Cincinnati Reds' Scooter Gennett Says Praying, Talking to God Is What Helped Him in Hard Times
Cincinnati Reds second baseman Scooter Gennett is fresh off making his first appearance in MLB's Midsummer Classic, and he credits God for getting him to where he is right now.
An article in Sports Spectrum on Tuesday details many of the times Gennett has spoken openly about his faith and devotion to God.
According to Gennett, it's his belief in God that has enabled him to gain a new perspective on his career. He feels that things will still be alright for him even if his career in the Majors ends because he knows that when it's all said and done, he will be able to go to Heaven and be with his Lord and Savior.
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Gennett also said he believes that he wouldn't have been able to make it through the trying times of his career if he weren't able to pray and talk to God.
He added, "God's with me wherever I go. Whether it's on the field or in the locker room, He's always with me. It all points back to the love of Christ who has a purpose for my life."
Gennett began his Major League career with the Milwaukee Brewers back in 2013. Gennett posted a batting line of .279/.318/.420 over the course of four seasons with the Brewers, per Baseball Reference.
.@Sgennett2 is the FIRST player in @MLB history to produce a game with …
— MLB Stat of the Day (@MLBStatoftheDay) June 7, 2017
5 hits
4 homers
10 RBIs pic.twitter.com/N1tEG6Hv5o
The Brewers didn't see Gennett as a long-term piece of their winning puzzle, and in March 2017, the Reds swooped in, claimed him off waivers and gave him the chance to claim their starting job at second base.
In his first season with the Reds, Gennett put up an OPS (on-base plus slugging percentage) of .874, which to that point, was the best such mark he ever posted for an entire season. The highlight of his 2017 season came when he swatted four home runs against the St. Louis Cardinals on June 6. He is so far one of only 18 players in MLB history to have accomplished that feat.
For this year, Gennett's biggest highlight could be the game-tying home run he hit in the just concluded All-Star Game.
With the National League All-Stars down 5-3 in the bottom of the ninth inning, Gennett smashed a two-run home run off of Seattle Mariners closer Edwin Diaz to tie the game up and send it to extras.
The National League would still go on to lose the game 8-6, but for a brief moment in time, Gennett was the one shining the brightest of all the All-Stars gathered in Washington, D.C.
