AMAZING STORY
Baseball Hitting Specialist Draws Inspiration from Faith
By Tom Buehring
The 700 Club
CBN.com - The Seattle Mariners’ Seth Smith is a luxury for any baseball lineup; a high-percentage left-handed hitter who willingly adjusts to the assignment needed. “I’ve had a lot of different roles on a lot of different teams. And you just attack each role that you’re given.”
Multiple roles on four different teams - with versatility emerging as his specialty! Seth is a starting corner outfielder and designated hitter. But he also shares his position and pinch-hits - dependent on left or right-handed pitching matchups.
Tom Buehring, 700 Club Producer: “Is it something you learn over the years that you’ve got to hold things loosely?”
Seth: “Absolutely! You may not know on a given day what your role is going to be. If you’re playing every day you’re going to get tired. If I come to the field and I’m a bench player for a little bit, preparing for one at bat obviously that puts a lot of pressure on one chance that you have. You’re expected to perform and the sooner you figure out a way to not put too much pressure on yourself, not be afraid of failure and just be able to go out there and perform, the better off you’re going to be.”
The veteran has mastered the balance of flexibility with success and support while playing collegiate sports at Ole Miss where Seth was both an All-American outfielder -- and a backup quarterback to Eli Manning.
Tom: “What have you been able to crossover from football into your baseball career?”
Seth: “There’s definitely lessons you learn along the way. As a quarterback you’re mostly just kind of staying on an even keel, when good things happen you don’t want to get too excited and when bad things happen you don’t want to get too down and that plays a lot in Major League Baseball.”
Seth’s Major League debut with the Colorado Rockies in 2007 included a World Series loss. But eight seasons and three trades later, his endurance affords him opportunity.
Seth: “The amount of failure that’s in this game if you don’t have perspective first of all and the ability and the fortitude to persevere through some tough times – you’re going to get weeded out pretty quickly.”
Tom: “The game of baseball changes with uncertainty, so focus is everything. For Seth that means not only keeping his vision batter-sharp, but his depth perception faith-filled.”
Seth: “This game’s hard enough not having a Biblical perspective. For me it’s putting it at the forefront, it’s not waiting until you’re down or things aren’t going the right way. It’s having Christ there with you to enjoy things along the way.”
Growing up in a Christian family, Seth has embraced his faith as intentional, foundational and active.
Seth: “Professionally, if I become stagnant and just stay the same, it’s going to be over sooner rather than later. It’s kind of the same with my personal life with Christ; it’s there and I’m confident in it and still trying to have it pour over in every aspect of my life.”
“Christ in our lives doesn’t make us perfect. We’re still in need of a Savior and we still need His forgiveness. Whatever you’re going through someone in the big leagues is going through as well, and it’s fun to have Christ there and go through it with me.”
“I get excited about the idea that I can go play a game and play it in a way that honors Christ and somebody can see that and maybe see this interview or something like this and draw themselves closer to Christ.”
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