Baseball and the Bible
Fun podcast discussing baseball and baseball training. We will also be getting into the Bible and doing weekly devotionals.
Baseball and the Bible
Parker Byrd Conversation Pt. 1
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
In this powerful conversation about faith and baseball, we discover the profound truth that our goals and ambitions must be rooted in something greater than ourselves. The discussion reveals how writing down our goals and declaring them boldly isn't just positive thinking—it's an act of faith that aligns our will with God's purpose for our lives. We see how the simple phrase 'be great' can become a daily reminder that excellence isn't about personal glory, but about honoring the gifts God has given us. The testimony shared demonstrates that true greatness comes through loving the process, embracing the unseen work, and recognizing that every talent we possess is God-given. This reminds us of Colossians 3:23, which calls us to work heartily as unto the Lord rather than for human approval. When we face setbacks, injuries, or unexpected turns in our journey, we're challenged to maintain our faith that God's plan is greater than our own. The conversation beautifully illustrates how our identity shouldn't be found in rankings, achievements, or even our physical abilities, but in our relationship with Christ and our willingness to pursue excellence for His glory.
Welcome back to another episode of Baseball and the Bible. I am Riker Dodson here with my father, Ryan Donson, and we're here with a long-awaited special guest, Parker Byrd.
SPEAKER_00Thank you guys for having me on, man. I'm pumped about this. Thank you for what you guys are doing with spreading the word and spreading the game of baseball. There's the two best things that you can talk about. So thank you guys.
SPEAKER_01No, you have a busy schedule. Baseball season is still going on for you guys. And just thank you to you, your your agents slash dad for making this happen. And yeah, yeah, we're excited. Excited to have you on here. So awesome. We are going to talk baseball. We are going to talk a little Bible. We're going to talk what's happening in your life, what has happened, and what um is is all the exciting things coming up in the in the future. So if it's all right before we kind of get into all of that, uh typically we go around the league a little bit and uh talk MLB. And uh so we're gonna do that real quick and just give some some quick updates on uh what happened this week in in Major League Baseball. So um before we get into that, who's your favorite team?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, my favorite team is the Braves. Um so being from North Carolina, there isn't you know obviously an uh MLB team in North Carolina yet. Um so uh I got all my sports teams from my dad, um, and well, essentially my grandpa who passed it to my dad, who passed it to me. So I'm a commanders fan in football, a bit huge Braves fan in baseball. Um hockey is relevant in North Carolina now, so um now a Keynes fan, but um that's what they grew up watching, listening to on the radio. Um before you know the Panthers existed, it was the Redskins at the time. And um then you can either pick you know the Braves or the Yankees, and they obviously pick the Braves. And so I just grew up watching the Braves. My favorite player is uh Brian McCann, so that's why I wear number 16 is okay. Old Brian McCann, who um obviously had a great career, and you know, he was a Brave for a while, and he went on to be you know a Yankee for a little bit, then he was with the Astros with all the scandal and stuff. But um, you know, he he uh did a lot of rehab assignments in Myrtle Beach at with the Myrtle Beach Pelicans, and yeah, Myrtle Beach is only an hour and a half from where I'm from. So we'd shoot up to Myrtle to watch you know some pelican games, and Brian was always there and he was always really good to me. He you know, he was giving me hats, jerseys, all this and stuff. So when I was a kid, I thought that me and me and Brian, when I was like probably three years old, I thought me and Brian were best friends. I called my first name. I mean, I would dress up head to toe in all of his gear, and so I mean I was I was a huge Brian McCann fan, but you know, that led to me loving the Braves and you know, still a proud Braders fan. Did you play catcher at all or you just liked Brian McCray? I didn't, but whenever I was a kid, so the way you know I I was so obsessed with the game, I mean I still am, but even at the age of two, three years old, um, you know, probably all the way up to I was five, I would every time I would go to a field to practice, which was every day, every time my dad got off of work, I would, you know, dress up head to toe in a certain player. Whatever player I dressed up as, I was them for the day. So I would play their position, I would hit like them, whatever side they were on. So like I grew up hitting, you know, right-handed and left-handed just because Robin Campbell's my favorite player is a left-handed hitter. So, you know, I hit lefty on those days. Um, and so I mean, it was it was just my love for the game. Uh, but you know, I would play the national anthem before I ran out there. So I was obsessed with it, dude. I'm telling you, I I was obsessed with baseball from a young age, and that's you know, obviously led to led to where I am now. But um I didn't play much catcher. I played a little bit in rec ball growing up, um, but that was essentially because you know nobody else really could catch. And uh so I could actually catch the ball, so I would play a little bit of catcher, but um not not a whole lot. And I was a middle infielder from a very young age. So awesome.
