Adam LaRoche, former Major League Baseball athlete and all around awesome guy, came out to Montana for some hunting. While here, he graciously agreed to share with us his personal story at After Hours Ribs & Brew. Thank you, Adam, for sharing your time and story with us!

Be sure to check out www.DeliverFund.org which Adam mentions in this talk. Adam has joined the crusade against human trafficking, as we all should!

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So, I was talking to my son in law Ryan, back in the springtime. He was on a business trip and come on up Brian. Adam wants to come on.

And we’ll get this started. But he was just telling me how he met Adam and it was just kind of a common bond and forest hunting is always a common bond and but then it was beyond that. It was about what

God was doing in their lives in reference to events like this. So I’ll let you kind of tell how that might connect for me. Guys, I’m writing record I,

as you guys know, this is Adam, we last last fall we were at actually the thanks for the intro goes to Ty’s wife, Tara Bradford, we had a fundraiser for deliver fund org. You guys haven’t heard of that to really New Yorkers, organizations that’s working on dismantling disrupting human trafficking here in the US. And so we were down in St. Louis, we had a couple things in common. We like craft beer. And we like to hunt. And we love the Lord. So it was a it was an interesting space because it was a very fancy event. And Adam and I sat next to each other and hit it off talking about hunting. And the conversation got a little bit deeper. And what was cool is at the time of last fall, if you remember, daily duck, it started out for hours and talking with Adam about it. He’s been doing a very similar thing with the same mission.

Down with men in his community in Kansas. So that was kind of how the conversation got going. We’ve stayed in touch we talked about shooting helping whitetail and, and this morning we got

spooked the big bull thanks to blackberry 20 yards away. Adam had his gun on the pistol instead of is the loop on his bow, but we’ve been having fun. So we’re going back on but I was excited to bring him over here and I was very grateful that he was one on top. So that’s really

cool, man. Thank you.

Man, I can’t thank you guys as have

not only for tonight and coming here.

But also for allowing me to come on

up on the ranch which I have no idea what I was getting very specific instructions not to tell anybody where this place was. I think it was what’s itself in here.

Anyway beautiful place man. This is

this is my favorite state.

And I made that As matter of fact I took 100 here 16 years ago my wife and I came

out at moonlight basin and spent a week here had a blast fell in love with this place.

Nine months later had a kid so we have a good time.

This morning, I got up and I was reminded of two things one if I need to move up here, if I wasn’t selling the whitetail deer my ranch in Kansas, I think we would be able to chase them out and

enjoying everything you guys have and the mountains up here we don’t get to see a lot of into I was reminded how out of shape on

and I want to clarify something because I hear this all the time. They said Well, you’re an athlete.

You know how you got it.

And I want to be very clear here there’s a, there’s a big difference between an athlete and a baseball player.

Because if you can if you can get inside the locker room with us before a game

i don’t think i don’t think football players or basketball players are in their kit cats and plan sold them 20 minutes before game starts. That is every Major League club Ah, so

now we’re we’re, we’re not athletes, we’re baseball players.

And I, you know, I’m gonna I’m going to go back a little bit and kind of give my kind of my brief journey to where I am today. And some of you guys may have heard the story a year or two ago when I left the game. It’s not I’ll give I’ll give a quick background on that. But, you know, I was lucky I was raised in the church.

Got to Christian parents that are awesome. I didn’t think that for a lot of years.

Now I’ve got she got 1514 year old myself and I let her apologize to my mom once a week for

your hair like we did for three years but you know, I was raised in the church, but the reason I went to church in Sunday school and the boring Wednesday night studies that my parents made me do it The house was I had a fear of of going to hell.

I wanted to be a believer because I didn’t want to go to hell. And that was it and I mean, I carried this on. I carry this on to college football

soon assume realize and you guys can probably relate to that. You know, when I’m when I’m in high school in Fort Scott, Kansas live in a small town hunter myself.

In high school, I can’t wait to get out.

I cannot stone for a year to the management to go to college. That’s that’s where it’s going to be at. I could just get into college, get out of the house, do my own thing and get to college. A year into that

I just want to play pro ball like this. This is my father. I could sign

it sign start my career like pro ball.

That’s that will bring through, you know peace, happiness.

