St. Louis Cardinals’ slugger Paul Goldschmidt powered his team to victory Sunday night after hitting three home runs against the Detroit Tigers.
And although he is the reigning National League Baseball MVP, a two-time Hank Aaron Award winner, and a top hitter among the National League and American League, the first baseman points out that God used his love for the sport to draw Him into a relationship with Jesus Christ.
Goldschmidt started his career with the Arizona Diamondbacks and is now leading the Cardinals. Last night, they snagged a 3 to 1 victory over the Chicago Cubs.
Not one, not two, but THREE home runs for Paul Goldschmidt this afternoon. Bravo!
TV: Bally Sports Midwest
Stream: Bally Sports app#STLCards pic.twitter.com/qPU88ThTbt— Bally Sports Midwest (@BallySportsMW) May 7, 2023
He finished the game against the Detroit Tigers Sunday night with three homers, four RBIs, four runs scored, and a steal – no small feat.
The 12-6 victory game broke an eight-game losing streak – the longest one the Cardinals have endured since 2007.
“[Goldschmidt] has a really good game plan, and he sticks with it,” St. Louis manager Oliver Marmol told ESPN Sunday. “Pretty remarkable, very productive.”
There is no doubt that the first baseman has a deep love for the game, but he also never shies away from an opportunity to talk about his faith.
In a recent interview with Sports Spectrum, the 35-year-old said it was his teammates who shared the Gospel with him.
“God used baseball to introduce Himself to me and I think that’s so cool…”
2022 NL MVP Paul Goldschmidt joined @ScottLinebrink on Sports Spectrum’s Get in the Game podcast to talk about serving others and growing in his faith!https://t.co/v202xA93Vm pic.twitter.com/H3kqWaS2qo
— Sports Spectrum (@Sports_Spectrum) May 4, 2023
“God used baseball to introduce Himself to me,” Goldschmidt said on the podcast. “I was already in the big leagues, signed a contract, had everything, was married. I was not struggling in my life at all. But if I wouldn’t have been there, those teammates wouldn’t have shared and loved on me and invited me and just had me over to their house, the way they lived. I wouldn’t have asked those questions [about faith].”
Goldschmidt is of Jewish ancestry and grew up Catholic, but when he arrived in the major leagues he wasn’t a follower of Christ. It was what his teammates shared that changed his life.
“There’s been so many different people that have helped me, and I just feel like God has blessed me to surround me with great people, and I’ve just tried to soak up their knowledge and wisdom and tried to use it to the best of my ability,” he shared last year.
In a 2019 interview, Goldschmidt said his goal is to make Jesus the center of all he does.
“Everybody has a foundation they are trying to live their life by, mine is just the Lord’s Word and the Bible and what He said,” he said. “Definitely, my goal is to make my faith in Jesus the center and most important thing in my life.”
It is also his faith that motivates him to give back.
“Jesus said, ‘Treat people how you want to be treated,’ and that’s kind of always on the forefront of my mind,” Goldschmidt told Sports Spectrum. “I know a lot of people have treated me amazing, and I just want to do my best … to carry that on into treating people how I was actually treated and how I would like to be. And that’s kind of, for me, my motivation.”
The Cardinals hit the field again tonight to continue their on-the-road series against the Chicago Cubs.
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