE OFF BUTTON: Limit 1Vviewing time. It is recommended by many researchers to limit viewing to 2 hours or less per day. HEALTHY LUNCHES: Plan school

teaching in this area. These are not the only reasons for the epidemic of fat facing our young people; however, these might be a few areas we overlook. I encourage each of us to take an active part in making sure we can do all we can to make a positive impact for this part of the future of your young people.

lunches and snacks. Include healthy snacks such as baby carrots, fruit cups, turkey sandwiches, and grain bread. WORK OUT: Incorporate daily exercise. Not only does the family that prays together stay together; play together and the family will live longer and healthier together. 0

What might be some additional steps for addressing this issue? Some suggestions might include the following: FAMILY MEALS: Eat meals as a family. We are all busy; however, SP OR TS SPEC T RU H - J U LY ÂˇA UGUST 2006

'15

Bodq Why Should I Cawe II 111ft Flexllale? BY DEMIAN GUTIER REZ

tretching is typically the most overlooked part of an exercise routine. Many people do not stretch because they do not see results immediately. Increasing the muscle length takes time, and stretching must be done on a regular basis.

Hamstring Stretch

Hamstring Doorway Stretch

and ground strokes, over and over again. One side of the body becomes more developed and is placed under more stress than the other side. Throw poor posture into this mix and you are talking about a problem waiting to happen. The same goes for baseball, golf. and basketball. Even soccer, rugby, and football players will have a dominant kicking foot or throwing/holding arm or a dominant leg used for power. Stretching regularly is vital for reducing the long-term risks that can create chronic injuries.

How many times have you • Lying flat on back • Opposite leg flat on • Lie in the middle of the doorframe • Place exercised regularly and then one foot on the doorframe, while the oppofloor • Use hands/strap to hold hip at 90 taken a break for a week or two degrees and slowly straighten knee • Slowly site leg is straight on the floor • Slide backbecause something came up or side as close to the doorframe as possible, straighten knee until you feel amild disyou were recovering from an until amild discomfort is felt, and hold • comfort in back of leg, and hold* injury? What did it feel like the first time you returned to the gym or sport you were playing? Key Points for Effective It was much tougher, wasn't it? Stretching Muscles will conform to the Perform stretching exercises actions and stresses placed on when your body is warm, ideally them, whether that means at the end of a workout or becoming toned, stronger, bigger, training session or after 5-10 or more flexible because of trainminutes of light aerobic exercise to warm the muscles and improve ing-or becoming weaker or lliotibical Band Stretch 1 lliotibical Band Stretch 2 their pliability. tighter because of disuse or a • Lying flat on back • Raise one leg up in the • Lying on side • Pull top leg in a quad Pay particular attention to the sedentary lifestyle. air about 2-3 feet • Turn foot toward oppostretch position • Cross bot1om leg's ankle muscle groups that are involved A muscle that possesses greater over knee of top leg • Push down with ankle site leg • Cross leg over top leg lying on range of motion passively is less toward table • Push until amild discomfort floor • Keep toes pointed toward ceiling with most in your sport, but remember that tight muscles above or below likely to experience tears when is felt in hip facing the ceiling, and hold* leg flat on floor • Cross over until a mild the target area will affect perused actively. It must be noted discomfort is felt in the hip, and hold* that there are some problems on formance as well. • 3 sets of 30 seconds with mild to moderate tension. A good rule of thumb: the intensity Hold each stretch for 30 the opposite end of the spectrum of the stretch should diminish by the end of the30 seconds if the tension is correct. seconds. Initial tightness should for people who have too much gradually diminish as you hold flexibility and thus have excessive the stretch. If the tightness of Reduced Risk of Low Back Pain How does flexibility affect motion in a joint or joints. It is · Flexibility in the hamstrings, athletic performance? the stretch does not almost comalso important to realize that pletely fade away, then you may quadriceps, hip flexors, and other Felixibility is an integral compodecreased flexibility in a muscle nent in speed and power develop- be stretching too aggressively. not only affects the surrounding muscles that attach to the pelvis Repeat each of the stretching reduces stress to the low back. ment, a point that many athletes joint(s) but also the joints above are not taught. Too many athletes exercises two to three times in If one or two muscle groups are and/ or below. neg teet flexibility training. This is succession. Many experts believe that flex- overly tight, this can create an Perform these stretching exerimbalance. Take tight hip flexors, a big mistake! ibility plays a key role in mainMany sports often cause imbal- cises at least three times a week. taining healthy joints. Stretching for example. If your hip flexors are If you feel any pain whatsoever overly tight, they will pull on your ances within the body. Take tenincreases tissue temperature, ... stop immediately! Stretching nis, for instance. The same arm is blood supply, and nutrient trans- spine and increase the lordotic should not be painful. 0 used for thousands of overhead curve in your low back. Imbalanport to the tissues and to the synovial fluid within the joint. ces such as this cause increased tensile or compressive strain on These factors help to reduce Demian Gutierrez is a licensed physical therapist with a the joints and limit the joints' tension and resistance in muscle Masters of Physical Therapy degree from the University of tissue, promote better posture, total available motion. Stretching North Carolina at Chapel Hill. His undergraduate work reduce joint degradation, and regularly promotes muscle relaxwas completed at Duke University. He consults with the ation and increased length, reducEpicenter for Sports Performance, which is a division of can decrease muscle soreness OrthoCarolina in Charlotte, North Carolina. ing the strain on your back. after exercise. 1 6

SPORTS SPECTRUM - JU LY - AUGUST 2006

TO SU BS CRI BE TO SPORTS SPECTR UMo CALL 1 ·866·821-2971

Pro Con 11 Chz.lstlaa a._..etes shoulda1 t :an.ake :an.otlons that lllay :an.ay aot be lntewpweted as 1 God sigas.1 11

• I am addicted to ESPN Classic. I watch it more than • I love it when Albert Pujols turns on an inside fastball I should. I watch old college football games. I watch and lashes another double into the leftfield corner. He will cruise on into second base and joyfully point his old NFL films highlight packages that I have seen roughly 1,000 times before. I find them oddly comfortright index finger to the Author of aU of the baseball ing, but hey, we aU have our crutches in life. Today talent that has been intelligently designed into the I watched 'This Week in Pro Football: Week 9, 1972." 6-foot-3, 225-pound body of the man who plays Why? Because besides feeding my need for nostalgia, I first base for the St. Louis Cardinals. really appreciate watching any sporting event that hapThrough his first 5 seasons in the major leagues, pened before, say, the early 1990s. Pujols has averaged 45 doubles. The reigning I enjoy the fact that after each play in the 1986 Orange National League Most Valuable Player has been Bowl, I don't have to see players thumping their chests, called the best right-handed hitter in baseball. I gyrating around, dancing, or, horror of horrors, pointsay his "God signs" at second base are perfectly fine. ing at the sky. When I watch a football game, I want I've lived in Missouri going on 7 years, and Pujols to see football. I don't want to see "Me Signs"- or has become my favorite Christian athlete. I see how he "God Signs" for that matter. loves his wife, Deidre, and I pray that he keeps on loving Strangely, when Deion Sanders prances into the her as God's holy gift to him. I hear the voice of the end zone on his tippy toes, does the electric slide, and Cardinals, Mike Shannon, repeatedly refer to him as then points at the sky and prays, I don't feel anything "Albert," as if he were a Brazilian soccer player, and I smile. akin to a spiritual experience. I don't feel cosmically conWhen it comes to the sport of baseball, Albert is definitely nected to Deion Sanders. I don't say to myself, "Hey, now "The Man" in Missouri. I can root for this guy because he must be a Christian." In my office is a framed Sports Spectrum article from It's like hearing Diddy thank God (along with his record 2004 that includes a color photograph of Albert doing the company) after he wins a Grammy-1 don't exactly finger point. Sometimes it will prompt me to pray for feel as though I've found my hip-hop soulmate. him. How often do you pray for your favorite Ditto, in the interest of racial fairness, to Kurt Christian athlete? Warner as well. Albert, like most males, is tempted by money, That's not to say, however, that there aren't power, and sex. I pray that he keeps on investing in real God sightings in sports. Chris Spielman shaving his Deidre. She is his purity outlet and his true provision head in a show of solidarity as his ...., ____________________ _. when pretty women who lust after wife was battling cancer. Danny baseball players on the road throw wuerffel giving up a life on the ban"I DON'T HAVE TO "THE TYPICAL FAN their bodies at him. quet circuit so that he could live I pray for Albert to keep on humbly and dedicate it to kids in SEE PLAYERS UNDERSTANDS THAT crushing doubles and home runs. the inner city of New Orleans. Marvis THUMPING THEIR ALBERT PUJOLS IS Albert's finger point at second Frazier working in Chuck Colson's base is a simple, direct, and bold Prison Fellowship ministry. These, CHESTS, DANCING, 'RELIGIOUS,' SO WHY expression of how Jesus has to me, are real witnesses that go GYRATING, OR POINTNOT GIVE THEM A redeemed him. The typical beyond a 4.3 second 40-yard dash or Cardinals fan understands that a guy who puts together a couple of lNG AT THE SKY." WHIFF OF HEAVEN?" Albert is "religious," so why not amazing seasons. give him or her a whiff of heaven That said, there are still good reasons for pointing at the sky. in the new ballpark to go along with the familiar smells of peanuts, A parachuter dropping in with the game ball (Super Bowl I), an Air hot dogs, and beer? Force flyover (Super Bowl XXII), and anything described in the book "How about a long one, Albert?" Mike Shannon will say. And of Revelation would qualify. Other than that, just play ball. 0 another "God sign," please, as you round second base. 0

1I , _ .(

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Ted IC:Iucl' Freelance writer, Lansing, Ml Contributor to ESPN, The Magaziue

COUfH U V: TEO KLUCK

WEB S IT E: www. SporhSpectrum . com

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Allen Pabne..i 1

Freelance writer, Jefferson City, 140 Senior writer, The Pathway, Missouri Baptist Convention