And you guys can see where this is going. You signed you get it now. Okay now we’re in the big leagues I’m in the minor leagues making $400 every couple weeks

it was a blast awesome learning experience, but I mean, literally no money and minor league ball so naturally, I get to

make it to the big leagues

and ended a long term deal.

Yeah, this is great. This is you know what I dreamed up since I was a kid. It’s like this isn’t anymore.

signed a contract. It’s not good. You know, then years go by and it’s like, man, I just want to retire. Just want to retire. Go home. Go hunt and fish. That’s my life. The one the ranch. It’s come up to places like this. And

So, it was, I don’t know, halfway through my mind. Actually, I started noticing that everything on all the goals on setting

are a dead end.

Because I’m reaching I feel like in my mind I’m going I’m reaching these and I get there and it just it doesn’t satisfy and I thought I get to talk to kids once one like you know we

This works in any profession but with with drugs, alcohol, sex, all these things that bring instant satisfaction they all lead to a bit in and I had some awesome mentors.

A lot of them teammates, a lot of them shot when

my dad was one over the years.

And through finally soaking up what they had been telling me for years, I started realizing man, there’s got to be something else out there. And again, reminder, I was raised in the church like I knew all the church stories. I could probably go to a

You know, do it do a Bible quiz contest and do pretty well

knew very well who Jesus was,

and really what he did,

but we didn’t have any kind of connection. You know, this is this was all about religion and the do’s and don’ts for me

and not going to hell.

And man, when I finally handed the keys over,

I cannot tell you the freedom that brought

and really just remove the blinders to be able to see other stuff that was going on around me. You know, I got to see you know, instead of my own selfish come to the field, which you know, we get to the field about two o’clock or seven o’clock game

and doing my thing and kind of locked in when I needed what I needed to do. I started noticing other teammates and other stuff just outside of my world, or my kids are my family or my closest friends.

And just

Just eyes were open to, to, I guess the fact that it wasn’t all about me.

And that

you know that there was the, excuse me that there’s a God

that cared enough again I was I wasn’t a great kid. But I wouldn’t I wouldn’t even a good kid

that cared enough about me and had enough grace

to allow me to enter into His presence and ultimately into His kingdom. And when that clicked,

don’t get me wrong, my desire to win play based on that, that state still absolutely love what I got to do but

but to start investing, you know, in other teammates, and start kind of taking the focus off of just me and getting mine and take it off of you know of self.

In a It reminded me and when Ron and I were talking about this study

know we started out you might have talked about it a minute ago, but we started one back home. And it this is it’s been the most awesome ministry and I love that you guys are coming to this, we do it, we call it beer and burgers. And we bring guys out and occasionally have a speaker and we’ll do small groups and split up and have some beers and just talk about life.

And I say that because for years I was really good at putting the mask on when it was time to go to church. Now we go to church on Sundays and lot of times we do it just because that’s what we’re supposed to do.

know everybody in town, I’m in the bible belt. That’s just what you do on Sunday.

And it’s really easy to go through the motion and we go there and shake hands and God bless you I’m praying for you know what, you guys know what I mean? I mean, it just it kind of feels like and nothing against the church at all. But it can be fake. Sometimes we can be fake sometimes.

And the reason I love these and we call it a life group or life stage because we just come in here

And just talk about life.

You know, and this is awesome because we don’t have any will have maybe 20 or 30 guys

in town but man, I’ve seen more lives changed with guys coming in and just opening up one man to another.

That’s one of the hardest things as a man for us that I can’t even do it with my wife, it is hard for me to open up with my wife and tell her what I’m really thinking.

I don’t know why that I don’t know if I’m

stubborn or scared. She might think I’m

weak or soft. I don’t know what it is. But to get into an environment

with believers, non believers and everywhere in between, and to be able to open up and talk about, you know, just talk about life with other guys.

We’ve seen

more guys lives change more marriages saved relationships with their kids.

You know, reunited and rejuvenated.

So I say that

to say, to keep this up, and there’s something about having guys in here and you know, to hold each other accountable, and

you know, just to just to keep an eye on each other.

As we leave here, as we leave church on Sunday and go through our week, it’s pretty easy to kind of

forget about maybe what was talked about, and we can go through it with other men from experience and you know, most of you probably know this, it makes it a lot easier.

Because I think a lot of times we do we go to church, and then we go throughout the week and,

and go about our life as normal. And so my question is, what are we here for?

And I was asked this a few years ago and I kind of dismissed it.

