The Yard with Marcus Preciado: 5x MLB All-Star, Adrian Gonzalez

5x MLB All-Star, Adrian Gonzalez

Adrian offers his perspectives on trusting in God through all of life’s ups and downs.

The New Normal:

• • • COVID-19 nicknames
    • Homeschool Grammar Lesson regarding definite and indefinite articles in light of the Pandemic
    • No matter which article you use, God is good!!
    • New studio, new look, new relationship with Cielo Sports

Cielo Sports:

• • • Mission Statement

• • • • • To share God’s love to and through athletes via mentoring, messages and media.

• • • New Ministry Opportunities

• • • • Inspirational encouragement videos from Christian athletes
      • Chaplaincy fun with LA Wildcats

Help the Heroes

• • • Started with former MLB catcher Nick Hundley calling Marcus with idea to bring lunches to COVID-19 front line responders at local hospitals.
    • Roster of Yard teammates helping included Charlie Joiner, Ruppert Jones, Nick Novak, Nick Hundley, Heath Bell, Roberto Wallace, Rick Takahashi, Lucas Johnson and Adrian Gonzalez.
    • Over $10,000 went to help spur along the local economy.
    • Over 900 heroes were served and fed in Jesus’ name!

The Sports World without Live Sports

• • • The Last Dance: Is the ESPN doc the GOAT?
      • Growing up, Marcus loved God, family and Michael Jordan
      • What about the Notre Dame Football documentary, Rudy?
      • The Last Dance’s soundtrack puts it over the edge.
    • UFC returns and leads the way for major sports “post-COVID”
      • Dana White’s ingenuity and desire to move forward paved the way
      • Yard teammate Dominick Cruz fought in a featured bout on national TV
      • Why didn’t pro golf, singles figure skating or curling get out of the gate, even before UFC? 

In The Yard Interview:

Adrian Gonzalez, former MLB first baseman, joins the show. Adrian loves spending time with his wife, Betsy and his two daughters, in unity, through the lockdown. While homeschooling may get tough to do alongside managing life, their home, and their businesses, it’s still a blessing to have dedicated time spent together as a family. 

When Adrian was 18, he was the first overall draft pick. He was tempted to grow a huge ego and become very selfish, but he and his wife (then girlfriend) knew that God had to take precedence over everything else – even baseball. It was tough, though, with baseball schedules being too hectic to engage in a traditional church. But, thanks to baseball’s chaplains and Bible study groups that they discovered, Adrian and Betsy were able to grow together and grow closer to God as his career blossomed. This foundation helped mold him and set his priorities, even as success came his way.

As James 1:17 says:

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

When Marcus first met Adrian, he asked the slugger, “What makes you great?” Adrian paused for a bit, then replied, “I have a gift from God, and that’s my swing.”

TALK ABOUT A GOOD AND PERFECT GIFT!

Even today, Adrian realizes that it’s easy to take credit for working on and perfecting our craft, but everything we have and do are good and perfect gifts from God. It’s up to us to manage our gifts well.

Speaking of gifts, Adrian considers his big post season games as his favorites. Regular seasons are amazing, but clinching or playoff games are just “that much” more memorable. They even top All Star games and Home Run Derbies. Even moments that may have eventually ended in failure were still games that he looks back on fondly, just to be a part of such amazing moments!

Speaking of failure, when Adrian was traded from the friendly confines of San Diego’s Petco Park to Boston, he was hit with the hard reality that today, if the Red Sox don’t win the World Series, their fans regard that year as a complete failure. That’s a lot of pressure. Yet, he still felt fan support everywhere he went. He considers himself incredibly blessed to have had the great fortune to play in great markets: Texas, San Diego, Boston, Los Angeles and New York.

These days, Adrian has become quite the successful entrepreneur. He’s a partner with several Jersey Mikes franchises, as well as with Calidad Lager and Active Faith sports apparel. Betsy is also more than busy, having co-founded her own line of shoes, Mia Becar. 

Yet, no matter what successes or failures come his and Betsy’s way – off or on the field – they know that they are called to serve. And, they both humbly follow Jesus’ example of stepping up and putting others first, without boasting.

And, according to Adrian, today’s situation, in regards to the coronavirus quarantine, is a time to come face to face with and proclaim God’s hope. We know that a lot of people are suffering in a lot of different ways; but no matter what situation we are in, we know that God is consistently in control and promises to get us through even this. We simply need to have faith in Him and surrender our lives to His will. When you approach even the toughest of times with God’s eternal perspective and knowing that He promises eternal life, it is much easier to approach life’s lows with hope and joy from God!

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