SPORTS SP EC TRUM - J ULY· AUGU ST 20 06

1 7

NELSON AKWARI WAS A CAN'T-MISS HIGH SCHOOL SOCCER STAR WHO HAS HAD TO BE SATISFIED WITH A JOURNEYMAN MLS CAREER, BUT THAT HASN'T STOPPED HIM FROM LIVING LIFE TO THE FULL â&#x20AC;˘ BY JEF F AR NOLD

onsidering his soccer-star status

at the time, Nelson Akwari 's professional playing career was clearly laid out in front of him. Or so he thought. Selected by the New York = = = MetroStars in late 2002 following a standout international showing, Akwari- a Parade magazine high school All-American and team captain as a sophomore at UCLA- figured he'd spend a long, illustrious career in New York, where he'd blossom into one of Major League Soccer's top defenders. God, however, had other plans. Akwari, 24, is now in his fifth professional season, trying to fit in with his th ird MLS franchisea far cry from the career path he envisioned when he entered the league. His stint in New York lasted only seven games before a new coaching staff decided Akwari didn't fit into the MetroStars' long-term plans. He was traded to the Columbus Crew, beginning .a life in Ohio he figured would replace the one he had started in New York. Despite the tough times he had endured early in his career, Akwari, who had turned his life over to Jesus Christ at a young age, believed he had found his soccer home. Off the field, he was involved at a local church, where he was mentoring a dozen inner-city middle school boys though a ministry called Urban Concern. On the field, he recorded a career-high in playing time in a Crew lineup that included MLS Defender of the Year Robin Fraser and Rookie of the Year finalist Chad Marshall. In Columbus, Akwari had also been introduced to a young woman he found himself intrigued by. 1 8

SPORTS SPECTRUM - JULYÂˇAUGUS T 2006

_l ___ __ ______ ___________________________________ _____________ ______ _ Introduced by his roommate, Akwari in- it's definitely helped me develop a relabegan a friendship with the daughter of a tionship with Christ in a more special way, local pastor. Never more than friends ini- and that's been really cool." tially, Akwari and Mandy spent more and Akwari trusted Christ at an early age more time together, strengthening a rela- after having constant dreams in which his tionship Akwari had never even consid- life ended. In Sunday school at his ered. In Mandy, he discovered a godly Houston-based Presbyterian church, a woman living out her faith by taking teacher kept telling him that the only way stands on what she was going to do and to experience eternal life was through what she wasn' t. Jesus Christ. This, he figured, was the place where Fearful that he would die without his God wanted him. His Columbus coaches eternal future being secure, Akwari put his decided di fferently. His career path was faith in Christ, making sure that he "was again uncertain. His reputation as a super- on God 's side and not the other side." star was no longer a given. "When everybody really sits down and "Looking back, I was so upset and so looks at their life, when they do die, no worried about what my coaches were one wants to go to hell," Akwari says. "It's thi nking about me or what decisions they not something people want to think about. were making, it came to me that I' m not But with my teammates and with the guys in control," Akwari says. "I could be the I'm around, those questions tend to come best soccer player in the world, but that up more when I' m around because I have coach could decide that on that day, I that perspective, and I kind of challenge wasn't going to play." guys to think and to look past what they're After 2 years in Columbus and just as doing today." his friendship with Mandy was moving to Akwari 's witness has been noticed by the next level, he was selected by Real people, including Jim Schmidkc, who Salt Lake in the 2005 Expansion draft, serves as the team chaplain in Columbus. forcing him again to adjust to new sur"Nelly faces the challenges of life with roundings- this time in Utah. the perspective that God doesn' t make misBut instead of questioning the takes, and if He al lowed this trial change as he had in the past, it must be for the best," Schmidke Akwari realized God agai n had says. "He really believes in the plans for him in a new venue. goodness and providence of God. "Every season I've played, ! "Nelson always seems to keep I've played more games and I've strong sense of what is most played better and with more imponant in this life. He knows confidence and so definitely, it's 路 that this life is sh011, and he less stress when you're not so desires to help add as many peofocused on thi ngs [out of your ple to Christ as he can. I have control)," he says. "Wherever I "Looking hack, never seen him waver in his comam, that's where God wants me I was so mitment to Christ." to be. Akwari has also remained "If I' m not going to get all of upset and so faithful in stayi ng pure in his the credit or not going to be the worried ahout long-di stance relationship with guy starting all the games, then Mandy, whom he will marry in what my my way is to motivate the team December. Despite the mi les one way or another and make coaches were between them, they have found the team better." ways to grow closer by talking thinking ahout and For all of the changes,. though, praying for each other over the one constant has been me ..:路 the phone. In the short times Akwari's faith, one that has their schedules allow them to allowed him to reach people fro m laid- spend together, they have kept their relaback Southern California to fast-paced tionship pure. New Yorkers and plain-thinking MidDespite the difficulty of dating longwesterners with the gospel. Whi le the distance and the challenges of not knowpeople around him changed, his fa ith and ing what God has in mind for his life, the God he served did not. Akwari finds himself falling back on "That's been the best pm1-going to dif- scriptures like I Cori nthians I0:13, which ferent cities and whenever you have a tme reads, "No temptation has seized you brother in Cl11ist or tme sister in Chri st, except what is common to man. And God there's an automatic connection," Akwari is faithful; He will not let you be tempted says. "I've now learned a Jot with the differ- beyond what you can bear. But when you ent churches and small groups I've been are tem pted, he wi ll also provide a way WE B SITE: www.Spor t sSpec t rum.com

out so that you can stand up under it." Last year with Salt Lake, Akwari started a career-high 21games, logging I,887 minutes with the expansion club. Not looked upon as a scorer, Akwari found his niche with his work ethic, establishing himself as a hard-nosed defender on a team that experienced its share of growi ng pains. Although his new team won only five games, and despite not having his MLS career begin the way he hoped it would, Akwari 's faith has not been shaken. He believes he has found a niche in Salt Lake but realizes that the more he plays, the more visible he becomes to other teams that may be in the market for a solid defender. He leaves such choices up to God, choosing to concern himself only with what he can control- working hard and reaching his teammates with God 's message. "I really try not to associ ate my stats or how I'm doing soccer-wise with my witness," Akwari says. " It took me a while to get that through my head that God has given me an awesome ability as a soccer player, but at the end of the day, any accolades I get from soccer or whether we win or not or how many teams I play for, it really doesn' t matter. "Regardless of how well I' m playi ng, it's my responsibil ity to be a Christian first and let my life shine to the guys around me." 0

.A Th e Real Deal_

Since his first MLS game in 2002 with the MetroStars, Nelson Akwari has logged more than 4,400 minutes of time on defense for the MetroStars, the Columbus Crew, and Real Salt Lake.

Jeff Amold is a sports reporter for the Ann Arbor News in Michigan. SP ORT S SPECTRUM ... JULY路 AUGUST 2006

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r-------------------------- ----------------------------- ------oung, rich, successful, and Christian.

The fi rst three could fit many collegegraduated young executives in the North Texas area. But this Oregon native turned Texas resident is determined to make sure the fourth description makes a difference as he reaches for his goal of becoming a world-class golfer on the PGA Tour. With two PGA Tour victories, a first Masters appearance in 2006 and more than $6 million prize money won in just 4-plus years on the pro golf circuit, Ben Crane is near the top of rising young American golf stars. "We both realize what a platform the Tour is for him and how God has given Ben a gift to play golf on a high level," his wife Heather says. Crane, 30, captured his second Tour victory in 2005 with a wire-to-wire victory at the US Bank Classic in Milwaukee, but weeks earlier he had endured a nationally televised controversy over slow play in a tournament and had to sit out a couple of months early in the season due to back problems. Through the good and bad times in his still young golfing career, Crane says he's determined to conduct his career in a manner that makes a difference in the eyes and the li ves of others. "As Christian players, sometimes we struggle with knowing we are not what our scores say we are. Scripture says God will take you through all the tough times, and that's what we have to focus on. "It's certainly a battle, but before playing we always go out and pray, and part of the plan is certainl y to grow into faith," he says. Through May 2006, Crane had already earned more than $600,000 in limited action, while still battling back issues, but he was looking to honor God in his new status as one of the Tour's promising younger players. "Since I was young, I've wanted to play golf for a living and play at a high level," Crane says. "I can't believe all God has done through us with golf. I love to be able to talk about my faith. I li ke to share my story, because people who haven't heard my story think I'm just a good golfer. But they may not know about God inside of me and of the helpful circumstances He played in my life. "I want to tell kids the best way to go through life is knowing Jesus. That is the greatest thing for each one of us." As for goals for a new year, Crane says he's learned not to put limjts on God. "I' ve learned to be content in every situation as the Bible says, striving to do my best and not get caught up in the future. "Maybe our goals are too high, maybe they are not high enough, but don't put limits on God. Part of the exGitement thing is not knowing. I just know that life without God is life without meaning." One of the most unique things about Crane and all professional golfers is that their success or lack thereof is printed in the newspapers and golf magazines each week for all to see. This means that at a time when most young couples are thinking about how to handle this month's mortgage and hoping their slightly used car doesn't have a breakdown, anyone with the access to golf stats can see Crane earned $2.45 mjllion in prize money alone during the 2005 PGA Tour season. He says struggles with an excess of money at a young age, like struggli ng

2 0

SPORTS SP ECTRU M - JU LY路AUGUST 20 06

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BEN CRANE HAS CRACKED INTO THE BIG MONEY ON THE PGA TOUR, MAKING HIM EVEN MORE DETERMINED THAN EVER TO STAND OUT IN HIS CHRISTIAN TESTIMONY .

BY ART STRICKLIN

WEB SITE: www. Sport s Spec tr um .com SPOR TS SPECTRUM - JU LY路 AUGUST 2006

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AIMING

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--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------.,.. Milwaukee's finest. At the US Bank Championship in Milwaukee in 2005, Crane shot four straight rounds in the 60s to defeat Scott Verplank by four shots. His total for the first 3 days of the tournament (191) was the best 3-day total for any PGA golfer in 2005.

with too little, can present its own share of problems for the dedicated Christian. "To whom much is given, much is required," Crane says. "We believe that giving is a joy, but it's also a chore to stay grounded. God has given us so much we are glad to be able to do for others." Crane said he and his wife read the book The Treas11re Principle by Christian author Randy Alcorn, a book that has helped him in their new circumstances through a simple threestep plan. Stay in God's Word. Have a dail y quiet time with Him. Pray that God's light will shine through them on a daily basis. everal years ago, after deciding to leave Oregon to pursue better weather, better airline connections, and a more central location for his golfrelated travels, the Cranes settled in the Dallas area, thanks to the recommendation of another Christian PGA Tour member, Paul Stankowski. They are now living in a golf community halfway between Dallas and Fort Worth along with several other Tour members. Most important, they became involved with Irving Bible Church and its longtime pastor Andy McQuitty, who has also helped shape their spiritual walk. "To see them around other young people and to see how they are handling this stage of life is really encouraging," McQuitty says. "Their value is people, not money, and they know they've been given a stewardship by God with golf. They want to use it to His glory."