I could not get it out of my mind. What are we here for?

Was I just here to play baseball and raise a family and retire on a ranch and?

And that’s it when we die and then that’s the end of it.

No

no, I believe we’re here to sum up the Bible. I think it’s, it’s summed up by saying we’re here to love God and love each other. Like to simplify.

And I think we’re here

to spread the word. I think we’re here to serve

and,

and spread the gospel.

I’m also severely add so if I bounce all over the place, you guys just just bear with me.

Because I’m going to back up. I’m going to back up briefly and talk about leaving the game which you guys may have not heard anything about it.

I retired I retired two years ago with the White Sox and I and I’m just kind of, I’m not, I don’t need to be the center of attention. I don’t enjoy being in the spotlight.

All there, although I was put there throughout my career, and it was fine, but I was kind of hoping I could retire and just go back to the ranch and do it as quietly as possible. For those, those of you that know that was the ultimate backfire.

I end up leaving the White Sox, we had a situation where, and I won’t go into too much detail, but we just had a disagreement.

And I felt like I was asked to choose between my family and the team. So I got to come in the next day and talk to the club and

spend a little time telling those guys that, you know, I choose my family and I got to go home. And it turned into a pretty big deal. But what made that easy, and I’m glad it was later in my career is

I don’t know that I could have made that same decision a few years ago. I feel like

I had a little better idea of my priorities in life

at the time, and that baseball as much as I love playing as much as I love competing, over the years started falling further and further down that list. I’m proud to say that

that the Lord and my family

started climbing up that list during that time.

So I end up walking away, end up walking away from the game. But another big reason and really the reason I’m here tonight, the reason we all connected was this fight against sex trafficking.

And I know that’s like, curveball out of right field if you guys hadn’t heard of our involvement at all in that, but

anyway, those two things

between having to having to choose from, you know, between my family and the team, and then this drafting thing, which a few years ago, actually

Couldn’t have told you what the word trafficking meant.

God kind of placed a few people in my life over the years, I got to go overseas, do a trip, and really see, you know, firsthand what that looked like.

Came back to the states and was

totally shocked and disappointed to find out how much it goes on here. And not just in these third world countries, was introduced to deliver phone

organization that does some phenomenal work in the counter trafficking world. And then Ryan, and you know, that that’s that’s kind of how this whole thing came together.

So that is me moving on from baseball.

Just to just to sum that up.

And Ryan and I were talking earlier today, and Ryan, you mentioned, you know,

religion versus relationship

and I started thinking

about that.

And

that’s really something to chew on. Because there is a huge difference between religion and relationships.

I would say most of my life, I was more of a religious guy. I think when I finally surrendered

and trusted that God could do, do some work without me having to be in the middle of all of it, and calling all the shots, I think, slowly and don’t get me wrong, I’m still a total screw up

and rely on his grace daily.

When I moved on to understanding what a relationship look like,

and guys, it’s not it’s not the do’s and don’ts.

Listen, if you’re sitting out there and you’re like, Man, I’m not ready and I’ve got had so many teammates over the years and so many friends now that they’re not ready

to ask God into their lives.

accept Jesus,

because they like their lifestyle. And I’m not ready to quit drinking.

I’m not ready to quit, to quit party and to quit smoking to quit cussing to quit cheating, you know, whatever, whatever goes on in our mind that we consider sin or we consider a don’t in religion.

I’m here to tell you, you don’t have to stop any of that.

None of it.

you hand it over.

Start this relationship right here.

And watch what it does to the rest of your life.

You guys that have experienced it, you know exactly what I’m talking about. I’ve experienced it firsthand.

That stuff takes care of itself.

You know, the closer we get here

The better my marriage God. And I’m not I’m not sitting here saying that everything is going to get better. You give your life to Christ as Matter of fact, a lot of times it may get harder.

But if it’s this fear of man, I’ve screwed up too much in my life. There’s no way I can walk into that church building there was no way I can walk into this warehouse.

There’s no way I can accept

know that Bible

and accept His promise then

I’m

I’m telling you, he will accept any one of us. Anywhere we’re at in any situation. And do it with open arms and it’s pretty nice.

to not have to go through life by yourself.

Whether it’s

family member sick family member dies, lost our job.

Lost or whatever it is

to know that we’re here for a much bigger mission than just us.

And to know that when this is over, whether we believe in it or not, we’re all going to have to stand before the king.

