Fernando Tatis: In God's Moment

The career of a Major League Baseball player can be like the changing tide. At least, that’s how it was for New York Mets outfielder Fernando Tatis. The slugger from the Dominican Republic made his big league debut in 1997. He’s played with the Texas Rangers, St. Louis Cardinals, Montreal Expos, and the Baltimore Orioles. After more than 10 years of ups and downs, he says he’s learned how to earn true success.

“In those difficult moments in my life, I pray. I pray and continue to pray,” he tells The 700 Club. “I know that God have the answer. Not in the moment that I want, but I know in His moment, because I know that His moment is going to be the right moment.”

Fernando became a Christian at an early age. When he debuted in the big leagues, his rigorous schedule took priority over going to church.

“I don’t have time to go to church,” he explains. “I have to walk away, because I was in one of those camps that the Texas Rangers have away from my town. I forgot my way to God. I started to turn the other way.”

After one season with the Rangers, he was traded to the Cardinals. Within two seasons, his career was beginning to flourish. He hit 34 home runs with 107 runs batted in. Fernando thought he had everything he wanted. But one night during a game, something interesting happened.

“I remember I hit a double with the bases loaded. The whole stadium going crazy. I was on third base, and it was someone right next to me telling me, ‘See all this glory? Nothing is going to happen if I’m not with you.’ I feel like God was talking to me in that moment.”

Instead of listening to the warning, Fernando just ignored what he heard, and during one of the following games, the unexpected happened.

“I broke my leg in the best moment of my career. I was leading the league in home runs and RBIs -- National League and American League. Boom! I broke my leg. I was not in God’s way, and I broke my leg. I start asking God why. I got traded after that year. Everything is going worse, as opposed to going good; everything going backwards.”

While he was in Montreal, Fernando suffered numerous other injuries and was eventually released. After many failed attempts to make another team’s roster, he was frustrated and decided to return home. There he realized it was time to do what he should have done a long time ago.

“It was one night when I was home in the Dominican Republic. My wife tells me, ‘I want you to go to church with me tomorrow.’ And I tell her, ‘I don’t know if I’m going to go.’ All my family went. I got there late. That night changed my life forever.”

Fernando rededicated his life to the Lord.

“God really changed my heart that night. It was amazing. Everything changed,” he says.

Fernando was now out of the game. In fact for the next two years, he didn’t even pick up a baseball. But the church he was attending at the time was in desperate need of a new building, and he was the only one that could come up with the money. So now Fernando was faced with a very important decision.

He says, “God put it on my heart that the only way that we can buy the land is just if I come back to baseball one more time and make the money to buy the land. I say, ‘Okay I don’t want the lawyers to know that I want to come back to baseball one more time. If this is going to be from God, God’s going to send somebody here to my house with a contract in his hand.’”

And a week later…

“I received a phone call from the Baltimore Orioles.”

Fernando was headed back to the big leagues. Though he was a bit rusty, he made the roster. After two seasons, he raised enough money to build the new church. Today, Fernando is with the New York Mets, and hopes that all who see his life on the field understands one thing.

“I’m different, because I’m a Christian. Every Christian should be different. Faith is everything. If you put God in your heart and ask Him, ‘I want the real deal,’ God is going to answer you. He’s going to support you. It’s the best relationship ever. More than your wife, your mother, you father. Jesus is going to support you in every moment of your life.”