By Mallory Mattingly
Former St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright knew the second half of his career would be an act of worship to God.
“So, the second half of my career, I realized that my performance was an act of worship,” Wainwright told Matt Forte on the “Sports Spectrum” podcast. “My performance was me being faithful in all the time, talent and treasures that He’d given me, the opportunity that He’s given me. My performance was a way to worship Him through that. My preparation was a way for me to worship Him and to know that I got the most out of the abilities that He’d given me, that I was ready for that next opportunity that I had prepared.”
“And I could look at the Lord, and I’d say, ‘Lord, you are the one that gave me this platform, this opportunity…Let my performance today, let my preparation today, let this workout today, let this these sprints I got to do today, let this be in preparation. Let this be an act of worship for you, knowing that I’m trying to honor you who has given me the time and the talent and the opportunity,'” the pitcher added.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4y-u1viiNpw
Related: Cardinals Pitcher Credits Living ‘Prayer to Prayer’ For Win No. 200
Wainwright played for the Cardinals from 2005 to 2023. During that time, he racked up 200 career wins, “three All-Star selections, two World Series championships, two Gold Gloves and the 2020 Roberto Clemente Award,” per Sports Spectrum.
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In 2013, while still in the midst of his baseball career, he and his wife Jenny started the Big League Impact. It’s dedicated to “help people meet basic human needs like food, clean water, medical care, shelter, and education in an effort to save lives, restore dignity, and instill hope.”
“What started as a single fantasy football event has grown into a movement,” the organization’s website reads. “In 2013, Big League Impact hosted its inaugural fantasy football event, Waino’s World, raising more than $110,000 for St. Louis nonprofit Operation Food Search and international clean water engineering organization Water Mission. The success was so remarkable that it sparked something bigger — an invitation for other professional baseball players to join the mission and host leagues in their own hometowns.”
Since then, Big League Impact has raised over $7 million for different causes throughout the world.
After baseball, Wainwright pursued a career in music, and in 2024, he released his debut album.
“My debut album, Hey Y’all, is out NOW! You can listen to it wherever you get your music! Let me know what you think and spread the word!” he shared on Instagram.
Whether stepping onto the mound, raising money or making music, Wainwright knows that all he does worships God.
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