SPEAKER_01So just did you like in his full uniform? You went you went pants, you know. Oh, head of the toe, brother.
SPEAKER_00I was I was rocking the bravest fit, I would have the braves hat. Um, I would, you know, I love Derek Jeter as well, Mike Trout, all those guys. So I mean, I was you know, Angels one day, if I was Trout playing center, and then you know, Jeter one day playing short, and so I mean I loved it. Bryce Harper, I mean, any guy that was flashy and it was pretty cool at the time. I I had their jersey and uh the fat head to go along with. I was a big Josh Hamilton fan as well. Oh wow just because he's he's a local here in North Carolina, and um so it was really cool. I used to have a fat head, fat head of him on my wall. Him, Brian McCann, and um Derek Jeter were my three guys that I had on my wall. And and I also I just used to love his um the wrist tape that Josh Hamilton wore with the flame tattoos coming out of the wrist tape. I used to think was the coolest thing ever, but uh so yeah, those were my guys.
SPEAKER_01Well we're here in Texas, you know, so that Hamilton is a hero here. He's actually getting ready to go into the Rangers Hall of Fame, I think, uh later this year.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, he should. He should. Yeah, I was kind of heartbroken whenever he went to the Angels. I was a little bit older, obviously, then, but I was like, man, you should have been a Ranger for life.
SPEAKER_01But well, I felt the same way when Albert Poolholes went to the Angels too, you know.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, yeah, I know, right? That was crushing as a heartbreaker as well.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, but he came back.
SPEAKER_00Are you guys are you what what who's uh your team?
SPEAKER_01We're Cardinals. Well, so Riker is kind of like you, he's he was indoctrinated into it from birds, so uh so he's he's forced to be a Cardinals. He's allowed to like the Rangers a little bit, but Cardinals are number one. That's very strict.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I was uh we were um obviously before this when we get into Alec Burleson, but Burley's the ECU grad, and him and Coach Goblin are really, really close. I mean, they're like like father and son. It's it's crazy because Burley trains at ECU all offseason. So I mean he practiced with us and all this. And um Coach G was on the phone with him the other day, and um obviously he just got National League player of the week or hitter of the week. And um, but before that, he was in the 0 for 15 slump, and like he was not hitting great at all. And he his his back-to-ball skills are elite, man. It's it's insane. And I think Coach Junior showed us a video of it, but his for the hit that got him out of the 0 for 15 slump was like they were in a left-handed shift, and third baseman was over a little bit, and it was just like a little squib to the third baseman that took him to the backhand side, and Burley just you know hustled out the box and he was like full go. Ended up being safe. It broke up the no-hitter against the Pirates, I believe. Yep. Um, and then or the perfect game that they had going in like seventh inning.
SPEAKER_01Bunch of remembers, too. It was all right.
SPEAKER_00And so he broke that up, but that also got him out of the slump, and then he became National League player of the week. And you know, obviously the Cardinals didn't have the highest expectations before the season, but they're winning. And so Coach G was like, I mean, you guys like aren't the most talented, like you guys don't y'all aren't supposed to be good. Like, what are y'all doing? Man, we we're taking the emotions out of it. We're you know, just playing the game the way it should. We're hustling on it off the field, like we really take pride in defense, pitching, like whatever can win us some ball games because we understand that we're we shouldn't be winning, is basically what he said. But it was like, you know, like it's it we are winning, and it's just because the mentality thing. So I thought it was really cool, and I took a lot from that just because you know, that's a big leader leaguer who's hustling out the box, and I mean, barely, I mean, I know him on a personal level, so it's pretty cool to see, you know, him doing stuff like that and representing ECU too, so it's really cool.
SPEAKER_01That is cool. He seems like just an awesome down-to-earth kind of dude.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, very much so, very much so.
