World Series Champ Ben Zobrist: 'Victory Belongs to the Lord'

With the Kansas City Royals winning the World Series Sunday night, Royals second baseman Ben Zobrist explained who the real winner was when asked about his emotions on winning his first World Series.

The veteran, who made it to the World Series in 2008 as a member of the Tampa Bay Rays, knows what it's like to make it to the big game, only to walk away empty-handed.

Zobrist, the son of an Illinois pastor, asserted that no matter the amount of preparation the players put in, God is the one who emerges as the true victor.

"This is incredible, a very prepared team, everybody is prepared but, you know, you prepare the horse for battle, but the victory belongs to the Lord," Zobrist stated. "I am so thankful to be a part of this. I am just thankful."

The two-time All-Star, who is married to Christian singer Julianna Zobrist, has been vocal about his Christian faith all throughout his playing career.

In an interview with Baptist Press, the Zobrists' pastor, Byron Yawn of the Community Bible Church in Nashville, said that Zobrist has such an influence on his teammates that he is like a "missionary" working in the MLB mission field.

"The consistency of the godliness of his life is a natural attraction to a diversity of personalities on the team," Yawn added.



In an interview with the Florida Baptist Witness, Zobrist explained that, even as a baseball player, he holds a responsibility to represent Christ as best he can.

"Like anybody else that goes and does their job, there's a way to do your job with excellence," Zobrist said. "You want to represent Christ well with doing you job, first and foremost, because that's what you're there to do."

The Zobrists have authored a book titled Double Play, which offers insight into the couple's devotion to God, family, music and baseball.

According to Breitbart, the couple's devotion to each other is so great that they have made a pact to never be apart for more than six days at a time, even though Zobrist spends more than half of the year traveling in and out of baseball stadiums throughout the country.

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7eventh Time Down in World Series

7eventh Time Down's Just Say Jesus was overheard during the World Series as Daniel Murphy used it as his walk-up music.

Matthew West Trends On Facebook

It's a rare when a Christian singer is actually a trending topic. Lecrae managed it a few weeks ago with the release of Anomaly. Now it's Matthew West's turn. In honor of the Kansas City Royals (of whom West is a big fan) earning a berth to the World Series this year, West recorded a cover of number one pop hit "Royals" by Lorde. In order to make the song a little bit more appropriate to the situation, West re-wrote the lyrics about the championship-seeking team.

The song was debuted on Kansas City Christian radio station Life 88.5 yesterday and since then it has gone viral across the nation. It is sure to be the battle cry for the Kansas City Royals as they face the San Francisco Giants in the World Series which begins Tuesday night at 8:07 Eastern on FOX.

Listen to the song.

Christian Music Overheard in MLB Telecasts

We've written in the past about Christian music being used promotionally by Major League Baseball, as 'at bat' songs in the Playoffs and World Series, and stars promoting Christian music, but it's still refreshing to hear during the season.  It was noted last night that Milwaukee Brewers' players Jonathan Lucroy (Red's "Let Go"), Travis Ishikawa (TobyMac's "Ignition") and Jeff Bianchi (Jeremy Camp's "Tonight") had Christian songs as their 'at bat'/'walk up' songs.  According to the Brewers' site, Corey Hart has Newsboys' "Born Again" and Mark Rogers' pitching entrance music is P.O.D.' "Lights Out."

Albert Pujol Says Listen Locally and Listen to Jesus

Albert Pujols's 2011 walk up song is "Five Seconds" by Canton Jones, a Christian hip-hop artist.  You can often hear it during this year's World Series.

Albert Pujols, of course, doesn't mess around when it comes to his at-bat appearances, or his faith. So how does the greatest baseball player of our generation choose a song to inspire him?

Pujols takes a divine approach.

Albert Pujols's 2011 walk up song is "Five Seconds" by Canton Jones, a Christian hip-hop artist

"Albert is very serious about his faith and wants to provide a positive message with his bat music," Oliver says.  (Damon Oliver currently assists the PA announcer with music.)

In fact, Oliver has been called down to the clubhouse to discuss music decisions with Pujols in person. The music in question is usually Christian rap ― St. Louis-based Christian rap, to be more precise.

"It's his preference and, within the past few years, he's been trying to support the local guys," Oliver says.

Josh Hamilton's Showstopper Music

Josh Hamilton, outfielders for the Texas Rangers and 2010 ALCS MVP and 2010 AL MVP, has rotated between "This Life" (Mercy Me)," I Used To Do It" (LeCrae), "Sing A Song" (Third Day) and "Showstopper" (Toby Mac) for his at bat music. This can often be heard on-air during the Playoffs.

Hamilton says he likes for his songs "to have a little message in them about faith." He admits to not being very tech-savvy, so his wife helps him pick the best 10-second clip and send it to the team.

"If I can get just Jesus' name in there," Hamilton said, "that's the important thing."

Early last year he used a Casting Crowns song called "Until the Whole World Hears" and picked these lyrics from the chorus:
Ready yourselves
Ready yourselves
Let us shine the light of Jesus in the darkest night
Oh, Ready yourselves
Oh, ready yourselves

At other times he used Toby Mac's "Showstopper" with its line of
It's automatic
Don't mind the static
Jesus fanatic

And Toby Mac's "Get Back Up."

In 2009, he used "Saved the Day" by Phillips, Craig & Dean sharing that "The part I (have asked to be) played says, 'You saved the day/ the day you rolled the stone away/ the empty grave was there to say you reign.' I got on our PA announcer a little bit because he'd cut in and say my name right in the middle of it. I told him that I'm not one of these guys that are playing the song for myself. I'm playing it so everybody else can hear it. I said, 'I'm not telling you how to do your job, but if you could, just announce my name, and then play it.' That's just the way I feel about the whole situation."

When Corey Hart's Milwaukee Brewers were still in the Play-offs that was at least 3 opportunities to hear Christian music (albeit short and soft) during the Playoffs.