When they are on the road traveling and playing late in the final round on Sunday, the Cranes are active in the weekly Tour Bible Study led by ministry veteran Larry Moody. "Money and wealth are amoral, they have no goodness in and of themselves; that's what Lany Moody taught us," Heather Crane says. "We talk all the time about how we were just as happy in the apartment as we are now. We try hard to stay grounded in Him." McQuitty said the church helps in that process as well, treating the Cranes not as young multi-millionaires, but as fellow young believers.

"It 's a great church, which is outwardly focused and loves to serve others," Ben says. "What we love is to come alongside people and encourage them or help them or be able to contribute to their life." As part of his plan of doing that, Crane has helped organize tournaments to benefit other ministries, to other people in their faith , and to draw in non-believers. "That's just Ben at work," McQuitty says. "He is a follower of Christ first, a follower of golf second, and he very comfortable here." One other helpful circumstance in

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Crane's life was the experience of growing up in a Christian home in Beave11on, Oregon, ju t outside of POI1Iand. He was also actively involved in his youth group. He and his brother Tim went on several mi ssion trips in Mex ico. "We grew up in some great churches and both of my parents loved the Lord and were good role models for me and later for Heather," he says. Crane accepted Christ into his life at an early age and began to grow in his spiritual walk at home. "We used to play 'high-low' in our famil y every night. What was the best thing that happened to you and what was the worst ancl how the Lord had helped you through the day. We had some pretty emotional times there." One of his first spiritual mentors was the pastor of Beaverton Fomsquare Church, Ron Mehl, who died of leukemia a few years ago, shortl y before Crane dedicated his first PGA Tour wi n in Atlanta to him. After going to school but not playing golf for a year at Baylor University in Waco, Texas, Crane transferred back home and played golf for 4 years at the University of Oregon. He won all-conference honors for 3 years and captured the 1998 Pacific Coast路 Amateur title before graduating in 1999. "I had decided I wanted to play professional sports for a living while I was in school, but I knew it wasn't going to be football or basketball or soccer, so golf was going to have to be the ticket. "I got four sponsors together in the Portland area and gave myself 3 years to play golf," he says. After a year play ing on some Florida mini-tours and trying to qualify for the Nationwide Tour, his first big break came in the summer of WEB SI TE : www.SportsSptcl tu m.com

2000. Playing as a Monday qualifier, he won the Wichita Nationwide Tom event, becoming only the 12th golfer in Tour history to win a tournament as a Monday qualifier. "That's when I found out that I always play better when Heather is there," Crane says. "She was in the gallery when I won, and I always tried to make sure she was there from then on." Heather, another Oregon native, first met Ben at college in 1996 and began to share his love for golf and sports after first sharing his love for the Lord. His victory in 2000 gave him a place to play for the rest of the year and in 200 I. At the end of the 200 I season, he qualified for the PGA Tuur, fi nishing tied for fifth in Qualifying School at the end of the year. In his rookie season, he finished second in the Byron Nelson Classic outside Dallas, earning more than $500,000 just 6 days before his wedding with Heather. "My career has continued to improve each year in little ways, it seems, and that has helped me keep on track." One highly publicized incident last year threatened to knock him off track, and Crane never saw it coming before it burst onto the national spotlight. Crane had gained the reputat ion as a del iberate or slower player in his career, and that day at the PGA Tour event at Westchester Country Club, outside of New York City, he was paired with North Texas neighbor Rory Sabbatini , one of the faster players on the Tour. The trouble began on the back nine when Sabbatini began to get restless with the slow pace of play and began to putt out and not wait on Crane to finish the hole before moving to the next tee. On one of the final holes, Sabbatini

teed off while Crane was still putting out, a huge violation of golf etiquette. Afterward, Crane received nearly as much blame for his slow play as Sabbatini did for breaching golf's customs, but Crane knew many were watching to see how he would react. "I knew the media would ask me about it after the last three holes, and I was praying God would give me the words to use. The Bible says a soft answer turns away wrath, and my quotes were designed to put out the fire. "I chose to focus on what I did wrong. I said what I did was wrong, and I knew I was wrong, and I wanted to improve on that." Heather, watchi ng behind the gallery ropes, said it was strange and yet gratify ing to see her husband handle being in the middle of the storm like he was. " It was a no-win situation reall y, but given the circumstances I am reall y proud of the way Ben handled it," she says. Even Sabbatini was impressed with what he saw in Crane. "We were friends and are still friends, and I think Ben handled everything the right way," he said. Ben says his Christian maturity took over from his natural reaction. "I think several years earlier, I might not have handled it the same way. But I want Christ's light to shine out from me all the time." It's a light that seems destined to shine brightly over the next several years, and the Cranes are determined to make sure it is always directed to the correct Son. 0

A Celebrate! Ben Crane signals the good news that he has just carded a second-round hole-inone on No. 16 at the La Costa Resort and Spa in Carlsbad, California, during the Accenture Match Play Championship in February 2006. Ben and Heather celebrated their fourth wedding anniversary on May 18.

t'l"think

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alllka lime,"

Art Stricklin is the Vice- President of Public Relations for Marketplace Ministries in Dallas, Texas. SPORTS SP ECTRU M - J ULY路A UGUST 2006

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NOT MANY SUPERSTAR ATHLETES END UP IN PRISON; EVEN FEWER ARE AS DEDICATED AS CHRISTIAN HOSOI TO SHARING THE GOSPEL MESSAGE •

BY MICAH MCDANIEL

mack! Never before has the sound of a judge's gavel pounding clown a sentence been music to a convicted felon's ears, but to Christian Hosoi the tune couldn't have been sweeter. For the skateboarding legend, his 70.; month sentence was a gift. After being ·· • · anested in Hawaii in late 1999 for crossing state lines in possession of illegal drugs, Hosoi could have- and for all intents and purposes should have received 120 months in federal prison. Instead, on September I0, 200 I, as the rest of the world lay its head down on the eve of one of the darkest days in American history, Hosoi was extended mercy. "Looking back it was the most awesome thing to ever happen to me," says Hosoi. " It was my chance to seek God with no distractions, no responsibilities. I had nothing-no money, no skateboarding. It was me and God. I \yas the most excited and happiest prisoner there was. I was a prisoner, yet I was free. The scales came off my eyes, and I could see all that God had for me. The Bible says, ' He whom the Son sets free is free indeed.' I was free." With a name li ke Christian, a nickname like "Christ," and a trick he invented deemed "Christ Air," you would think Hosoi would have noticed the connection much sooner. Hosoi got on a skateboard for the first time in 1975 at age 7, and it was love at first sight. He spent every weekend and most weekdays at the Marina Del Rey Skate Park in Marina Del Rey, California. At a time when skateboarding was a relatively unknown sport, Hosoi was t

WEB SITE: www . Sp or t sSpec trum .com

hooked. It was guys li ke Tony Hawk, Steve Caballero, Lance Mountain, and Hosoi who oll ied skateboard ing into pop culture. "All I wanted to do was go to the skate parks; it became everything to me," says Hosoi. "It became my form of expression. It was a lifestyle, not a sport." In I982, at the age of I5, he turned professional at a time when professional skateboarding was at its grass-roots level. As a ninth grader, Hosoi embarked on a journey to balance skateboarding and school ing. And while he began to climb the ladder toward No. I, he also began partaking in what was the nor111all.:y of professional skateboardingdrugs and alcohol. • Over t he course of the next several years, Hosoi dropped out of school to continue his pursuit of becoming the world's best. Eventually, he won several events and competitions and became No. I, battling year in and year out with Hawk for the top spot, eventually drawing the moniker "Christ." "I was given that nickname because I was the best at skateboarding. To them I was like a god," says Hosoi. " It was no big deal to me. I had no idea. I wore couoasr.u... .......,ASSOC>.WON,,.,TO<IIW'H<R>OOH ""a cross, and I was religious. When I was asked, I told people I was a Christian, but I didn't know what that was-it was my name." He also invented a trick that was dubbed "Christ Air" for its resemblance of a crucifix. While in mid-air, Hosoi grabbed his board with his left hand, put his legs straight, feet together and arms out to his side all before landing back on the board on the ramp. At 17, he star1ed a booming business, Hosoi Skateboards. All the while, he was strung out on drugs until he decided to stop cold turkey-at least in his mind. SPORTS SPECTRUM -JU LY - AUGUST 2006

FR ESH AIR

T Capitol gains. Christian Hosoi performs a trademark stunt for the Livin It tour show in the shadow of the Capitol in Wash ington D. C. The Livin It tour also sailed in Atlanta, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas, Omaha, and Little Rock. Read about Livin It at www.livinit.org.

"For 2 years, the drug use affected my skateboarding," says Hosoi. "So at 17, I quit doing hard-core drugs on the spot because I wanted to be the best. So I decided to just smoke weed and occasionally use ecstasy, acid, and mushrooms every now and then. But I quit all the other stuff-so in my eyes I wasn't a drug user." Life couldn't have been much better for Hosoi in the late 1980s. The popularity of his sp011, which he helped launch, hit an all-time high. He was bringing in between $25-30,000 a month from competitions, his own business ventures, and corporate sponsors like Converse, Jimmy Z Clothing, and Swatch. He bought a beautiful new house in the Hollywood Hills right next to W. C. Fields' estate, and he began his car collection, which included a Harley, a '69 Mustang conver1ible, a '60 Chevy, and a limited edition McClaren. "With all that pressure of being a professional and being put on a pedestal, you have to grow up very quickly," says Hosoi, who by this time was in his early 20s. "I was doing everything that was so predictable, and I had no foundation in God. I had good morals and was raised well-don' t lie, cheat and steal- but I had no foundation in God."