SPEAKER_01And we were watching that game, uh, because that was that did break up the perfect game, and then then the very next event he had another one that went straight down the line. Yeah, yeah, like back-to-back little squiver bunts, basically.
SPEAKER_02Uh yeah, didn't one just like wall?
SPEAKER_01One went, I mean, it was way foul, and then it came somehow, it had the previous and then it came back last year.
SPEAKER_00That's so funny. And it he got uh National League player the week, and then Coach Godwin called him like two days ago, I think it was Monday, and he's like, Well, how'd you do last night? He's like, Well, I went 0 for 3 with three punch outs, but we won, so it was like baseball's the most humbling game that you can ever even play.
SPEAKER_01So yeah, that was that was Monday of this week. It was and then they got rained out, then they played today. He he was over three, his first three of bats, kind of struggling again, and then he had a big uh big hit RBI there at the end. So we lost Cards lost today, but uh he was he got a got a nice RBI there at the end to kind of break up uh he was a little over there in that Milwaukee series, but he was the you you brought him up, and so we'll just highlight that he was the National League player of the week. It was one of those things when we saw that come across where like we knew you would be on here, but we can't not talk about Burleson being the National League player of the week. Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_02And it tied in so perfectly with him being an EGU crowd.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, so Burley was the player of the week. He had an awesome series against coming out of that slump, then the Cards played the Pirates, and that's where he was um was awesome. Uh let me read the stats real quick. Um uh yeah, he was 11 for 27 with three doubles, two homers, eight runs scored, and eleven RBIs.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, yeah, that's Matt like four twenty something, I believe. Yeah, something crazy.
SPEAKER_01And then uh also to be mentioned, Byron Buxton was the American League player of the week, so we'll give him a shout out too. Yeah, so he was 10 for 29 with a double, five homers, two steals, six runs scored, and seven knocked in. So, I mean, that's a guy, Buxton, that was highly touted coming out.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, dude, holy cow. Yeah, I mean, the talent on that guy is like insane. He just needs to stay healthy and he will be if he can stay healthy. And sucks that he's on the twins, but he doesn't get the pub, yeah. But yeah, no. So since you guys are Cardinals fans, who's who's your least favorite team? Is it the Brewers or Cubs?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, that's Cubs, Cubs, Cubs, Cubs. That was my only fear is that you were gonna say Cubs when we asked you for your favorite team.
SPEAKER_00Nah, I've I like uh I like Wrigley. I've been a couple times. Uh I remember one of my favorite games, MLB games I went to was at Wrigley. It was a July 4th game, and that's when like they had the squad with Javier Baez, Chris Bryant, all those guys. And I I like Chris Bryant a lot. I don't know why, but um, so I you know, I had like one of those shirt jersey things with Chris Bryant on it. But I just remember it was a July 4th game, day game, obviously, because it's in Chicago, and it was so hot, man. It was it was blazing hot. But Javier Baez stole home, and I thought it was the coolest thing ever. Because like that was in like, you know, the his prime where he was like flashy doing like all the cool tags and stuff, and you know, like the little point tag that he did in the World Baseball Classic. I practiced that and probably more than any other tag you can possibly do.
SPEAKER_01Who threw the ball to him was that guy right there.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I know he did. One of the best catchers ever. I mean, yeah, but he's a crazy cool thing.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, so yeah, it was awesome.
SPEAKER_01Well, really's a great, we went, you know, obviously we've gone to a Cardinals, you know, Cardinals Cubs games there. It's it's a fun atmosphere to go to the Cardinals Club.
SPEAKER_00Me and my dad, um, our dream is to go to all ballparks. Yeah. And I think um we are pretty close to it. I think we've probably been to two-thirds of the ballparks, but the part that we really need to hit is like the central part of like the United States, like all the NL Central, AL Central, those ballparks, we really haven't been to many of them. So we gotta get to St. Louis, we have to get to like um the Royals, Tigers, uh, Guardians, like all those and the those weird cities. Uh, we did a tour in Milwaukee, but we never went to a game. Uh, we've been to pretty much all the east coast except the Pittsburgh Pirates. Um, and I don't know why we haven't been there because that ballpark is beautiful, it looks like. So um PNC looks pretty cool.
SPEAKER_01But yeah, we we talked about that last week. We're gonna try to go, we're going in September, we're gonna go to PNC and catch.
