MLB All-Star credits team Bible study for building chemistry
One season removed from making the playoffs for the first time since 2009, the Colorado Rockies are back at it.
The Rockies currently stand at 26-24, which is good for first place in the National League West.
They’ve played particularly well away from Coors Field, as they they’ve posted a very solid 19-13 record on the road.
The Rockies have a lot of well-known hitters on their roster — Nolan Arenado, Ian Desmond, Carlos Gonzalez and Trevor Story, to name a few — but one of their most important players is two-time All-Star center fielder Charlie Blackmon.
Speaking with Sports Spectrum, Blackmon credited his team’s success to the fact that the core players have all gotten used to playing with each other.
“Our chemistry is a lot like it was last year,” Blackmon said. “We have the same core in the sense that we still have Nolan (Arenado), we still have DJ (LeMahieu), Trevor (Story) is going to be our shortstop. We got the same guys that are going to be in there every day and what we did was we added some key pieces, mostly in the bullpen.”
Like his team as a whole, Blackmon has played very well on the road. The 31-year-old is hitting .278 away from home, with 11 of his 12 home runs coming in road ballparks.
Though teams normally play better on their home field, Blackmon has an explanation for why the Rockies have such great chemistry on the road: a regular Bible study.
When they’re travelling, Blackmon and some of his teammates meet in Desmond’s hotel room for Bible study, which he said helps build community.
“The baseball culture hasn’t made Jesus very cool,” Blackmon said.
“You’re going against the grain in a sense, but we have quite a few Christians on the team and we have a Bible study. We have a good chaplain and we have a pretty good sense of community on the team,” he added.
Rockies radio broadcaster Jerry Schemmel normally leads the Bible study, allowing players to talk about what is on their minds.
“It’s really nice to have other guys that you can fall back on and talk to especially over the course of a six-month season. A lot of pressure. It’s just really nice to have someone that you can associate with,” Blackmon told Sports Spectrum.
It’s always great to see players turning to God and the Bible to relieve the pressures of a long season.
Moreover, it’s encouraging to hear about players like Blackmon fearlessly talking about the role faith plays in their lives.
And it’s not the first time Blackmon has spoken about his Christian faith. In an interview last year with CBN, he talked about how thankful he is that Christ loves him.
“The love that he has for me, even though I don’t deserve it,” he responded when asked what he admires most about Christ. “You know, that grace is something that I try to understand every day. But it’s hard to comprehend! I try and learn more about him every day.”
“I just want to represent our God in what I do, on the field, how I treat people and what I’m thinking all the time also. I think that’s very important,” he added.
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