Why Former MLB Infielder Adam LaRoche Fights for ‘People That Hurt’
By Movieguide® Contributor
Former MLB infielder Adam LaRoche has a heart to help the hurting.
“When I was younger, I really hurt for people that hurt. I was a terrible kid. I was kicked out of two junior colleges,” LaRoche said on Sports Spectrum’s podcast. “We’ll save that for the next podcast. Terrible kid, but for whatever reason, I always just had a soft spot for people that couldn’t help themselves or, you know, the underdogs.”
It wasn’t until LaRoche’s baseball career came to an end that he could really help those who were hurting.
“And after baseball that — again, God made it really clear that, ‘Hey. I need you to move into this other space, this other kind of form of ministry away from baseball,'” he described.
“And as I dove in, I found that when I do follow, even when it’s uncomfortable, not only do I see God’s light shine brighter than I ever did in any work or anywhere I’d ever been before this ministry, with the counter human trafficking work or just, you know, assistance overseas on the humanitarian aid side, but also realized how addicting it can be to where seeing His light shine that bright in some of those situations makes me just want to live in that all the time,” LaRoche continued. “And to be honest, it can be tough coming back into the regular, into the normal world and our regular lives and being very comfortable and coming home and very quickly falling back in.”
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LaRoche began a foundation called the E3 Ranch Foundation that “serves combat Veterans, fights against human trafficking, and provides support during humanitarian crises globally. This three-pronged approach has evolved in a way that only God could orchestrate.”
“It is estimated that over one million young people are reported missing every year. Together, we can help get these kids back to their families,” the E3 Foundation posted on International Missing Children’s Day.
The group also hosts special events for veterans, including a recent shooting event.
“We had the great honor of having veterans at the E3 Ranch for our annual vet shooting event,” the foundation wrote. “There were lots of laughs and fellowship. Thank you to everyone for your prayers and support of our events!”
Last year, he shared a photo of the many soldiers who have lost their lives for the last year in the Ukraine war.
“After walking out of a café in Ukraine, I noticed this wall,” LaRoche wrote. “What I initially thought was a mosaic, ended up being a shocking tribute to soldiers who have died since the beginning of this war. What you see here is a fraction of how many have given their life over the past year. The fighting is as fierce today as it was when we were here a year ago.”
Movieguide® also reported on LaRoche’s involvement with Duck Commander:
He’s also part of The Buckmen, a group of men who run Buck Commander. The group also includes Jason Aldean, Luke Bryan, Ryan Langerhans, Tombo Martin, Tyler Farr and Willie Robertson.
“We all know the best friendships always start with a good story, and the Buck Commander crew is no different. When Adam LaRoche was drafted by the Atlanta Braves in 2000, he was prepping for a hunt and lost his favorite Duck Commander hat and needed a new one. So he called the DC shop to quickly snag a replacement. A phone call and a drop-ship later, the friendship between Adam & Willie started to grow and the Buck Commander journey began,” Buck Commander wrote.
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