SPEAKER_00That's awesome, yeah. Yeah, hopefully it's not too cold by then up there.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, hopefully. It is it looks like a beautiful park. Yeah, that one we want to hit up. We we have we've done the same thing. We since Rikers been born, we've me and my wife were doing it and we were knocking them out pretty good, and then kids came along and that slowed everything down a little bit. But yeah, 100%. Now that Riker's older, we're gonna we're trying to pick it back up. So we're gonna hit P and C and then we're gonna try to hit Truis Park and see the Branch. Awesome. Uh yeah, let's go.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I'm uh my grandpa, like I said earlier, is a huge Branch fan, and I'm um moving out to San Diego here in August. But before then, me and him are going to catch a series up in Truis because he's want to, he wants to so bad, and so do I. So we're going to take a little weekend trip up there and hopefully catch a good series. I'm not sure when what series, but we'll look at it later. Cool.
SPEAKER_01Well, that's our uh beat all good. You said you're the Braves, you're a Braves fan. Obviously, they're doing good. I think they have the best raider in the league right now, right? Or yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_00Just just lost their first series today against the Mariners. Um didn't have the Dodgers this week. Good time to play the Dodgers because they're not rolling like they typically are. So um hopefully they stay cold to the Braves, have a little bit easier of an opponent. But you know, it'll be good to see Freddie Freeman play. I mean, Freddie's always a brave Mia, so that's true.
SPEAKER_02On that note, I do want to say the Cardinals did beat the Dodgers.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, we won two out of three against them recently. So they are a little down right now. Yeah. Um, you mentioned Burley, ECU guy. Uh, we talked a little bit about this before he came on, but um who else in the league? Again, when we we came to watch you play a couple weeks about a month ago or so, and I saw a guy. I didn't realize Trey U Savage was was an ECU grad until I saw his jersey out there. But who else is who else is in the league right now?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, so we have Trey. Uh played with Trey two years ago. He was on the 2024 team. Um obviously he got drafted like 20th overall that year. Should have been higher, but uh we had a situation that was weird, man. So look, Trey is an unbelievable human being, like top top class guy. But uh so we had this situation where he was getting needled. It was the last weekend series of the regular season. He was getting like dry needled um in his back because the way Trey pitches, you know, like he's very over the top, so like his like side and shoulder get sore. Um so he was getting um needled right by his rib cage. Well, he got a punctured lung from the needle, and so he was out the entire conference tournament, and we were pretty much a lock to host a regional that year. So we hosted a regional, and um we had Wake Forest in our regional, and we had lost game one, and so did Wake Forest, and we were to one in two seeds, and so we were in the losers bracket, but that like matchup was highly anticipated because it was Trade Savage and Chase Burns who were going at it, but everybody thought we would be in the winners' bracket. Well, we would they lose to VCU and we lose to Evansville, and so they pitch against each other in the losers uh bracket game or the you know the um elimination game, and Trey pitches his tail off, and it's like 10 days after having a punctured uh rib or a punctured lung. And I so I mean the kid is a freaking grinder, and so his draft slot kind of slid a little bit because of that, and scouts were worried about it, but um obviously he's proved that he's a freaking stud. And so we have Trey, uh we have Connor Norby who's with the Marlins, obviously Burley that we just talked about with the cards. Um we have uh my guy Gavin Williams, um, who's with uh the Guardians, we have Sean Armstrong and Jeff Hoffman, who are both with the Blue Jays with Trey. Um we have I feel like I'm missing somebody else. Uh oh, Zach Agnos, who's with the Rockies, um and then Carson Wisenhunt, who is with the Giants, and he's he's a left-handed pitcher. He played here and I think graduated in 21 so uh or 22. But yeah, so I mean we have a lot a lot of guys, we have a lot of guys in the minors that are killing it. Um Carter Cunningham, who's with the um Blue Jays, and I think Hay, he just won like player of the month or something like that. Um Dixon Williams, who was actually on the two with me whenever I got into my accident. He's with the Braves now. Uh he's killing it, man. He's hitting freaking pumps. Um, and so we have uh Jacob Jenkins Coward, who's with the Marlins. Uh I mean the list goes on because I mean they've been probably two or three guys getting drafted every year out of VCU. So it's been cool to watch that and obviously see guys make it to the bigs. And I think Coach G had to go to like three debuts last year, and so that was really cool to see. So it was awesome. And the World Series, Coach Trade pitched in the World Series, so yeah, yeah, yeah. He pitched well, isn't he? Yeah, I mean he shoved against the Dodgers, so yeah, hey, always take that. Yeah, didn't he get that was Trey's welcome to the uh MOB moment too, which was awesome. Yeah. Did he get game seven or no? Did he get I I think he I think he was in relief that game he I think he came in for like two innings, two or three innings pitched well. Uh he might have let out like one run, but it wasn't like a huge like run or anything. I think it was they were up a little bit, and then obviously they lost it. But well.
