Mormon Baseball

Last year I looked at the information that many Mormons want to know each April, the understanding we want of the changes that have happened in the last six months and what that will mean for the next six months. Its time to do it again.

That’s right, its baseball season again.

If you follow baseball, (and maybe even if you don’t) you may find it interesting to know which players you see are Mormon, and who might make it to the Majors this year. The team you follow may include a Mormon player you don’t know about, or you might like to know about the Mormon players on visiting teams.

Last year I updated my list of the Mormons  who are playing in the Majors right now and who might make it (or make it back) during the year. [If you are curious, my list includes about 70 Mormons (including inactive LDS Church members and others with Mormon heritage) who have played in the majors.]

[I don’t claim my information is complete or absolutely accurate. Some of it comes from information I collected years ago, and some comes from personal information that I’ve not yet been able to verify in documentation. Any clarification or additional information would be very useful.]

So, here is a quick guide to the Mormons now playing on a major league team, or who were at spring training this year, and therefore may be brought up to the majors during the year:

Current Roster Players:

• John Buck — starting catcher — Toronto Blue Jays
• Bobby Crosby — backup shortstop — Pittsburgh Pirates
• Jacoby Ellsbury — starting outfielder — Boston Red Sox
• Kyle Farnsworth — right handed bullpen pitcher — Kansas City Royals
• Jeremy Guthrie — starting pitcher (right handed) — Baltimore Orioles
• Roy Halladay — starting pitcher (right handed) — Philadelphia Phillies
• Matt Lindstrom — closer (right handed) – Houston Astros
• Brandon Lyon — right handed bullpen pitcher — Houston Astros
• Mitch Maier — backup outfielder — Kansas City Royals
• Mitch Talbot — starting pitcher (right handed) — Cleveland Indians

Minor League Players who may make the majors:

• Matt Carson — left field — Oakland As organization
• Troy Cate — left handed pitcher — Toronto Blue Jays organization
• Brandon Duckworth — right handed bullpen pitcher — Philadelphia Phillies organization
• Sean Estes — left handed pitcher — Washington Nationals organization
• Nate Gold — first baseman — Texas Rangers organization
• Cate Iorg — Shortstop — Detroit Tigers organization
• Mitch Jones — right field — Atlanta Braves organization
• Jared Price — catcher — Chicago White Sox organization
• Chris Shelton — Houston Astros organization

Minor League Players who may be Mormon:

• Jordan Smith — right field — Cinncinnati Reds organization
• Kam Mickolio — pitcher — Baltimore Orioles organization
• Mike Gosling — right field — Cleveland Indians organization
• Willie Eyre — pitcher — Texas Rangers organization
• Brad Thompson — pitcher — Kansas City Royals organization

Notes:

• Jeremy Guthrie and Roy Halladay remain the strongest of the Mormon players, and I understand both are active members of the LDS Church. Guthrie is the ace of the Orioles pitching staff, and has been for a few years, while Halladay was the ace of Toronto’s staff before coming to the Phils, and seems likely to be the ace of that staff also (and he won the Phils’ opener).
• Two Mormons start the year in the majors for the first time this year:  Mitch Maier, a backup outfielder with the Kansas City Royals, and Mitch Talbot, who made the Cleveland Indians’ starting rotation. One who started last year, Brandon Duckworth, starts the year back in the minors.
• Many of these players have served LDS missions, including (at least) Jeremy Guthrie, Matt Lindstrom, and Cate Iorg.
• Chad Hermansen, Eli Iorg, Jason Johnson, Dave Veres, and Jaret Wright have apparently retired or otherwise left baseball.

Enjoy the season!!

[This post was originally published on Times and Seasons. You can read 44 comments made in response there.]