With the start of the Gulf War in 1991, skateboarding took a dip. Street skaters became popular and the market for vert skaters began to dwindle. The money began to disappear, as did the competi tions. The market flipped upside down. So Hosoi hit the drawing board again, and in the span of 3 years, he started and stopped no less than four companies. He sold just about everything he had, including the house and all the cars, and had to start all over. There was no money coming in. Eventually, Hosoi ended up in Huntington Beach, California, where he still lives. "There was a pool where I could skate, and I instantly fell in love with the area," says Hosoi. There he dabbled with crystal meth, as he began using it occasionally on the weekends. "After my businesses began to fold, though, I started using more, and in 1995 I started smoking it. That's when I started spiraling out of control," says Hosoi. The X Games had just burst onto the scene, taki ng skateboarding to an entirely new level. However, with no money, a worsening drug habit, and no vision for the future, one of

Cel\JRTING A • He had heard the sound before- the smacking of the gavel- and would eventually hear it again. However, none of them compared to this one. June 19, 2001, a year and a half after being arrested for drug trafficking and less than 3 months before sentencing, the smack of the gavel announced that Hosoi had just married his girlfriend of 2 years, Jennifer Gilbert, in a quiet ceremony in a Hawaii District Courtroom. The presiding judge, ironically, was the same judge who had both convicted and sentenced Hosoi. "That never happens," says Hosoi. "My lawyer told me that the judge had never smiled in court in 15 yea rs until that day. He was a Christian, and I was able to show him how God changed my life. That all factored into my sentence as well." Nearly 3 years later, Hosoi was released and Jennifer was there to pick him up. "It was a trippy thing to go from behind bars to go out on the curb waiting for my family to pick me up," said Hosoi. First stop? "On my first day out, we had our honeymoon as a married couple," says Hosoi. The Hosois are expecting a baby boy in mid-October. -MICA H MCDANIEL 2 8

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the world's Top 2 skateboarders was nowhere to be foundunless it was at a Huntington Beach party as he bounced from dmg house to drug house. Hosoi soon had a brush with the law for possession and ultimately had bounty hunters searching for him. They showed up at skating events; Hosoi didn't. They showed up at local skate parks; Hosoi didn't. Everywhere he used to be the main attraction, he no longer visited. "I was running all around town," says Hosoi. "In order to avoid getting caught, I had to stay out of the public eye-all for a 30-day sentence. I wasn't able to have a career, so I was getting deeper into it. Because of who I was, though, I was able to get drugs for free, and that supported my habit." Ironically, the habit led him to the girl, Jennifer, who became his wife and was a key figure in getting Hosoi back on the right track. The two had met at a party, and after Jennifer's best friend nearly overdosed, she had decided to quit partying and get right with God. She began to go to church, and Hosoi tagged along. At the time it was nothing more than a chance to spend time with his girlfriend. A few months later, though, his fast-paced world came to a crashing halt. It was supposed to be just a short trip. Get over to Hawaii, take some drugs, try to make some money, and get back. He never made it out of the airport. As soon as Hosoi got off the plane, federal agents, who had been tipped off, were waiting, and Hosoi was looking at I0 years. "I called Jennifer 3 days after I got arrested, and she told me to just trust in God," says Hosoi. "I told her, I think I need a lawyer, not God, and she told me to just trust. All of a sudden, I was confronted with reality and heaven. That was the moment I had to stop and think. • "I opened the Bible for the first time in my life and didn't know where to reau. Genesis was like Star Trek, and nothing looked interesting until I got to Kings. That sounded like an interesting story. It was where I first got a clue as to who God was and what He was about. That was my first experience with God. I decided I needed to fi nd peace and truth in my life, and began to understand that they only came from Him. It was the same desire I had when I was trying to become a professional skateboarder. Five weeks later, I gave my life to the Lord." Hosoi was later convicted, and one day before September II , he was sentenced. He served the next 56 months alone in a prison cell. "I was glad it happened, because I don't think I would have surrendered all my junk over to Him," says Hosoi. "For a person like me who thought he was going to heaven anyway, because I was a good person, to be told that I couldn't do drugs, sleep with girls, or drink alcohol, because that's sin to God- that was difficult. Being in prison was a blessing in disguise, but looking back, I would have paid for it. I would have given my life to have that time and experience with God." Still with 14 months left on his original sentence, Hosoi was released on June 4, 2004. Now, nearly 2 years later, Hosoi is a new man. He's a husband, father-to-be, associate pastor, businessman, speaker, and evangelist. Oh yeah, and still a skater. Yet, whereas before his sole passion was skateboarding, now he has a second. "I learned to love Him with all my heart in that prison cell , and I came to the place where I told God I'd give up everything and preach on the corners or in jungles," says Hosoi. "I WEB SITE : www.Spo rt sSptctrum.com

''THIS AND

IS HUNGRY FOR TRUTH THAT IS HON,EST, HARD· t:DR,E, SOLO OUT... THAT'S HOW I MESH IVIV TWO PASSIONS-SKATJSSOAROING AND S,ERVING TH,E LORD." told Him I'd give it up-my wife, son, skateboarding, everything. Immediately the Holy Spirit spoke to me and said 'Christian, I gave you those thi ngs. Those are My gifts.' Skateboarding is now my platform to get His message out. This generation is hungry for truth and something that is real, something that is honest, hard-core, sold-out, and 100-percent committed. That's how I am able to mesh my two passionsskateboarding and serving the Lord." Through his church, The Sanctuary, a nondenominational church in Huntington Beach, Hosoi spearheads an outreach called the Uprising Tour, which combines professional skateboarders and a huge multi-media show, reaching more than I,500 youth each show. He's also an active participant and speaker in the Luis Palau Festivals and recently starred in a Luis Palau video called Livinlt, which was produced by Stephen Baldwi n. In addition to that, he regularly speaks at various venues throughout the country. • "I'm an evange list and preacher and then a skateboarder," says Hosoi. "When I was in jail, I asked God, ' Why didn't You stop me earlier?' And He was saying, 'I need you for such a time as this.' His timing is perfect. I went through what I went through so I could speak into people's lives. I was willing to let God grab hold of me and mold me. As a result, I want to share the gospel with my generation in a relevant way just like the disciples did." "I played a big part in maki ng skateboardi ng huge and popular. I helped start the elevation of skateboarding," says Hosoi. "Now, I want to have that same impact for Christ. God redeemed me and reconciled me back to Him and gave me a burning desire and passion to reach people before they go into a situation, while they are in a sit uation, or while they are coming out of a situation. It's everyone from the young who are just beginning to understand to the old-that's who I want to win for Christ." Indeed, music to His ears. G

Micah McDaniel, sports information director at Califomia Baptist University in Riverside, CA., has worked with media relations at national events such as the NAJA men's basketball championship and the 2002 World Series. S PO RTS SP EC T Rt; M - J U LY· AUG U ST 2006

CARDI TRUTHS ocated at the city limit of Mangum, Oklahoma, (population 2,924) is a welcome sign notifying everyone that this is the hometown of Braden Looper, member of the 1996 bronze-medal-winning US Olympic baseball team and major league pitcher. Whi le - - - - - - - ' Looper and his family now live in Chicago during the offseason, he is still known as the 6' 3" flamethrower from Mangum. "I never imagined I'd have a sign in my honor or anything like that," Looper says. "And I never imagined I'd accomplish and be a part of the teams I have played on the last I0 years. It is amazi ng." Looper, a relief pitcher, returned for 2006 to the St. Louis Cardinals, the team that originally drafted him third overall in 1996. "I am still this kid from a small town in Oklahoma," he says. "I knew I was a good athlete in high school, but I never had a clue that God would use me and had this awesome path planned for me." That awesome path began with winning a bronze medal in the 1996 Olympics, continued with an AllAmerican college career at Wichita State University (includi ng pitching in the 1996 College World Series), and culminated in a noteworthy major league career. "Now that I look back on things, I can see how God was preparing a bigger and bigger stage for me," he says. "I know I am blessed and I am so thankful." Looper grew up attending church, but he ad.mits it wasn't for the right reasons. "I went there on Wednesday nights to play basketball and to see and to be seen by the pretty girls," Looper says. "I didn't get much out of the services at that time." Looper was selected by 'the Cardinals in the first round (third overall) of the June 1996 free-agent draft. He wasted little time in the minor leagues, but it was there that he gave his heart to Christ after he manied Shannon. "My wife learned of a Bible study with some of the players and their wives when we were in Memphis," Looper recalls. "Danny Sheaffer was there and he shared the plan of salvation with us. Before I knew it, I was calling out to the Lord." Sheaffer, a util ity player with the Cardinals at the time, was at Memphis tryi ng to eke out one more playing year. Today he is a manager of that same Memphis team- the Triple A affi liate for the Cardinals. Looper's major league career began in St. Louis, and

PHOTO: JONATHAN DANIEL/ at.nY IMAQI:S

•

BY DAVID AUSTIN

he has come full circle to again don the jersey featuring the bat and redbirds. "It just felt right coming here," he says. He had other choices during the winter, but chose St. Louis. Looper was traded by the Cardinals to the Florida Marlins in December 1998 for Edgar Renteria. It was in Florida that Looper established himself as a premier closer- amassing 28 saves for the World Champions in 2003. Following that banner year, Looper found himself as an unrestricted free agent. He joined the Mets on a 2year deal in January 2004. "The New York Mets was another situation that felt right," Looper says. "I knew that if I could go there and

be successful that it would open up doors throughout baseball ." "Old Blue Eyes" was right- if you can make it in New York, you can make it anywhere. Looper's first year in New York proved to be a great season. Building on the World Series appearance, Looper amassed 29 saves and a 2.70 ERA. The next year proved tough, though. "I was hurt and had some nagging injuries that bugged me throughout the year," he says. "It was tough knowing I wasn't I00 percent." Looper's ERA rose to 3.94, but he still managed 28 saves. "I wasn't at my best and it showed. I got booed a few times and that is never fun," he says of 2005. "There is a lot of auention on players in New York. I don't know how I would have handled the tough times and low feelings if I didn't have my faith." And it was a contract year. Looper relied on his pastor, his wife, and prayer

£ Old meets new. The last time Braden Looper pitched for the St. Louis Cardinals, the team played in old Busch Stadium. But his return coincided with the opening of a new baseball park in St. Louis.