SPEAKER_01So how's you know, how is the season going? And we get we came up to watch that game uh in San Antonio about a month ago. You guys won. It was a nice year. Whoever started that game pitched really, really well.
SPEAKER_00Uh yeah, season season's been dude, it's flown by. It is, I mean, insanely fast. Uh, but I mean it's had its ups and downs. We're second in conference right now. We're behind UTSA who has a heck of a squad. Um, we have we've been banged up, man. We've had a lot of injuries, but I mean, on the cool side of that, it's allowed other guys to have opportunities. Uh, I think two of our weekend guys are out for the year, our main relievers out for the year. Um, we have a couple of position player guys that are out for the year. So, I mean, probably the most banged up we've been since I've been here. But I mean, we've had guys step up into, you know, roles that they weren't supposed to be in, and they've I mean they've been succeeding. So we're second in conference right now, which is huge. Where I think we're, you know, all the I don't really try to look into all the predictions and stuff just because you know you can get pretty emotional with that. But um, I believe that we're you know, we're still supposed to get an at-large bid, and that's per per our coaches at least. So we're we're still set to get an at-large bid just because our RPI is pretty high. Um we just we just dropped a freaking series of Memphis we shouldn't have dropped at all. Uh, but you know, that's how baseball is. You get one bad hot, one bad call, and you know, it's a bloop in a blast, that's what they say. So um, but I mean overall, man, it's been good. I mean, we're in a good position. We're you know, top two in conference, that would set us up great for a conference tournament because they have a new format this year, and the first two seeds get like a bye until the semifinals. So we'll have like four days of rest, which is gonna be huge for our pitching staff, especially since all the injuries. So we need to finish up these next two weekends strong. We have rice this weekend at home. Um, and then we go to FAU and end the season there, and we'll just stay in Florida in Clearwater for the conference tournament. But yeah, this weekend's gonna be a big one. Rice is pretty good uh this year, and they're finally you know turning that program around and uh kind of going back to how they used to. To be, but yeah, uh they they they're gonna be challenging, but I think we're we'll be okay.
SPEAKER_01So the conference tournament is like two weeks basically.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, two weeks. So we have two more weekend series. We have this weekend, next weekend, and then we'll we'll stay in Florida for that.
SPEAKER_01Okay, and then from conference goes, that's where you get into the the regionals and regionals and all that good stuff.
SPEAKER_00So we'll see where we go and you know, hopefully we get rolling here and stay hot. And because you know, you know how it basically is, man. It's all about who's hot, really. Yep, yeah. It doesn't really I mean last year we had a great run. Uh and I mean our whole season was terrible. I when I say terrible, I mean it's still you know good in the sense of uh record-wise, and if you look at a record, you would be like that's not a terrible year, but you know, the standard's so high at ECU, and that's a great thing. I mean, I I wouldn't want to either any other way, and you know, they have such an expectation of winning, because they have for 10 years now. And so whenever you have you know a 10-game above 500 record, these these fans sometimes don't love it, but you know, in reality, you're still in a great place, you're still a winning ball club. And um, but yeah, so last year we got high at the right time, just ran into a team that was a little bit more talented and a little bit hotter in coastal, and they ended up obviously going to national championship and almost winning that. So uh yeah, it was it was a good season at our end of season. And so hopefully we get hot again.
