{"id":470,"date":"2011-06-17T08:00:09","date_gmt":"2011-06-17T12:00:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/inspiringathletes\/?p=470"},"modified":"2011-10-18T20:18:13","modified_gmt":"2011-10-19T00:18:13","slug":"pittsburgh-pirates-manager-clint-hurdle-on-spiritual-transformation-dealing-with-criticism-and-sharing-gods-love","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/inspiringathletes\/2011\/06\/pittsburgh-pirates-manager-clint-hurdle-on-spiritual-transformation-dealing-with-criticism-and-sharing-gods-love.html","title":{"rendered":"A conversation with Pittsburgh Pirates manager Clint Hurdle"},"content":{"rendered":"

Clint Hurdle is doing something no one has done in quite a while. He\u2019s turning the Pittsburgh Pirates into winners\u2014well, at least half the time. Under Hurdle\u2019s first-year leadership, the Pirates have been flirting with .500 throughout the first two months of the season. This is especially remarkable considering Pittsburgh hasn\u2019t had a winning season in 18 years and lost an astounding 105 games in 2010.<\/p>\n

But for Hurdle, who spent 10 years playing in the Major Leagues, his success on the field (including leading the Colorado Rockies to its first World Series appearance) has been tempered by a desire to live out his faith in a very real and public way:<\/p>\n

Bonham: Why is it so important for you to support organizations such as Baseball Chapel and Fellowship of Christian Athletes?<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Hurdle: It\u2019s a way of sharing. It\u2019s a way of being accountable and being responsible. It puts more emphasis on what you say when your actions are backing you up. You\u2019re going out and meeting kids, finding out their needs and where their hearts are and what challenges or problems they have. Things are different for 13 year olds then when I was 13. I need to go out and take the temperature of the different groups in my home church. It\u2019s a strong part of the nurturing of your relationship with Jesus Christ. It\u2019s going to make your active in a lot of different ways. I just don\u2019t think that if you truly develop that relationship with Christ that you can keep quiet about it or that you can sit in your house and not get out. You\u2019re going to be more involved.<\/p>\n

Bonham: What\u2019s your favorite scripture?<\/p>\n

Hurdle: Romans 8:28. \u201cAnd we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.\u201d It\u2019s the one that\u2019s become the most fertile and the most meaningful for my soul. It reminds me that with challenge comes opportunity.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Clint Hurdle is doing something no one has done in quite a while. He\u2019s turning the Pittsburgh Pirates into winners\u2014well, at least half the time. Under Hurdle\u2019s first-year leadership, the Pirates have been flirting with .500 throughout the first two months of the season. This is especially remarkable considering Pittsburgh hasn\u2019t had a winning season…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":418,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,5],"tags":[240,219,238,21,13,7,223,239],"class_list":["post-470","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-christian-athletes","category-sports-features","tag-baseball-chapel","tag-clint-hurdle","tag-colorado-rockies","tag-fellowship-of-christian-athletes","tag-kyle-korver","tag-major-league-baseball","tag-pittsburgh-pirates","tag-torii-hunter"],"yoast_head":"\nA conversation with Pittsburgh Pirates manager Clint Hurdle - Inspiring Athletes<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/inspiringathletes\/2011\/06\/pittsburgh-pirates-manager-clint-hurdle-on-spiritual-transformation-dealing-with-criticism-and-sharing-gods-love.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"A conversation with Pittsburgh Pirates manager Clint Hurdle - Inspiring Athletes\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Clint Hurdle is doing something no one has done in quite a while. He\u2019s turning the Pittsburgh Pirates into winners\u2014well, at least half the time. Under Hurdle\u2019s first-year leadership, the Pirates have been flirting with .500 throughout the first two months of the season. 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