Right and be accountable for what we did with this very short time he gave us.

You know,

I’m just thinking back in and to be totally honest with you guys, I

don’t know if it’s every year around hunting season because I’m so obsessed with hunting.

But I feel like I’m really good at slipping away from this relationship.

And I look up at times and I’m like, Man, that’s a really distinct God.

Thank you thinking like he’s moved further away from me. And I promise you he’s ready.

Here I’m moving further away from you. And one thing if you’re if you’re hesitant or if you’re wondering what that looks like, or if you’re the guy like I was, and still am that goes to church every Sunday. And then Monday afternoon, I couldn’t tell you what they talked about on Sunday and I’m right back in my worldly ways.

Being on my own agenda.

I will say that if we can get in the habit of doing stuff like this and have other men that we can, we can actually talk to

and not just the two cent conversation of who won the games last night.

You know what the kids are up to, but I mean, really get deep with other men and open up about life.

We will start this will start we’ll start growing there.

And for me, that distant relationship starts start shrinking

and I just I just can I can see

things differently. I enjoy being up in the mountains here in Montana I see his creation differently

I don’t know it’s it’s it really is the ultimate freedom and I don’t say this bragging at all because most of you probably don’t have a clue who I am and I love that

because I wasn’t even that good at baseball. I just tricked them for long enough to keep a job for a while.

But I can say I got to the top of my profession, the top like as a kid that’s what I dreamed of the big leagues. And it ain’t it

I thought that was gonna be like

the greatest thing that ever happened

and it’s not

and you guys have that have reached the top of whatever you’re after.

I think we’ll say the same thing. I think I read Tom Brady somewhere one is hundred Super Bowl or

Something It was like man is that is

that was his quote is like resist it.

And I feeling it doesn’t matter what we do on on earth

because his followers,

it’s really in our home. We’re passing through here and our job is to make other disciples read the gospel.

A lot of times we can do it without saying a word.

Speaking of that, do we have a minute I have no idea if I’ve been here, five minutes or you know.

You know, I want to talk about

just kids just for a second. I’m assuming bunch of guys have kids and I’ll say when we’re talking about priorities,

you know, one thing with, with with my kids and I fell into it so many times I put so much emphasis on whether it’s their

whether it’s their grades,

what they’re doing around the house.

You know anything else outside of their actual the values and morals in their character. And one thing I’ve learned is that if Little Johnny comes home and we’re he gets grounded for a week because he had to be.

Then he comes home reback talks his mom, he talks back to his mom or maybe he told a little lie in class or stole something, you know, and he gets sent to his room for an hour. You know, what is that telling them that our priorities because we can tell them whatever we want.

We can say this the most important thing in our life, God’s The most important thing in our life. You tell them the truth, you’re not lying. You’re not talking back to your mom. But are you know, are we showing them that?

And this is really I listened to a sermon not too long ago. And that’s why this kind of on top of my mind, I was thinking about

just my own kids, our priorities, and how that’s portrayed to our kids because I don’t think they’re going to remember a whole lot of what we tell them, but I promise you, they’re going

Remember

how we made them feel? And what we did? I can’t remember crap that my dad told me nothing. But I remember a lot of incidents, what things I saw him do both good and bad

that I’ll never forget.

I’ve got kids, I’ve got two high schoolers, My days are numbered and get into really, you know, the opportunity to impact their life.

And it’s, it’s, it’s a little bit scary knowing that there’s two or three years left.

But also know that the way I act the way I treat other people and what my priorities are truly not just what I’m saying but what they’re seeing is going to have way more impact.

You know, than anything I could ever say.

I have no idea where I was at or where that came from. was talking about

Yes,

sir.

priorities.

Yeah.

Talking about just being at the top, and that not that not satisfying.

You want to do any

any questions or is there any?

I’m sure I left out.

So you’re the only guy ever read on Wikipedia. We’re actually says you do you actually do have history with ADHD? Right.

I mean, it’s it’s been a

part of your life.

I think I just proved that tonight. So no need to be diagnosed. Yes.

It was probably

see in 2003. I think

I did. I just a bonus

Play on the field

that’s embarrassing. even tell you guys what happened. I was playing with the Atlanta Braves and Bobby Cox is my manager. If you guys know Bobby he calls me in his office and

what the f are you doing LaRoche? I still don’t even think he knows my first name I play with. I played for him for four years.