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through the tough year in New York. He underwent surgery immediately after the season ended to remove bone spurs and to have his collateral bone shaved. "I was a free agent, and closers who have offseason surgery do can-y a ce11ain assumption, but I wasn't worried about that one bit. I knew God would take care of me. I knew He had a plan, and I also knew it was going to be a short rehab, so I never lost confidence in my abilities," he says. Several teams called. Three consecutive years of closing nearly 30 games will garner that level of respect. But he ended up signing a non-closing deal and one for less money than other teams were offering-just to return to St. Louis. Most pitchers with his resume would have insisted on closing jobs and closer money. But the unassuming Looper has higher priorities than money and ego. "I told my agent that I was open to all situations, closing or not," Looper says. When St. Louis called and offered a 3-year deal, I knew this was where we were supposed to go." Looper joins a rebuilt bullpen and now is the setup pitcher for All-Star closer Jason lsringhausen. "Having the surge1-y was a tough decision. I put a lot of prayer into the decision and just knew that God would put me in the right place," Looper says. "And not closing and pitching in St. Louis is the right place, and I had to be obedient and open." "Everything clicked. I am comf011able with the city and with the coaches," he says. "Plus, my wife is from the Chicago area, and with a 3-year deal, I was comfortable enough to buy a place in St. Louis. Now if she wants to see her folks, it's a relatively sh011 drive." Pitching in St. Louis will also garner Looper more opportunities to sleep in his own bed while on the road in other National League Central towns such as Chicago and Mil waukee. Looper met his wife, Shannon, through mutual friends while both were student. athletes atWSU.

A. Mounds of Experience: Looper left St. Louis for the Florida Marlins, for whom he pitched in the 2003 World Series. Then on to the Mets for two seasons before coming back to the Cardinals.

"She was a volleyball player, and we just met one day," he says. "She has been my rock. I can't imagine life without her." Shannon and Braden have two children, Toryn, 6 and Landen, 3. "They don't get to travel with me much at all," he says."It is pretty tough gelling two kids and all their things tlu路ough the airport, and Shannon has to do it by herself, because I am with the team." While on the road, Looper has always found an accountability pm1ner who is a teammate. "You have to have relationships with all the guys on the team because you are teammates, but there are some [social activities]! just don't participate in, and having that accountability partner helps in th at regard," he says. Looper also enjoys having satellite radio so he can listen to a station that plays contemporary Christian music. Third Day and Casting Crowns are among his favorite bands. Looper has had the opportunity to share his testimony at a couple of different festivals with Third Day and with Michael W. Smith. While his job is to be intimidating on the mound, he isn't a preachy teammate and in fact is a quiet guy in the clubhouse. "I am always happy to share the story of Christ and my testimony, but I don't feel that I am to be the evangelist in the locker room," he says. "My job is to be a good example, and you never k110w how or when you plant seeds. I try to be a good example for my teammates." The speaki ng opportunities still catch him by surprise. "It is all part of God's plan for me to be on this

.A Then: Danny Sheaffer (top) was Braden 's most Influential teammate In Looper's first tour of duty In St. Louis. Now: His top teammates now are his wife, Shannon, and the little Loopers : Braden Landen (3) and Toryn Hope (6).

SPORTS SPECTRUM - JULY-AUGUST 2006

stage and to be able to speak to people about my faith," he says. "I still get really nervous, but if being a baseball player causes someone who isn't a Christian to hear the message someday, then it is all wo11h it." Looper sometimes has opportunities to talk to kids, and when he does, he reminds them of his teen years. "I am able to tell kids about how I treated church when I was in high school, and I did some things I am not proud of when I was younger- like drinking when I was 16 and trying to be cool. But becoming a Christian is amazing. All you have to do is accept Christ and the past is forgotten; you are forgiven right then. It is amazing that it is an immediate transformation and an immediate acceptance." Forgiveness is something that Looper struggled with for many years, especially after becoming a Christian. Looper was raised by a single mom. His earthly father was absent from most of his life, and that left a void. His paternal grandfather, however, had a huge infl uence on him. "I had the male innuence from lilY grandfather, but it wasn't my dad." he says. "That was a tough thing for me to accept, relying on my heavenly father. I had a hard time with the concept of a father being able to do all that for you. Just saying the word father in my prayers was tough." Today, the father-son relationship isn't strong, but the two have become friends. "I never imagined that playing baseball as a teenager in high school would lead to where I am today," Looper says. "If I hadn't gone to WSU, I never would have JTiet my wife and I never would have been drafted by the Cardinals, and then I wouldn't have been traded to a team that made the World Series. I am still amazed when I look back on my career. How did I get here? Why am I worthy of all this?" Looper remai ns the small-town guy with small-town val ues. He has amassed wealth bigger than his wildest dreams, but you wouldn' t know it by tal king to him. He and his wife each has one car and they have one house. "I don't need more than one car," he says. "I have a very nice house, but I don't need multiple homes or cars. I have everything I need. I know I am blessed." CJ

David Austin is a freelance writer who lives in Wichita, Kansas. TO SUBSCRIBE TO SPORTS SPECTRUM: CALL 1路 8 66路82 1 路297 1

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IT'S ALL ABOUT SAVES FOR BASEBALL'S TOP CLOSER, AND MARIANO RIVERA IS SEEKING BOTH THE BASEBALL KIND FOR HIS TEAM AND THE ETERNAL KIND FOR OTHERS â&#x20AC;˘ BY BOB BELLONE esus saves. Mariano Rivera loves being His setup man. Since 1995, Rivera has enjoyed mounds of success preserving victories out of the bullpen for the New York Yankees. Along the way, the sensational closer has been warming up for future save opportunities outside the lines. Perhaps sooner than some would appreciate. Before last season, fans debated online whether Rivera would gain entrance to the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. One stated that the Yankees would like their stopper to remain in pinstripes until he surpasses Lee Smith atop the career saves list, "though he wants to go off and become a Christian minister or some such nonsense." Some fans took issue with the remark from an admitted atheist, who couldn' t grasp the logic in sacrificing a prestigious record and greater baseball glory for a common ministry.

Rivera is uncertain when he will retire- his contract virtually assures his return next year if he remains healthy-but he does have an ambition to be

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enshrined in Cooperstown. "That's one of my goals, to be in the Hall of Fame," he says. His motivation then becomes clear. "I'm grateful to God for giving me life experiences and for giving me that platform to use for His glory. I love that, but even that doesn't compare to salvation." Always certain about his pitching approach, the trim right-hander isn't sure how he will deliver the gospel message after he stops tormenting batters with his wicked cut fastball and rising four-seamer. Rivera suspects he might get the call to stay in the game. "I've had in my heart that when I retire, if the Lord is willing for me to

.& All-Star family: Mariano's wife Clara and sons Mariano and Jafet join the All-Star pitcher In Detroit for the 2005 Mid-Summer Classic.

.,. Mariano Rivera has been racking up saves since 1996 after the team moved him from the starting rotation to the bullpen. He had five saves in 1996 and has had no fewer than 28 every year since. His saves zenith was 2004 when he saved 53 games. He began the 2006 season just 99 saves behind all-time leader Lee Smith.

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do that kind of job, I would love to work with the minor leaguers," says Rivera, who has a passion for guiding young players from Latin American countries. "That's my love. That's what I know how to do, to teach them about life and baseball. They come without knowing anything, so I want to teach them about the Word of 路God, because that will make them better people, better players, better everything." Rivera was among the first Yankees prospects to benefit from a similar ministry begun by Tampa resident Juan Pinol, who in I990 was recovering from a shoulder injury that ended his budding career as a shortstop in the Cincinnati Reds organization. "I used to go look for the Spanish people and try to help them out- take them to the mall, help them with English, provide transportation, take them home for Spanish food, then take them to church," says Pinol, who still ministers to players assigned to affiliate clubs in the rookie Gulf Coast League and the Class A Florida State League. "I

SPORTS SP EC TR UM - JULY路AUGUST 2006

tried to preach the gospel to them and steer them away from pmty life." Among his first contacts was Rivera, who wasn't a committed believer when he arrived from Panama as a wide-eyed rookie in 1990. The pair- whose earliest memories include pooling their limited resources on a bargain for shoesdidn't share a Christian walk until 1994. Rivera was completing a rehabilitation assignment that spring when he suddenly found himself desperate for relief. The day before he was to repm1 for a Double-A stint in Albany, New York, his wife Clara became sick and was hospitalized. The couple also had an infant son demanding attention.

It was time to save the closer, and mercy seemed to flow from every direction. The outpouri ng of love and concern made an immediate and everlasting impression on the young hurler. "The Lord always provided somebody to help me, which caught my attention because things don't happen like this," says Rivera, now the father of three sons. "I realized the Lord wanted a relationship with me. That's when I became a Christian." Rivera since has searched for chances to notch victories for the kingdom. The spring training home of the Yankees and their nearby minor-league complex in Tampa are located within

SAV ING GRACE

you know what? The seed is planted. minutes of assorted establishments preying on the sinful desires of men. You don 't plant a seed and tomorrow Foul territory to Rivera. it's grown already. It's impossible. We "There are a lot of temptations. You plant the seed, and the Lord will do have to know what is worth more," he the rest." says. "You put them on a scale-your His greatest challenge may be convincing rich and famous athletes they relationship with God or a woman or liquor or spending time with people are equally as dependent on God as you shouldn't be with or in cl ubs. I the souls who worship them from the think salvation is worth more than all cheap seats. of those things." Rivera wants everyone to know the Rivera has earned widespread respect score. at the ballpark by carefully guarding "I want to be as clear as water, as open as I can be, for people to underhis Christian testimony. Nonetheless, he wishes the "saves" wou ld come as stand that no matter who you are, no frequently off the field as they do matter how much you have, if you on the hi ll. don 't have Jesus Christ as your Savior, "Sometimes I get frus trated it doesn't mean anything," he says. because I talk to people and "I want to be "If you die, whatever you they don 't seem like they want as clear as I to change," he says. " I always accomplished and whatever ask myself what else has to be can be ... no you have stays and you go. done for them to open their And then what?" eyes and see. But I realize that matter how Ri vera has shared his faith it's not me who is going to much you have and wealth in generous porchange the hearts of the people. tions to needy people from the I have to believe and under- . . .if you don't United States, Panama, and stand that God is in control of Pinol remembers have Jesus as elsewhere. everything." the reaction of Cuban missionRivera finds joy in the early YOUr Savior, aries accepting a gift from his spri ng, when the home club- it dOeSn't mean fri~nd. "I thought they were house at Legends Field is gomg to have a hea11 attack overrun with minor leaguers. anything." when they saw the check. I'm Before a morning workout, it is not impressed, because I've seen it every yem·." common for young players to gather eagerly around his cubicle fo r a Bible Rivera was born November 29, study in Spanish. Rivera doesn' t mind 1969, in Panama City and grew up the occasional stares or amused looks dirt poor in Puerto Caimito, a nearby cast in his direction from other corners fi shing village. He was equipped with the natural tools for baseball at an of the bustling room. "I don 't care, because I' m not shy early age. He crafted the rest from about the gospel," he says. "God never anyth ing remotel y suitable, such as was shy about me, so why should I be his cardboard glove. Tree branches shy about Him? I always respect that, and proomsticks served as bats to and if I get an opportunity, no matter whack rolled-up rags bound in tape. where, I will speak because that's what "To me, that was the best equipment. 1' m here for." I was happy with everything that I got," Team chaplain George McGovern he says. "I didn't regret any moment. has witnessed significant spiritual I loved my childhood, and I wouldn't growth in Rivera in the past decade. "I trade it for anything." see much more confidence in speaking Rivera also embraced the game and about his relationship wi th God to his played every position to avoid the teammates, the media, whomever," dreaded bench. A longtime Yankees McGovern says. outfielder and friend has noticed the "He's much more of a leader than he evidence. was in the '90s in terms of rallying guys "He's probably one of the best outto come to chapel or inviting them to a fielders we have. He's always shagging Bible study." balls," Bernie Williams says. "He plays Rivera doesn't limit his invitations all fields. He can go and get 'em. to the team. He has repeatedly tried in He's a natural athlete, but he prevain to persuade a certain beat reporter pares. He works hard, and he makes to attend a Baseball Chapel service. sure that his body and his mind are "Maybe someday," he says, "but always ready when the time comes to WEB SllE: www.SportsSptctrum .c om