SPEAKER_01Well we'll be we'll be watching and pulling for you guys. Hopefully, yeah, I appreciate that. Um you mentioned uh again, we're gonna we'll get into your uh your testimony, your story, but when I when I read through it, obviously your family, but the other name that kept jumping out to me was uh was Coach Godwin or Coach G, as you call him. So how long has he has he been at ECU?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, he's been there for 11 years now. Okay. Um, so I mean he's I mean, dude, he's he's a legend around these parts now, and I mean he wins. I mean, you can't argue that at all. He wins, and um I think he has like 450 wins in his career here, and so I mean it's been a really good era for him. I don't know, I'm not calling his retirement anytime soon. I don't know. He just got married. Uh he's like 45, 46 years old. Um he just got married. Um, so I mean the guy used to be uh I mean he still is obsessed with baseball, but that used to be his life. And um talk about testimony, man. He in 2022 had a lot of personal stuff going on, along with my accident, along with one of his um Zach Agnoska. I just mentioned uh his dad passed away of COVID that year, too. So, like, I mean, a lot of stuff was hitting him pretty hard, and you know, he kind of turned his life to Jesus. And um you've I've been able to see that transformation in the past three years, three, four years now, and it's been really cool to see because you know he's a lot more vulnerable, a lot more, you know, open to conversations. He's a lot more um, you know, he's married now, so that changes him a lot. Um he, you know, he's about to, you know, he has a family now with with uh a wife, and I don't know if he's ever gonna have kids or not, but you know, I told him the times now, brother, you gotta go ahead and get that done if you want to. I mean, you're getting up there in age, and yeah, um, so I mean, he's he's a great human being. Uh I mean he's he's awesome, he's a great coach. I mean, one of the guys that I mean he's one of the reasons I committed here from a young age was him and the entire coaching staff. You know, they win, they produce players, obviously. They I have they recruit the talent and they you know have the same values that I value in my life. So it was cool to you know commit at an early age in ninth grade here because this was my dream school. This was you know the place where I've always wanted to go. Both my parents are ECU grads, and I have you know family members that are also ECU grads. But uh so I've always grew up being a power fan and knowing the coach Gotland Air and starting how you know how winning the culture is here, and it's nothing but winning. And like I said earlier, if you're 10 game above 500, the fans aren't happy. So that's something I love. So that's why you know it's easy, easy, easy trigger for me to pull.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, it's a good standard to have, but he just seems like kind of like you mentioned with uh well again with your story and the other guys, it just seemed like he's a a um he's he's not just about winning, I guess is what it is. He's almost like a father figure to to the guys there on the team.
SPEAKER_00100%, 100%. Yeah, yeah, he's he's a great human. Awesome.
SPEAKER_01Um all right, well that's you know, I did want to get into did you have because we wanted to get into your youth baseball journey if you if you don't mind to that because you mentioned getting committing in ninth grade, which seems crazy Rikers going into sixth grade, so it's like you got three years though here to get you know, I'll try.
SPEAKER_03I'll try.
SPEAKER_00Well the the landscape has changed a little bit now. Yeah. I think it you have to be a junior now to get recruited, which I like personally. I I like that because you know the 13, 14, 15-year-olds brands aren't nearly developed. And you know, I knew where I wanted to go, so it's easy for me to pull that trigger and commit. But I saw a lot of people throughout you know my just experience who would commit to a school if they were really good and then not develop the way the school thought they were, and the school pulls a scholarship, or vice versa. You know, they commit to a school like East Carolina, who you know is a quote unquote mid-major, and then they get a much better than what you know they were at the time. They decommit and then go somewhere bigger or get drafted or whatnot. But I mean, I like the landscape now much better than what it was. So you you have a little bit more time than I had, and I think that's a good thing.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, yeah. Ninth grade does seem it seems early, but yeah, that's that speaks to you know your skill level. And so again, we know doing a little research, you were highly ranked in perfect game world. But so perfect game was around, but you know, for me, when I was records age, baseball just wasn't what it is now from a a year it's a year-round youth, yeah, you know, and so even perfect game, and so obviously that was around when you were, you know, coming up, but uh have you what do you think about the whole select ball travel ball world?