Bobby, I don’t know. He said, Can we get you checked out? Literally the next day he had a rank or psychologist whether that come into the clubhouse and yeah, your medication like a week later. So add been very public about it.

Been able to speak a little bit on it.

But the beauty is you have a real have a real short term memory too. So those, those over 20 stretches with like 15 punch outs I could forget about real quick.

That’s good. Well, I want to ask a couple of questions on and then we’ll open up for q amp a. Tell us about your

relationship with your wife during your years in the big leagues? And how do you how did you because I think a lot of these guys

they’re not in the big leagues, but they’re in the big league simply by the work schedule they keep and you know, they’re on airplanes all the time or they’re working long hours around here. And and then they’ve got this responsibility to family and your way How did you keep your

your love life with your wife, current environment and how do you how did you keep your family together with all the pressures of your career?

Yeah, I think the think the divorce rate, I don’t know what the

divorce rate in our country as I’m sure it’s crazy. I think in baseball, it’s I think it’s sports. It’s at 80% or 85%. So it’s

it’s pretty typical

to not have a lasting marriage in pro sports. I I knew that my dad played

Matter of fact, my dad played for career. And both of my brothers played pro ball. So all four of us.

And I say that because we just we weren’t smart enough to do anything else. I really believe that that was kind of the family thing was baseball or, or baseball.

But I got to learn from my parents because my dad had the same schedule traveling all over, in and out. You know, they were together probably half the year a little more than that year and I knew the struggles going in and we just kind of

we just kind of said right away that this will always

this will always be way more important than baseball.

And if it means me having to quit, which ultimately it did, I ended up quitting

for my family.

I know it’s a it’s a it is a grind. I’ve got an awesome wife.

There was plenty of years in there that

that it was tough and it would have been really easy to,

to even mention the word divorce. And we just refuse to

you know, and and, and would fight through those times and grind through it. Like any relationship.

And I’m glad we did I

wish there was an easy way to answer that question.

Different

until you

Well, it’s work. I mean, it’s just I think you did, you did answer it, it’s work and for that, for those of you that are going through tough times at home, you know, it’s, it’s always work. It’s a challenge and we, we, we stay committed, we work through it, we get out and we grind it out. That it is work and I totally agree with you. You said that you came to a point

Were you had to hand over the keys? Yeah. I want to comment on that real quick. If there’s anybody out there struggling with a marriage.

It’s actually probably all of us at one time or another. If you’re in the middle of it, I just read just read a book recently from Francis Chan. And it was interesting because he said, I

really respect this guy’s pastor out west, California. And in this book, it’s a book on marriage. He’s like, you know what? You’re struggling with your man. Forget the marriage. I think he literally said screw the marriage. It’s your relationship right with the Lord and watch what that does for your marriage.

And that just reminded me of that when you mentioned it, because the first thing I want to do when we get into it is point out her flaws.

And I’ll do I’ll do it again in a few days when I go home, I’m sure she’ll do it to me. But man that was so true. Is that get get this right here.

And then watch what that does to the our other relationships, watch what it does to our relationship with our kids.

relationship with our friends.

Just read that recently and it definitely rung true.

When you when you came to that point where you said you had to hand over the keys to Jesus.

Was that

kind of a transition? Or was it a moment? And specifically Was there anybody in your life that was influential that really caused you to come to that helped you come to that point where you say, you know, not me anymore, Lord, you’re going to have it all. Was there anybody? These are people that come to mind? In the in it work or privately?

Yeah, there is. There’s a lot of teammates.

Probably too many to name a lot of guys when I came up that were older than me that were just awesome mentors and great role models. I did I had a chaplain

And in DC, that opened my eyes to

go to a lot of things that I think were

either neglected or I chose not to see, you know, kind of talk about peeling back the layers and taking the mask off and looking into yourself. He was one of the few that would actually challenged me and call me out on

if there was something I was saying that, that my actions weren’t backing up.

And I really think that was probably so that would have been probably 2010, maybe 2011

that I started viewing this whole relationship with God thing a whole lot differently. Again, instead of seeing it as if I do all these things, I’m in

and forgetting that all that it had already been done for me that there was a man that came a couple thousand years ago

was killed, buried and rose

For all these things that were saying,

we shouldn’t have done all these things that we can’t do all the things that we’re supposed to do

in order to enter into His presence.