.... t.tCISoVrC GnlY IIMGES

.., Short-term relief. Rivera has appeared in nearly 700 bigleague games and has pitched fewer than 900 Innings.

Slarllinu SlaPI • Perhaps it was a sign from heaven when Ma ria no Rivera bowed to the Angels in his first major league game in 1995. The crowning blow in that starting role was struck with one out in the fo urth inning, when Jim Edmonds sent a Rivera offering over the wall and the 25-year-old packing with half the baggage from a 10-0 loss at Anaheim Stadium. Rivera completed his rookie campaign with a 5-3 record and 5.51 earned run average in 19 appearances. His 10 starts for outgoing Yankees manager Buck Showalter were the last of his illustrious career. A limited repertoire highlighted by his rising heaterRivera didn't develop his bat-breaking cutter until1999hastened his departure from the rotation. The decision by new manager Joe Torre was further eased by Rivera's timely perfection in three relief appearances against Seattle in the 1995 playoffs while standout closer John Wetteland was slumpi ng. Out of the bullpen, Rivera has compiled astounding numbers, especially in crunch time. In 52 playoff games against American League foes, he is undefeated with six victories and 25 saves. His ERA is a microscopic 0.67. He was nearly as dominant in 20 World Series games with a 2-1 record, 1.16 ERA, and nine saves. Rivera still has fond memories of his rough debut in California. "It was good. It was exciting for me," says Rivera, who rebounded 5 days later in Oakland with his first victory. It was the only one New York would celebrate on the ninegame road trip. If necessary, the future Hall of Fa mer would have swept peanut shells off the bullpe n floor to remain in Yankee pinstripes. "I enjoyed being a starter, but I was happy just to be in the big leagues," he says. "God has a purpose for everything, and He knows where to put you and where you're going to be successful." Former bench coach Don Zimmer remembers the huge relief Rivera provided after Wetteland bolted the New York bullpen for greener pastures in Texas, after closing out fou r consecutive World Series victories in 1996. "Not everybody can be a closer. A lot of guys don't have the menta lity," Zim mer says. "As it turned out, the man is going to the Hall of Fame."

-BOB BELLONE

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play in a game." Rivera was a 20-year-old playing for his hometown team one day when its staff ace was getting shelled. God threw open the bullpen door and Ri vera charged through. "We didn't have any more pitchers," he says. "I grabbed the ball and started pitching. That's when God used that position to put me where I am right now." Soon afterward, Rivera was spending a Sunday with his fami ly at a beach near their home. Upon his return, a pair of teammates greeted him with word that a Yankees scout was seeking an extended look at him. A week of tryouts culminated in a modest contract that enabled him to cast aside a job

Rivera says. "Without the Lord, I wouldn't be here because He provided everything for me. Everything!" Right off the bat, Rivera began producing some eye-popping numbers. He fini shed his first professional season with a 5- 1 record in 22 appearances, dominating the Gul f Coast League with a stunning 0.1 7 earned run average. In his only starting assignment, he pitched a seven-inning no-hiller. In 1995, Rivera finally broke into the majors as a spot starter. He gained notoriety the following year as a setup man for John Wetteland, who capped a brilliant season with four consecutive saves in a World Series triumph against the Atlanta Braves.

nailed down in Minnesota. As the champagne flowed, Ri vera and his wife were led aside and informed two close relatives had been electrocuted in the couple's swimming pool in Panama. Rivera endured an emotional funeral, then returned to New York barely in time to seal a victory that night in the American League Championship Series opener against bitter rival Boston. Occasionally, the ace lireman isn't so hot. The Yankees seemed destined to clinch the pennant after winning the first three games. The Red Sox, however, shocked the nation with four consecutive victories- two of them on blown saves by Rivera- to reach the World Series they eventually swept

..t. Closing connection: Catcher

..t. Torre time: Joe Torre took over

..t. What a relief: Former NY coach

Jorge Posada has been Rivera's battery-mate since 1997.

as New York's skipper in 1996 and hasn 't had a closer problem since.

Don Zimmer called the WettelandRivera duo one of the best.

working with his father in the fishing business. "I didn't want that to be my life, to be the job that I would do to support my family," says Rivera, who had tinkered with the idea of becoming an auto mechanic. "What amazes me is that God knows your heart. He knew that my heart wasn't in fishing. I wasn't looking for baseball either, but He has given me the talent and He uses me that way." In biblical fashion, Rivera was transformed from an unheralded sandlot product into one of the most dominant pitchers in baseball history. He is on pace to reign at or near the top of every single-season and career stati sti cal chart for relievers. Naturally, he gives God the glory. "He has given me the talent. He has given me the mentality, the wisdom,"

"All we played for that year was five or six innings because we knew if we had them beat by a run after six innings, Rivera was going to get them in the seventh and eighth and Wetteland in the ninth," former bench coach Don Zimmer says. ''That was probably one of the greatest 1-2 punches that I've ever watched in one season." Both pitchers were promptly rewarded for their success. Wetteland immediately became a free agent and signed a rich contract with the Texas Rangers. Rivera inherited the closer role. "He just took over, and he made this team a lot better," catcher Jorge Posada says. "He makes it look easy, but it's really tough what he does." Rivera is the poster boy for mental toughness. In 2004, the Yankees were celebrating a playoff series cli ncher he had just

from St. Louis. "We needed to win one more game," he says. "We couldn't win one game out of four? It wasn't meant to be. It was as simple as that. The r~asons why? Only the Lord knows why." "' And only heaven knows how Rivera squandered his next two chances to protect leads against Boston in the opening series last year at Yankee Stadium. When he did, the press box critics and fans brought heat. Rivera responded by converting his next 31 save opportunities, a personal best. He also made his seventh trip to the All-Star Game en route to a careerlow 1.38 ERA. Never, though, did Rivera take pot shots at the Bronx boo birds. "I don' t let things that I don't control affect me," he says. "I cannot tell you what to say or what to do. You control

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that. If they want to boo me, hey, that's okay. If they want to cheer me, they cheer me." Shortstop Derek Jeter, another close teammate, applauds that attitude. "They boo everybody," he says. "They booed me for a month too. That's part of the game." In the opposite dugout, former Red Sox center fielder Johnny Damon and his teammates were j umping for joy while maintaining a healthy respect fo( Rivera. ' 'I know we had some lucky streaks against him over the years, but if he olew a game, he was able to come back out the next night and get thejob clone," ays Damon, who signed a free-agent

him the ball late and put everything else in the hands of God. " He doesn't really talk that much," Torre says. " He's not one of those rahrah, let's go guys, but when he speaks, everybody listens." They did that night. Rivera entered in the eighth inning with a 2-1 lead and allowed only a harmless single while striking out the side. Then came the unforgeuable home ninth. Rivera allowed a leadoff single by Mark Grace, then committed a throwing error to set the stage for defeat. Tony Womack tied the score with a one-out double. Ri vera hit Craig Counsell with a pitch before surrendering a looping single that broke the

â&#x20AC;˘ Saving grace. Not even Mariano Rivera gets a save every time. In the 2001 World Series, Rivera gave up a Series-winning single to Arizona's Luis Gonzalez In Game 7. That loss ended up being good news for Enrique Wilson.

contract with the Yankees in December. "We never felt good facing him." Manager Joe Torre is convinced he wouldn' t have collected four World Series rings without The Hammer of God, a nickname Rivera cheri shes. "We played a lot of close championship games," Torre says. " You play close games, you rely on thi s guy more than any other player on the field." Rivera delivered the final pitches in three consecutive World Series tri umphs between 1998 and 2000, earning Most Valuable Player honors in 1999. Interestingly, he also found a reason to be thankful for an epic collapse against Arizona in the 200 I Fall Classic. In Game 6, New York was blown out in a bid to clinch its fourth title in a row. The supremely conlident Rivera surprised his teammates before the deciding game by urging them to get WE B S I T E: ww w.Sp o rts Sp ec t r um . com

bat of Luis Gonzalez and the hearts of the New York faithful. Rivera, who had recorded 23 straight postseason saves since a painful loss at Cleveland in a 1997 division series, walked off in quiet disappointment. Still, he took comfort in the promise in Romans 8:28 that " in all things God works for the good of those who love Him." Rivera wondered what good would come from his meltdown in Game 7 of the World Series. He soon was told the subsequent cancellation of a victory parade in Manhallan prompted Enrique Wilson, his teammate, friend, and evangelistic target, to change his travel plans to the Dominican Republic. The airliner on which Wil son originally was booked crashed shortly after takeoff from John F. Kennedy Airport, killing all 260 people aboard and five

others on the ground in a residential section of Queens. " If we would have won it, he would have been on that plane and his life would have been lost. Not only his life, but his family all together would have been lost," Rivera says. " I always was talking to him about Jesus Christ and he always told me, 'It's not time yet, it's not time yet, it's not time yet. I' m not ready, I'm not ready, I' m not ready.' But you' II never be ready because tomorrow is not promised to anybody." Wilson was trying to earn an infield spot with the Reel Sox this spring when he was asked how being spared from the doomed flight affected him. " I got a second chance and I thank God for letting me live," he says. "Every day, I try to learn something from the Bible. Maybe in the future I' ll be a Christian, you never know, but I need to learn more." Ri vera recalls fellow believers not needing the lofty platform he enjoys to share their faith with shaken New Yorkers in the wake of terrorist attacks in 200 I. "That opened doors for a lot of people. Everybody was searching for God," he says. " I saw people on the streets, in the hospitals, everywhere, just preaching. It was something that I wish was the same today, but it's not. " It's a shame." In the aftermath of that disaster, the unfailingly humble Rivera presented the second of his four American League Rolaids Relief Man trophies to the Fire Depmtment of New York. " I save games. The real saviors out there are the firefighters and the policemen," he says. "Those are the ones who put their lives on the line, day in and day out. I just got inspired and shared it with them." Ri vera and his wife are overwhelmed by their blessings from God. " I can't believe it. We'rej ust so grateful for where He has put us," Rivera says. "We were nothing. We're still nothing because everything belongs to Him. Because of that, I' m so thankful for what God has done in our lives. And He continues doing things. That's the beauty of putting your heart into the Lord's hands. He will do amazing things with your life. Amazing things!" 0

