Pitcher D.L. Hall stood at his locker prior to the Orioles’ first playoff game at Camden Yards in nine years – one of several O’s players in the postseason spotlight for the first time. As reporters huddled around Hall, I asked the 25-year-old rookie how he got through injuries and was able earn a spot on the playoff roster. His response was immediate: “My faith in Jesus Christ. He pulled me through. I knew with him, as long as I stayed positive, things were going to work out how they’re supposed to.”
Hall’s words are not uncommon in an Orioles clubhouse where several players answer baseball questions with references to “God’s plan” and “God’s timing.” Often in media coverage, the subject of faith is glossed over or ignored, but in the case of the resurgent 2023 Orioles, it appeared clear to me as a reporter that togetherness in faith among players furthered their bond as teammates.
Pitcher Tyler Wells described it as the largest group of Christian fellowship he’s ever seen on a team.
“We have guys who aren’t afraid to talk about it,” he said. “It gives us an accountability to make sure we stay on top of ourselves and understand God’s word, where he’s working in our lives.”
From rising young stars Gunnar Henderson and Adley Rutschman to veterans Austin Hays and Kyle Gibson, weekly Bible study and Sunday chapel gatherings help them navigate the long journey of 162 games over a six-month season. Henderson told me it’s a “brotherhood.”
“You spend time in Christ together and you have guys you can lean on in that sense,” he explained. “To have that same love for Christ and to be able to coach each other and help each other along the way, it’s been really cool to have those guys I can lean on, especially being in my first year.”
Relief pitcher Danny Coulombe has played pro baseball for more than a decade. From the minor leagues to the majors, he points out the importance of shared faith with his teammates.
“We’re Christians first and baseball players second,” he said. “Our hope is in Jesus. When we can talk about that daily, just walk life together. There’s a group of us who talk each day about our daily devotionals and what the Lord is doing in our lives. Our wives also have Bible study where they’re able to share what they need to share and honestly live life together as God calls us to do it.”
Gibson, at 36 the oldest on the O’s roster, assumed a leadership role in facilitating Christian fellowship. Gibson attended a Baptist church and Catholic school growing up in Indiana where he met his wife Elizabeth, who attended both Catholic church and school. Gibson says faith directs his family in an ongoing commitment to charity work.
“For me, I believe that love started in the Bible and Jesus is love, and for me – I’m trying to love people no matter who they are,” he said.
The players with whom I spoke all agree that their faith is much bigger than baseball, but Gibson stops short of suggesting the Orioles won games because of their faith: “I’m not going to say it is a reason for success or not because I don’t necessarily believe in being blessed overly for believing, but I think it just gives us something off the field to bring us together. And on the field, it gives us a little more perspective.”
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