That’s I think when the light came on, like, Man, it’s been done. been asking for that much. He’s really not

what he is asking for

our life, really, our heart, our life.

So yeah, yeah. So that’s great lead into the Another question I had you said earlier that, that

God allowed you the privilege of getting to know him, and especially his grace. And essentially, I think that’s what you just said that you did. You come to a point where you realize, I it’s not my good works, I can earn this thing. It’s a free gift.

And you know where did Where did all those lines cross for you when you really understood the grace of Jesus

well I’m still I’m still trying to figure that out daily part of the grind with this with this walk

but but talking about grace specifically

like I guess I relate it to with my own kids and

as much as I love them

and that book saying that he loves us however many times more than that I have no problem extended my kids grace right. That’s our that’s our True Father. Like really my dad is just kind of my earthly father I guess he’s gonna put here to raise me and but but our True Father as believers as followers,

You know as the Lord and when I see it with my own kids and as bad as they screw up

you know no matter what the punishment is or you know there’s always grace right? We’re always going to extend

it may take a while

when I guess when I could start to view God as man he’s not he’s not standing behind me waiting for me too small to fall down so he could slap me in the back of the head. right he’s more walking beside us

and pick us up

maybe before we fall right after we fall and your I know it’s tough it’s a grind

maybe work sucks maybe are some relationship with a family member is is is bad. You some things happen that

that it’s really easy to blame God for he gets all that. I really believe he knows that this life is a great

And

now I think we can all be really guilty of being so hard on ourselves and

checking out, checking on married, checking out that girl on the beach or in that magazine and my

golly, I slipped up and dropped an F bomb.

And I lied to my buddy over here. I did something and we just can pound on ourselves. Like, I have no business even praying. I got no business open in that Bible. I got no business going to church. Like

I’m so deep into this. I

knows.

Promise you guys he knows. And he’s saying Come on.

Come on. I gotcha.

So good in it. You know, I mean, it really gets down to what is our perspective of God. Right. Is he there to beat up on us? Or is he there to love us?

Is he there too.

pushes back and keep us down. Or is he there to make a way for us to walk into eternity with Him? That is a great snapshot you just gave us. Hey, we got some time for Q amp a. And let’s, if you have a question holler it out. We’ll repeat the question and in five or 10 minutes on that and

and let them off the hook.

Anybody got a question?

Okay, Tom.

The biggest deer you shot.

Very deep question, Tom. Thank you.

Man. Last year, I killed a 191 91

My biggest deer with a bow last year at the ranch in Kansas. So

appreciate you asking that question. We’ve got some small rednecks in here. I like it. Go ahead.

Done with baseball

Well, I get to chase elk in September.

And I mean that because we I didn’t get to do that for a long time

that softened it, man. I haven’t missed it at all.

I will say if I would have left

five, six years ago,

you know, it may have been different a different story. And I was I was I was reading it was awesome. I loved it.

To be totally honest, this, this trafficking issue came up. And a lot of things kind of fell into place where I knew I knew that I knew it was time. I really wanted to dive into this more and spend more time

in that fight

and it’s been confirmed over the last year because I haven’t missed it at all. I missed the guys on occasion you know I missed the flights though to you know, the the camaraderie of being around the guys

I can tell you one of my biggest regrets

is is not investing in guys lives more.

That’s it, I wouldn’t have worked any harder. I wouldn’t have lifted more. I wouldn’t have ran which I never ran anyways, I was first baseman, I wouldn’t have done anything different. Other than during a lot of those years not been so selfish and worried about

you know, get mine

and maybe pay a little more attention to the guy across the you know, across the globe house that

maybe it may have some marriage problems. They have something going on health wise with a family member where

you know, you can

It becomes real easy in those selfish moments to kind of tune that out. I would I would want to be more aware of that.

Yes, sir.

Yeah, the question was, you know, Christianity grown in sports.

Man.

I’m trying to think over the years you know the size of our studies or our chapels?

I would like to think it is

but I can’t speak for all sports. You know, we got a there’s a pretty big conference we do every every offseason for baseball players and that is definitely grown.

Over the years, the offseason, nobody coming into one location and that’s gotten really big and

I don’t know. I would say that that’s that’s what our job is though. You know, the ones that are ones that are followers

strengthen the kingdom.

Yes.