"He really doesn'ttalk that much. He's not one of those rah-rah guys. But when he speaks, everybody listens." MANAGER JOE TORRE ONRIVERA

Bob Bellone writes for the Tampa Tribune and freelances for The Associated Press. SPO RTS SP EC TRU M - JU LY - AUGUST 2006

3 9

KATHERINE HULL FEELS THAT GOD DESTINED HER TO CROSS THE OCEANS TO CARVE OUT SUCCESS IN BOTH COLLEGE AND PRO GOLF-FAR AWAY FROM HER NATIVE AUSTRALIA

â&#x20AC;˘

BY JENNA SAMPSON I .

Australian golfer Katherine Hull is shining bright on

the horizo as a star of tomorrow, and she's not wasting any time getting there. Her adventure began growing up next door to Crocodile Dundee, then being whisked away on a golf scholarship to one of the most established and beautiful college campuses in the world. A few short years later, she's traveling the globe playing the greens on the world's best courses. ~ While most ;\,edia coverage in women's golf highlights the Top 10, the young Aussie is on the brink of stardom and not far behind! Hull tallled $20 I,000 in earnings during 2005, with a second-place finish at the BMO Financial Group Canadian Wop1en's Open, and she won the ALPG Players Championship on !he Australian Ladies Professional Golf Tour. " 'm living a dream and doing something God has gifted me to do," says Hull. "I'm very blessed to be able to do this 40

SP ORTS SPE CTR UM - J ULY- AUGUST 2006

for a livi ng. It's something I' ve dreamed about since I was 14 years old." The 24-year-old moved from her native Queensland, Australia, at the age of 17 to attend Pepperdine University half a world away in Malibu, Califomia. While attending the prestigious school with an ocean view, Hull blasted the NCAA record for lowest 18-and 54-hole scores in history. She was the 2003 NCAA College Player of the Year, a two-year All-American, and the winner of eight collegiate tournaments. Hull was also honored with the prestigious Dinah Shore Award in 2003, given to the top female collegiate golfer in the nation. "It was totally a God thing. It was my destiny to go there," Hull notes of Pepperdine. "The golf coach was wonderful , and the moment I stepped on the campus, I knew it was the place I wanted to go. It was a small school, which attracted me because I went to a small Christian school back home, and TO SUBSCRIBE TO SPO RT S SPEC T RUM ' CALL 1Âˇ866- 8 21- 29 7 1

when I came here I was only 17 and didn't want to get lost in the crowd." Hull qualified for the LPGA on her first try in 2003. She won two Futures Tour events, the first in her inaugural professional tournament, the Aurora Health Care FUTURES Charity Golf Classic. The following season she earned non-exempt status and shot a career-low 65 at the Longs Drugs Challenge. Hull entered 2006 on the heels of a successful 2005 season. At press time, she ranked 153rd on the Rolex Women's World Golf Ranki ngs, the system introduced in March that has some players happy, and many not. "I don't think we need a world ranking," says Hull. "The LPGA already knows who the best golfers in the world are. We don't have any world golf tournaments like the men do, so it doesn' t have any use other than media hype. If we did have a world match play like the guys do, I could understand it, but right now I don' t think it's justified. Quite frankly, there's too much personal opinion in there, and not enough fact to support it." In the meantime, while the ranking system is still working itself out, Hull is on the road and looking forward to her favorite major. "The US Open is probably the best one we have, closely followed hy McDonald's [LPGA Championship)," she states. "The US Open has so much g hype to it- there is nothing spared at ~; that tournament, that's for sure." Hull is also earnestly awaiting the ~ trip to next year's British Open, set to ~ be played at renowned St. Andrews, the 1 world's oldest and most esteemed golf 0 club. Her favorite course in the US, however, is Flint 1-{ills National Golf

i f

.&. Tough times. Through the end of May, Katherine Hull was struggling on the course, missing the cut in s ix straight tournaments. ~ Notes of encouragement. When Katherine is not on the course, she gains strength and hope from the music of her favorite Christian artists Jeremy Camp, the David Crowder Band, and Sonic Flood. She also gets a boost from the 2005 and 2006 WOW Hits COs.

Club in Andover, Kansas, where she the fan base is also varied. That helps us participated in the 2001 Amateur US to be able to relate to everyone, not just Women's Championship. someone our own age." "Every day the golf course changes," Hull isn't shy about sharing her faith says Hull. "The wind is always different, while on Tour. She wears a golf cap that there's a lot of ways to play each hole; says "Jesus" on the front, John 3:16 on they each have their own character, and one side, and Acts 4:12 is on the other. the greens are probably the That verse say , "Salvation purest year-round that I've g is found in no one else, for ever played on." there is no other name under heaven given to men by Hull travels on the Tour which we must be saved." II months out of the year and gets to spend one ~ "It's a great conversation month back home in ~ starter, and it gives me a way Australia. Here's what a to share my faith and answer ~ questions people have," she typical tour week looks like for Tour players. ffi says. "I don't think people "Monday is usuall y a ~ stand up enough for their travel day, Tuesday is a pracfaith these days. They tend to shy away from it, so I thi nk tice round, and Wednesday "I don't think is usually the pro-am," she it's something we should do notes. "Usually a tournabecause God told us to people stand up ment is a 4-day event, so it spread the good news. Even stm1s on Thursday and ends if it's just one person we talk enough for their to, Sunday. Then we do the it's something." same thing all over again. I Hull didn't grow up in faith these days:· a Christian tell people we're like the home, but attraveling circus." tended a Lutheran school Hitting golf balls isn' t the only thing from grades 5- 12. She learned about Hull has to worry about. She takes care Christ while attending Christian living of her travel arrangements and accom- classes and going to chapel. modations, and she carves out time to "When I was 12, I accepted Jesus as stay in shape. But most important, it's my Lord and Savior; and when l was her time spent with fellow Christians 15, I decided to get baptized," says that helps her stay spiritually sharp on Hull. "I went to Pepperdine University, the Tour. She meets with the Women's which is a Christian school too, and that Professional Golf Fellowship (WPG F) helped me grow in my faith as well." every week. One of Hull 's role models, Betsy "It's a great group of people, and Ki ng, is retiring from the LPGA this Cris Stevens, who leads the ministry, year and recently met up with the does a terrific job," she says. "I'm very Aussie for one last round of golf after blessed to have that available. There are the Safeway International Tournament. "Betsy's been on Tour for 35 years so many things that can influence you, and society is becoming more secular, and pioneered fellowship and talking so if you can stay in the Word and fel- about her faith," says Hull. "She's a lowship with others, that can help." world of knowledge and someone I' ve The group, which includes up to 30 really looked up to all these years." women a week, also embarks on misKing has made her mark on history, sion trips and regularly helps assist and she passes the torch on to younger Habitat for Humanity. Last year, Hull up-and-comers like Hull, who is excited and her best friend Catherine Cartwright about the future, wherever it may take her. were in a Bible study with Hall of Fame "I've thought about college coaching legend Betsy King, Top I0 player someday, but it will depend on where Lorena Ochoa from Mexico, Nicole God wants me," she said. "I have a pasPenot from Chile, and retired player sion for studying the Bible, so 1 wouldn't Suzanne Strudwick from England. mind goi ng back to school and getting a "Catherine is the you ng American, degree in religion and doing mission and I'm the young Aussie," says Hull. trips. It will depend on where God is "Part of being on the Tour is learning directing me." 0 about other cultures and associati ng with people of di fferent ages. Players Jenna Sampson, former softball player on the tour range from age 18 to 60, so at Azusa Pacific, lives in Oceanside, CA. SPORTS SPECTRU M • JU LY · AUGUST 2006

-------- ------ ------- --- -------- ----- --------- ------- ----- ---- ---------------- ----- ------- ----------- ------ --- --路

ith great anticipation,

&RA

we arrived at our boat early in the morni ng. It was my first day of bonefishing, and l was both excited and anxious about taking on such a challenge. I had heard a lot about the sport from my husband's family, who had been going to the Bahamas regularly for over 20 years to fish. With four different boats going

OMEKO GLINTON CAN SEE FAR BEYOND THE END OF HIS Ll ANOTHER PRIZE BONEFISH- HE SEES A VISION FOR USING HISS FOR GOD'S KINGDOM IN THE GRAND BAHAMAS AND BEYOND

out that day, everyone was eager to see how the guides had been assigned. Why? Because everyone wanted Meko. Twenty-six-year-old Omeko Glinton, known by everyone in the islands as Meko, is regularly in high demand as the top fishing guide at the Deep Water Cay Club. My husband and Meko are about the same age and had essentially grown up together. As a result of their friendship, we had the honor of having the talented Meko as our guide. Bonefishing is commonly referred to among fi shermen as the most challenging type of sport tishing. It requi res refined skills of timing, rhythm, and intuition. The first challenge is to stalk the fish in the fiats. With my untrained eye, l could seldom see the fish even when Meko pointed them out. Bonefish are typically 3- to 6-pound fish that make their home in water that is about a foot deep, primarily in grassy flats but sometimes over whi te sand. Meko had an incredible ability to spot the "fishy" water. After identifying the slender, silver fish in the clear Bahamian waters, Meko taught me to cast a fly a few feet from it, let it sink to the bottom and then make the fly dance across the ocean floor to imitate the shrimp that bonefish feed on. Casting is no easy task. Most people, including myself, try to muscle the rod and use their arm to whip it from front to back. Meko was patient as he assured

me that it was more about timing and rhythm than strength. The ocean winds make casting the fly in the right location a challenge, but the reward of catching a bone on the fly is well wo11h it. As I struggled to get the rhythm of casting the line, Meko shared with us about how he had become a fisherman.

