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Bible study keeps Tigers spiritually nourished Tuesday, May 1, 2007 By Lee Warren |
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They pray for needs that they or their teammates have and they read and discuss various Christian books. Last season, they used the “New Believers Bible” because it has built-in devotions about practical topics, such as what the Bible has to say about things like career, marriage, family, finances and more. The study started long before any of the current players were on the team. When Jeff Totten, Baseball Chapel leader to the Detroit Tigers, first started with the team in 1991, former Major League pitcher Frank Tanana was already leading some of the players in a team Bible study on the road. Totten continued the practice. He travels several times each year to lead the study on the road. When he’s not there, pitchers Nate Robertson and Mike Maroth lead the study. “Chapel is wonderful,” Totten said. “It’s 20 minutes before a game on Sundays. Kind of the next level for guys is the team Bible study on the road. It lasts about an hour — usually once a road trip. It’s more in-depth, more challenging, more time in the Word, more time in prayer and more accountability than a chapel can afford.” Robertson, the Tigers’ starter for Game Three of the 2006 World Series, says that the study contributes to his growth as a believer. “We have probably six or seven guys who go to the study, depending upon certain factors,” Robertson said. “It’s good to have that. It builds you up. You can get real stagnant in this routine. It is so routine what we do and it’s demanding and you need to have that time set aside.” Jones, who is creeping up on career save number 300, admits he doesn’t read the Bible as much as he should on his own. That’s one of the reasons the study group is so valuable to him. “I just try to be around as many people as I can who are good influences,” Jones said. “I do a lot of other reading, like ‘The Purpose Driven Life’ or ‘Every Man’s Battle.’ More reading in the Word is what I need to do. Jeff’s there to help us (with the study). He gives us little nuggets.” Another reason Jones values the group is that it keeps him accountable. Jones has battled lust in the past and he says that he had to work through that issue with other guys. By God’s grace, he says he’s been victorious for about a year. Jason Grilli, a relief pitcher with the Tigers who pitched in 51 games during the regular season last year while posting a 2-3 record with a 4.21 ERA, speaks highly about the study group as well. “Ever since I came over here (from the White Sox organization after the 2004 season), I knew there were some great individuals on this team,” Grilli said. “The Christian background that we have here has been influential on me personally. The more you have, the stronger you are.” Totten doesn’t want people to think that having a lot of Christians on the team necessarily equated to the run that the Tigers had last season in which they won the American League pennant, or even to wins in general. Rather than thinking about the Tigers as a team that benefits in the win column from having a large number of believers, he’d rather people see the steady influence that Christianity is having on the believers who are on the team. “I’ve seen the Christian guys on the team be pretty steady — whether it was last year during a playoff run or 2003 when they lost 119 games,” Totten said. “To me that is a sign of the maturity of a lot of those guys. While they are certainly affected by the winning and losing, for the most part they remain really consistent in their lifestyle and message. They don’t let external circumstances determine their inward peace with Christ.” Robertson, Jones, Grilli, Maroth and several other Tigers will share their testimonies at Comerica Park on April 28. Score Ministries and Baseball Chapel are hosting an event called Home Plate before a game with the Minnesota Twins. For more information about the event, visit www.homeplateoutreaches.com.
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