Seth Smith relies on his faith to get him through the minefield of professional baseball. Denver Post photo by John Leyba.
A towering home run by Seth Smith on Sunday pushed across the winning run in the Rockies’ 4–2 victory over the San Francisco Giants in a crucial game in the National League wild-card race.
But more important to Smith is his faith. When Smith approaches the plate, DC Talk’s “Jesus Freak” blares from the loudspeakers at Coors Field.
“I wanted to pick a song that people knew,” said Smith of his way of showing his faith while playing major-league baseball. “It’s not my favorite song, but if you are a Christian you know ‘Jesus Freak.’ ”
As a big-league player the temptations are notorious, but Smith’s strong faith is what grounds him on the playground of professional sports.
“There are challenges, but it’s not hard for me,” said Smith, 26. “I’m not going to let it mess up my life and how I feel about Jesus Christ. It’s not worth it.
“From a young age, I’ve been a Christian — growing up in Mississippi it’s kind of the thing you do,” Smith said with a chuckle. “And I keep growing in my faith.”
The Rockies’ organization is known throughout baseball as being one of the more Christian-based ballclubs, making Smith’s transition into the big-league’s a little easier.
“I can’t talk about other clubhouses, but I can’t imagine it being any better than this,” Smith said of the Rockies. “We have a lot of guys here who are believers, and the ones who are not they have a lot of respect for us.”
Smith said he is looking forward to the new Leeland release “Love is on the Move” on Aug. 25. Another band he likes to listen to is Need to Breathe.
Sunday marked the Rockies’ fifth annual Faith Day that included a concert by MercyMe, a multiple Dove Award winner and Grammy nominated band. And if you thought you saw Seth Smith in the crowd –you did. He hurried out of the clubhouse to catch the band and praise the Lord.
It’s good to see a professional athlete proclaiming Jesus’s name outside of the winner’s circle. Seth Smith is a class act and has been an inspiring example of who Jesus was.
Seth Smith is an example of how the God of the universe cares for us and acts in our lives. It’s not easy to make Christ a priority in your life, but when you do, you feel His awesome love. That’s much more important than even game winning home runs off Tim Lincecum.
It’s good to see a professional athlete proclaiming Jesus’s name outside of the winner’s circle. Seth Smith is a class act and has been an inspiring example of who Jesus was.
Seth Smith is an example of how the God of the universe cares for us and acts in our lives. It’s not easy to make Christ a priority in your life, but when you do, you feel His awesome love. That’s much more important than even game winning home runs off Tim Lincecum.
All I have to say is PRAISE DOG!
All I have to say is PRAISE DOG!
I am a Phillies fan and I can say that it was a pleasant surprise to hear that played when Smith came to the plate. Its nice to see good role models in baseball.
I am a Phillies fan and I can say that it was a pleasant surprise to hear that played when Smith came to the plate. Its nice to see good role models in baseball.