"I got into fishing when I was really

young. I was about 7 or 8 years old. I learned to fish from my parents, Ludell and Stanley. As a kid I would always go with them on fi shing trips, because I was the oldest child and they could use my help," Meko explained. "At that time that was the only way we made ends

拢 Fishing for men. "Meko" patiently stands ready to guide folks from all over the world to the challenging

a/bula vulpes-and whenever possible, to things eternal.

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TO SU BSCR IBE TO SPORTS SP ECT RUM: CALL l - 866路 82 1 - 2 9 71

THAT HAS SNAGGED TO INFLUENCE PEOPLE STORY AND PHOTOS BY CHRIST IE PETTIT

~ Fish tales. With Meko's help, Christie and Peter Pettit were able to land some impressive bonefish. This fish is noted for being, pound for pound, possibly the strongest fish In the world. When hooked, a bonefish will take off so fast that 100 yards of line disappears in a matter of seconds.

meet. Life was not easy for my family. There were so many things we wanted but didn't have. We were basically living in povetty." Meko first became a guide after he had just graduated from high school and was looking for work. What began as a means of survival became a passion and an avenue for success. WEB SITE: www.Spor t sSpec tru m.com

Meko now competes in tournaments and has qu ickly established himself among the best in the world. In a typical bonefishi ng competition, each contestant has a full day to catch as many bonefish as he or she can. In most tournaments the winner takes first place with over 60 fish. In our fairly active

day of fishing together we caught 14, so it is hard to imagine what it would take to stalk and hook 60 fish in a single day. October 2002 was an especially good month for Meko. He captured a first place title at the Bahamas National Bonefishing Championship and a second place fi nish at the World Invitational. S PORTS SPECT RU M - J ULY路 AUGU ST 2006

GR AND VISION

Meko's insatiable pursuit of a challenge is one of the things that draws him to bonefishing. "I love that it's a sport you would never master no matter how good you are; there is always a new challenge every day." His most recent trick is casting the line without a rod. Sound impossible? Meko demonstrated. He explained to us about rhythm and using the weight of the line as he began to let out the li ne and art istically toss it from one hand to the other. Before we knew it, he had over fifty feet of li ne

much to love about this sp011. !love the fact that I'm out there in God's beautiful creation doing something I love." For Meko, fishing is about being in God's presence and enjoying God's beauty. "It is one of the most beautiful sports in the world, and if you want to have a thrill, wait until you hook up on a bonefish. It's better than any roller coaster you have ever been on." Meko was right. There really is nothing like bringing in a bonefish. It is such a challenge to find the fish, strategically

cast out over the water. His hands moved quickly and gracefully. It was as if the line was just an extension of his ann. Most people can't cast a line like that using a rod, let alone with their bare hands. Meko's humble spirit as he told us of his achievements and demonstrated his ihcredible talents indicated that his worth is grounded in something other than his fishing talent. Although Meko is one of the best bonefishermen in the world, it is his faith that is his true passion. When asked about why he loved bonefishing so much, Meko responded, "There's so

place the fly, set the hook, and then reel in the powerful fish. After landing a bone, Meko's custom is to unhook it and gently rub the fish's beak before releasing it back into the water. It is a subtle gesture of hannony and appreciation. The fish are not Meko's enemies to be captured, but his playmates in a game that he loves. "I also love that as a bonefishing guide God allows me to meet a lot of different people from all over the world," Meko continued. He has given casting lessons to celebrities like Davis Love Ill and Fred Funk, but that

[Meka] told us that when he shares his faith it is a lot like fishing. You have Ia be patient and let the line do the work. You can't try Ia muscle them in an your awn.

oou.-n sv: THI OfMS COUPNN

-'- Alluring. It doesn't look like much to us, but to the boneflsh, the Meko Special lure looks like lunch.

is not what really excites Meko. Fishing is not just his job, it is his ministry. For example, Meko told us of one couple he guided who had come down to the islands to get away. They were struggling in their maJTiage and were seeking a peaceful retreat. As they fished with Meko, they were charmed by his gentle nature. The couple opened up with him about the challenges they faced. Meko listened and had the opportunity to share his faith as he tried to offer them hope in the midst of their struggles. He told us that when he shares his faith it is a lot li ke fishing. You have to be patient and let the line do the work. You can't try to muscle them in on your own. Meko could relate to this couple's feel ings of desperation. His own struggles have allowed him to connect well with others. Although he was raised in a church-going home, as a teenager he began to make decisions that distanced himself from God. One bad choice led to another and he finally found himself caught in the life of drinking, sex, and drugs that is common to the young people in the islands. Meko recalls, "My mind was totally poisoned by these things that I had allowed to take over my life." At one point he faced the possibility of 15 years in jail as a result of his poor choices. But one evening as he was prepa1ing for his usual night of partying, he heard God calling him. "It was al most like God had a pat1icular time for me to come back, and I harkened to his voice." Meko reports that his life hasn't been the same since. He gave up his partying and began to dedicate himself to growing closer to God. He invested in building a family, establishing a church community, and refining his fishi ng skills. Meko is now eager to share the aramatic shift that this powerful experience brought about in his life. As we prepared our lines for a few final casts, Meko pulled out a small contai ner and began to tie on a new fly. In addition to working as a guide, Meko has also embarked on a business venture. He has begun tying and selling his own flies, which have quickly become quite popular. "Besides all the competitions that I won, there are some other awesome things that have happened for me in this sp011, such as creating my own bonefishing flies," Meko reported. "This one by the name of the Meko Special is sold exclusively by the Orvis

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TO SUBS CRIBE TO SPO RTS SP ECTRU M' CALL 1 路 866 路82 1 路 2971

GRAND VISION

company." Orvis has not been able to keep the Meko Special in stock because of the high demand. Meko's many successes thus far make one wonder about his plans for the future. "One of my goals for the future is to take the sport ofbonefishing to another level and to encourage young people to get into it." Meko is so passionate about bonefishing that he wants others to share in his joy. "Another goal is to write a book and also work on some bonefishing and fl y casting videos. I would also love to start a bonefishing and fly casting clinic or school where I could teach." Meko is always thinking about ways he can reach out to others through his sport. Although many people have never even heard of bonefishing, if Meko has anything to say about it, it will one day be a well-known sport. Meko sees sharing bonefishing with others as an avenue for sharing his faith. Meko is not just an amazing fisherman and creative entrepreneur. He is also the happily man路ied father of two beautiful girls. Meko lives with his family in McClean's Town, a small settlement on the island of Grand Bahama

.,. Small fries. Meko and Samantha Glinton enjoy Bahamian life with their girls Bobbie (2 ) and Omeka (8).

with a population of about 400. Located on the east end of the island, it is just a short boat ride from Deep Water Cay. Meko's faith is also evident in his investment in his family and his dedication to them. Despite all of his successes, his family remains among his highest priorities and his greatest joys. Meko is clearly a man of many talents and passions. Even greater than his love for fishing and his adoration for his fami ly, though, is his love for God. His life is a ministry as he is always looking for opportunities to spread the gospel. "I always wanted to let the world know about the goodness of God and where He brought me from. That's why I am who I am today ... because of Jesus Christ." 0

Christie and Peter Pettit live in Atlanta, Georgia. A fanner tennis player at Virginia, Christie has written a book, Starving, about her struggles with eating disorders.

Straight Talk With . ..

PITCHER, SAN DIEGO PADRES • In 2005, compiled an 8-1 record with an ERA of 1.83 • In 2004, did not give up a run in 15 straight appearances • My grandfather's death occurred when I was 11 years

old. It was the first time I dealt with mortality. It was something I had never thought about. I wanted to know for a fact what life after death actually meant. I grew up in the Lutheran church, and in seventh and eighth grade I was confirmed and made my faith public. That was the first time I actually stepped out and made a statement about my faith. I feel I've always been a Christian, but there's a time in everybody's life when the rubber meets the road, and that for me was when I was away from home for the first time. I never really experienced leaving the nest at home and going into the real world. I signed in 1997 with the Giants, then I went to play in Salem-Keizer, Oregon, in shortseason Class A ball. I ended up meeting people from all walks of life, many of whom didn't have any background in Christianity. I wanted to be a good teammate and a guy who was fun to be around. Part of that was my own naivete to the pressures of the world. I didn't guard myself against that. There were a lot of tests immediately, and I really had to take a stevback and evaluate things. Was I acting as a true child of God, or was I conforming to the rest of the world? I remember 2000 being a big year, not only from a career standpoint but from a faith standpoint. I went from the Giants' minor league system up to the big leagues and was up there 2 weeks before getting traded to Houston. We have some great chaplains in

baseball, but I think ultimately it comes down to the decision you make in your own heart. The Bible says man looks at the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart. There was something missing, and I needed to get that back. I had never really put forth the time and effort to deter~ mine the fundamental meaning of my i faith. So at that point I decided to~ ~ rededicate my life to the Lord. I got married in 2003, and ~ that was a big turning point in J my life. I was the leader of a household, and responsible for the spiritual life of that household. Each year I'm being challenged in new areas. It's amazing the things He's allowed me to do, and the amount of blessings God has given me. I remember attending a Pro Athletes Outreach meeting for pro athletes and their wives. A man who was leading praise and workshop said, "No matter how far you stray from God, you're only one step away from coming back home." God's Word tells us it takes one step, one change of the heart to ask Him into your life. Faith is something that God will give you. Just ask Him into your life. It's amazing what He can do when you invite Him in. 0

Why Did Jesus Do It? Why Did Christ Havt ToOit!

Jesus set aside all of the glories of heaven so He could come to earth and be tortured and killed. What was He thinking? He was thinking about us. Read why Jesus had to do that, and why we have to understand what His death means. Read Why Did Christ Have To Die? on the Web: www.rbc.org/ bi ble_studyI discovery_seriesfbookletf309 98.aspx

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