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, um, you know, I have I have a little bit mixed opinion on it. I think it's really good because it gets kids into the game playing a lot more. Um, but you know, you also have the downside of that's the only sport they play. Yeah. Um, because I mean, like you said, whenever you were a kid, you probably played you were a seasonal athlete. You know, you play baseball and baseball was in season, football and basketball. That's how you know my dad's generation was, and you know, I think there's a lot of value in that. I think that kids shouldn't just play one sport. I mean, Riker, man, if you can play all the sports you can, play them, brother, because you know, baseball will hopefully be here for a long time in your life, and you'll miss the time whenever you were playing football with your buddies because I know I do. And uh I one of the biggest regrets I've ever met, I think I've ever had in my life, is not playing football throughout my high school career. So I played football growing up. Um, my dad's a pediatrician, so he didn't let me play, you know, tackle football when I was a young kid. And then I had a coach in seventh grade who was the athletic director at my middle school, and his name was James McClain, and he was also the head football coach. And James or Coach McClain and my dad were like really good friends. And so Coach McClain calls me into his office one day, and I mean that that wasn't out of the ordinary. He always wanted to talk, and he was like, Park, you should play football, man. And I'm like, nah, my dad won't let me. And he's like, well, what if we call him right now and he says yes? I was like, well, if you call me and says yes, I'll think about it, but I doubt he'll say yes. So Coach McClane calls him. My dad's like, yeah, if you want to play, you can play. And so I was like, ah, well, now I have to make a decision. So I was like, yeah, I'll play. So in seventh grade, I wasn't the most athletic kid. I was a little bit chubby, that you know, pre-puberty phase, wasn't the fastest. So they put me at nose guard, which is defensive line. Loved it, dude. That was probably the best position for me. I'd rather tackle somebody than get tackled, right? But the next year, my eighth grade year, our quarterback had gone on to be in high school because he was in eighth grader in my seventh grade year, and so we didn't have quarterback, and Coach McLean's like, and at this time, you know, I kind of hit puberty a little bit. I was a little bit taller. Uh, I was really a lot more faster. I hit a Vertimax, which I don't know if you know what that is, but it's uh the training tool, very explosive stuff. I used to do that every single day. So I got a lot faster, a lot more athletic, and obviously I played baseball, so I had an arm. He's like, hey, what you think about playing quarterback? I was like, well, coach, I'm a defensive lineman, can't do that. Sorry. He's like, nah, we don't have quarterback. Like, I want today at practice, I want you to throw the ball a little bit and see what you have. So I did, and I mean I was pretty decent at it because they put me there. So uh played quarterback my eighth grade year, and then ninth grade year, played JV football, um, got caught up in varsity a little bit, but it was really just be kind of backup quarterback. Um, and uh after my ninth grade year, I committed to play baseball, obviously, and I was my my O line, my ninth grade year was terrible, to be honest with you. So I was getting banged up, had concussions left and right, playing through them, probably not the smartest. And then I was like, man, I I remember one of my mentors, his name was Duke Williams. He came up to me after one of the last JV football games. He's like, Parker, are you sure you want to play football? And I was like, Yeah, man, I love it. Like, I'm seeing stars at this point because got knocked out basically. I'm like, yeah, man, I love it. Like, I mean this is awesome. And he's like, Man, you're too good at baseball to get hurt in this sport, dude. Like, you know, like I'm I'm worried about you because you don't have an offensive line here like at all. Like you're a running quarterback that isn't supposed to be a running quarterback, you have an arm. And I'm like, yeah, well, I'll think about it. So I ended up just you know playing baseball. So that was probably one of my biggest regrets is you know not playing football throughout my high school career. But um back to the travel ball. Sorry, I got a little off too. No, you're good. Uh back to travel ball. I think you know, there's good in it, there's bad in it. I had a great experience with it. I played with the South Charlotte Panthers um my whole entire middle school, high school career, and they were a great organization. You had guys like Alec Burleson that came out of there, uh Whit Marefield. Um, but I mean it was it was an incredible, you know, run with them. Got to set some pretty cool records, all-time hit records with the organization. Um they retired my number after my accident. So I mean, I will forever be you know grateful for South Charlotte. Um, but you know, I my favorite baseball was still high school baseball because I was playing with my best friends that I grew up in. I'm from a little town in North Carolina, and you know, everybody knows everybody. And we had one high school, two middle schools, you know, it was 4A, which is at a time the highest um A you can have in North Carolina. And uh so I mean we had a relatively big high school, but it was just the only high school in town. So all my buddies were there. Um, and nobody really moves out of Lorenberg. It's one of those towns you kind of get sucked into, and not by choice either. It's just, you know, they don't the people don't leave for some reason. And uh so I got to play with my best friends that I grew up playing with, and you know, I'll I'll remember those moments probably longer than any other moments playing baseball because I was having the most fun uh playing with my best friends, and you know, after the games, hanging out with them, going to cook out, just hang out. And so I mean stuff like that is just something I'll always remember.