My kids

you know,

I’ve got unbelievable kids, like, I’m they might not even be mine. And it wouldn’t surprise me because I was such an idiot growing up

and my kids have been like,

it’s gone. It’s gonna happen. It’s probably they’ll be older it’ll be way more expensive on

have to pay for all of it it’s gonna suck but they’ve been now they’ve been good

Yeah, they got a really good mom

yes

yeah

No, no no I mean there were there was there was so many Converse and I wish I wrote them down. I do. Again that’s where the add

on my side there because my memory

I know one that made an impact that really impacted my life is one my wife saved my life my professional life. My career was my rookie year and

Jeter gets on for doesn’t know I’m nobody comes up, puts his arm around me like Welcome to the league man awesome to have you here.

You know, and just in small talk there for three or four minutes it goes a pitching change or something. So that’s one that that impact me honestly a lot of it was about heart. I mean, everybody knew because we’ve got a show called buck commander, if anybody’s ever seen it. We’ve had I think this is our 10th year. My man Mike Miller’s here, my camera guy.

And so everybody knew like that. That was my thing. was not as a matter of fact, most people know the reason I played baseball was to fund You know, my hunting season

coming up.

So a lot of times it was it would be hunting related.

Yeah, there was, there was some interesting ones. I just wish I could remember some of the real funny stuff.

Well, I coach I hope coach High School ball. My son’s playing. He’s in high school now so I get to do that in the spring.

We’ve got we’ve got our ranch we raise, we raise cattle and Southeast Kansas.

love being out there

trying to spend trying to do some things with my kid that couldn’t do when I was playing. You know, most of our whole summer was work. you’re traveling, we play we play we get roughly one and a half off days a month. So we, you know, basically play every night.

I missed a ton of games. I missed a ton of their summer vacation stuff. They were you know, trying to catch up on that.

Yes,

Absolutely

yeah the hundred 90 inch book that I prayed for

now retired.

Gosh, I’m going to try to I’m gonna try to make this a really quick story. Friend of mine that I hung out with some he was a pastor when I was a kid. He’s in Texas, we literally he was my pastor when I was a child. And we talked maybe once, maybe once a year, maybe once every once a year once every two years.

I retired.

Nobody knew about it. The media didn’t know about it. Nobody did.

Except the guys in the clubhouse. And I had a message from his name was jack Arrington had a message from Shaq. And I was praying the night before. Lord is it time for me to

Go home. Is it time for me to go home spend more time with the family get more involved in this fight against human trafficking?

So I retire naturally right after that on my crap that I just told that I just really screw this up. And I get a message from jack Hey, I had a crazy dream last night give me a call. Like it was it woke me up know the night in the car, call him. And he said, Man, are you okay? I said, Yeah, I’m great. I just retired. I just I didn’t tell him anything. Well, I had a dream last night

that you walked away from the game and but he goes, it’s stupid. But it was so this was in the middle of spring training, by the way, so we’re we’re getting ready to start the season. It’s not like it was in the offseason when guys typically retire.

He said it was so real that woke me up. When the kitchen made some coffee. His wife came in like jack What are you doing out of bed? I just had a crazy dream. But Adam, she’s like Adam, who? You know that. I mean, Adam LaRoche was walking away from the game gave me a

I think I gave him a big hug and walked out on the field and said, Hey, this is my last game or something like that. So I say that,

to say that that was that was a pretty cool little confirmation.

You know, from the Lord through a mentor of mine, growing up

that it was the right move.

Thank you. Hey, so.

So what we’re going to do is have six or eight minutes of Table Talk, just just talk about life. And then

Adam will come back up, close us out in prayer, and I’ll ask for your help on a couple cleanup things. So just just chew the fat for a little bit talk about life and your career and the ups and downs and, and and over the keys and, you know, understanding God’s grace, whatever it is that’s going on in your life.

enjoy each other for a while and will.

Thank you for this opportunity tonight and extremities men and here

are hopefully

with something resonated with all of us.

And thanks for all people that helped set this up that funded

it make it happen every month. Our hope is to be just a contagious thing that takes off

in and around this town

with people that don’t typically go to church, for whatever reason, would come here and come have a beer, open up the word just talk about life and talk about you

or we’re thankful

for,

for even having the opportunity at this year a lot of eternity

and just give us the constant reminder that everything

Everything we do, everything we are belongs to you.

We love you.

Transcribed by https://otter.ai

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