1998 World Series Champs blessed by God Some might call is luck, others might say skill, but this year's World Champs are giving God the credit for their victory. by Rob McKinney     The greatest team ever.     That’s what many are saying about the 1998 World Series Champion New York Yankees. The team won 125 games this season, including the playoffs, while losing just 50. They fittingly capped their phenomenal season with a convincing four-game sweep of the San Diego Padres winning their 24th world championship.     Until recently, the Yankees have been a team people tended either to love or hate. Generally their was no middle ground. But this year was different. Gone was the brashness of players like Reggie Jackson, Dave Winfield and manager Billy Martin. In its place was a team that many called “classy” and “humble.”     The team was led by soft-spoken manger Joe Torre, and the softer-spoken outfielder, Bernie Williams, winner of this year’s American League batting title. Williams, like many of his team-mates, is a devout Christian.     In the current edition of Sports Spectrum magazine, Yankees player Andy Pettitte, Joe Girardi, Chad Curtis, Scott Brosius and Darren Holmes talked about their personal faith in Christ and how they felt it has affected their team.     “What we’ve been able to do though the power of Christ and his World is to unify ourselves by the common bound that we have,” Chad Curtis told SS.     Though not always a starter, outfielder Chad Curtis leads the team spiritually. He says the Christian players have made a point of both mixing with, and being supportive of every player on the team.     Many of the Yankees meet regularly for Bible study and prayer. Recently outfielder Darryl Strawberry, diagnosed with colon cancer in October, became a focal point of their prayers. Following surgery, doctors reported that his outlook for recovery appears bright.     Orlando Herandez, who escaped his homeland in Cuba to play for the Yankees, prayed that his parents would be able to leave the country to take part in the victory parade. “God heard my prayers,” the winning pitcher of World Series Game 2 told the Associated Press, after hearing that his parents would be allowed to leave Cuba on a 30-day visa.     Winning the World Series is the goal of every professional baseball player. But the Christian players know that sharing the Good News about Jesus is an even greater goal, with eternal consequences.     “We have such a large group of guys who are unified though something that’s much larger then baseball,” Curtis told Sports Spectrum. “We hold that as more important.”     We’re trying to fulfil the great commission that He’s put before us—to preach and make disciples. We’ve seen proof of that this year since some of the guys have accepted the Lord, That where the real glory is!”     Yankee says God brought team together By Rob McKinney     “God’s a Yankee fan too! Thanks for a heavenly season!”     Amidst tons of confetti, a sign proclaimed these words to an estimated 3.5 million fans who had gathered to celebrate their beloved team’s recent World Series victory .     But is God really a Yankee fan? Does He even care? His involvement in professional sports has long been a subject of debate.     However, if you asked certain members of the New York Yankees, many would say that God definitely cares, not just about the Yankees but about everyone. While He may not have engineered every victory, His hand does seem evident in the team’s success this season.     The World Series’ Most Valuable Player, Scott Brosius is probably the most obvious example. Brosius joined the Yankees during the off-season, leaving behind the Oakland A’s and a terrible year in which he batted just .203, among the lowest in the Major Leagues.     Joining the Yankees, however, was so far from Brosius’ first choice. In October issue of Sports Spectrum he talked about God bringing the team together.     “One of the first nights we were here, a group of guys were sitting around talking about how they ended up with the Yankees. Everyone had the same story: ‘Boy, the last place I wanted to go was the Yankees,’ or ‘When I was a free agent the Yankees were the last team on my list—yet here I am!’ And here you have this whole group of Christians saying the same story. It become pretty apparent that this whole thing wasn’t put together for a reason.”     Adds Brosius, “There’s no greater confidence than knowing that God is in control of your life.”     Besides being the unanimous choice as World Series MVP, Brosius batted an impressive .300, drove 98 runs in, and hit 19 home runs for the Yankees during the regularly season. It was his best year ever. [LLN-Online] [Adopt-a-Block] [Newsbriefs][Event Calendar] [Lifestyles] [Juke Box] [Cover to Cover] [Movieguide][Casting the Net] [Viewpoints] [General Info] [Rates & Sizes][Marketplace/Classifieds] [Volunteer Ops] [Writing Guidelines] [Contact Us] [Subscribe][Archives][Good News] [About Us][Links]