SPEAKER_01And you were highly ranked, right? Like top rank, perfect game.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, so I I think with the ranking stuff, um, I was for a while I was a number one shortstop in North Carolina. Um, I think by the time senior year was over, they had me at like number two or something like that. Um and like PBR was just getting started a little bit. Uh so I don't I don't think I ever went to like a PBR camp for them to rank me, so I'm not quite sure what all that is. But um, yeah, I mean I I used to use the ranking stuff as like honestly a motivator. I had this whiteboard in my workout room, uh in my way room back home, and I had a whiteboard of my ranking, but it wasn't for like me to brag about it. It was like, hey, there's this many people in front of you, like you're not the best. So like that's what like would motivate me. And I mean, now here at EC we always talk about like not reading into that stuff, but for me it was good to read into it because it fueled me. It wasn't like I was getting complacent by any means. It was like, okay, well, obviously they they don't think I'm the best, but I still believe I'm the best player, and it just was something that you know kept me going, and those hard workouts, you know, you can look at that whiteboard and be like, you know, that's the reason why I'm doing this. So, you know, I would write my while out there, and I'm obviously my family, and you know, to be the best version of myself every day.
SPEAKER_01Well, doing a little research, I I did read that you were highly I read about the whiteboard and that you were highly, highly goal-oriented, right?
SPEAKER_00So yeah, always, always, yeah. You gotta write out your goals, man, because I'm a big believer and you know, if you say it and you believe it fully, it will happen. You know, I have, you know, obviously my goals have changed, um, but I'll I have on my phone and it stays up here. It's it's the first notification always, but it says uh it says uh 2028 Paralympic gold medalist because that's where I believe I'm gonna be. Even if you know it doesn't happen, you know, that's the goal. And you know, after 2028, I'm gonna put 2032 Paralympic gold medalists. I mean, I I'm that I'm very, very big on being goal-oriented and you know, having that vision for yourself because if you say it and believe it, it will happen.
SPEAKER_01Did that come naturally to you as a kid or did that is that something that was kind of um I would say it came pretty natural.
SPEAKER_00I would you know credit my parents to a little bit of it. Um my dad is you know really big about one of the things that he always tells told me before any game and he dropped me off at school was be great. And he would always say that, be great, um, to the point where I don't know if you can see it, but having it tattooed right there on me because you know it means so much to me, is just be great, and that's you know his thing. So I would say it was it was something that probably came from my parents, but you know, I just had a natural drive at it, and um I just love I love the process so much. I think that's you know something that is a difference maker, is you know, the results come and those are you know the glorified moments that everybody sees. But you know, I what I love more is you know the workout sessions that nobody sees, or you know, going out there and training when nobody's seeing it out in the rain, out in the cold weather. I love that stuff, man. I mean it's it's what fuels me and um it gets me pumped up just talking about it. But that's that's the reason why I do stuff, and that's I think that's a difference maker that you know allows you to be number one shortstop in North Carolina and all that other cool stuff. And um, you know, it's all by the grace of God, man. It's it's all God given, it's it's not me.
SPEAKER_01Well, um, if it's all right with you, because I want to get into the Paralympics talk, and I'm obviously just uh to share your your testimony. So yeah, I would love to. If Riker will pray us out, and then for those that are watching, you'll have to tune in next week and and hear the rest of it with partner. Uh but Riker, if you'll pray us out, and then again tune in next week and we'll we'll follow up with Parker.
SPEAKER_02Lord, thank you for this day. Thank you, Jess, for another uh successful podcast, Lord. Thank you, Jess, for the opportunity to get here and uh film an episode with Parker, Lord. I thank you for that, and uh just thank you for uh us being able to be here today and us having the uh freedom to come here and pray pray to you, Lord. Uh pray that uh anybody watching this uh things that they're not good enough would just watch this video and know that they are good enough.
SPEAKER_01Thank you, Ryan.