Boston Red Sox Star and Psalm 27

On Monday night, Adrian Gonzalez, the star first basemen for the Boston Red Sox had a walk-off double to win the game for the Red Sox over the visiting Baltimore Orioles.

A reporter (Rob Bradford) asked him what his key to success has been this season as a new member of the team. I love Adrian's response, which I have copied below.

I had a chance to meet Adrian last year when he played with San Diego Padres through my buddy Jeff McKee from Trinity Bats, so In know Adrian's response below is the real deal. Here is what he said:

"The way I am is I work hard in preparation, and then the rest is up to God," Gonzalez explained. "God doesn't care if I get a hit or strike out. He just cares my attitude is right and my focus is in the right place with him. For me, it's have fun, enjoy the moment every time. If I strike out, put my helmet down, put my bat down and go to the next at-bat."

Gonzalez then pauses the conversation and starts looking for a better way to explain his approach. He's looking for a baseball bat. The Sox' No. 3 hitter can't find one of his own, but does discover a reasonable replacement, the same model as his own but made by a different company as the 'Trinity' brand he uses.

He points to the spot on bat, just underneath the player's name, that reads 'C271L,' the variation of bat that identifies what the hitter is working with.

"On mine," Gonzalez said, "it says 'PS 27:1.' Psalm 27:1. That's my favorite Bible verse. For me it's like, I have nothing to fear. I have nothing to be afraid of. Let God do his work and enjoy the moment and have fun with it."

The verse reads thusly: "The Lord [is] my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord [is] the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?"

Gonzalez became a born-again Christian eight years ago, and it has been four years since he first started having the Trinity Bat Company engrave the verse on his bats. It is what the slugger knows. It guided him in the ninth inning Monday night, and it has guided him in each of the new experiences thrown his way as a new member of the Red Sox."