MLB's Don Gordon & The Shag Carpet Conversion

Ric Hansen
Aug 5
1 min read

After reaching the major leagues with the Toronto Blue Jays and Cleveland Indians, Don Gordon discovered that baseball had quietly become his god. Then, during a five-hour bus ride in the minor leagues, everything changed.

For millions of kids, baseball is a dream.

For Don, it actually became reality.

After growing up in a large Catholic family in Queens, New York, Don fought his way into professional baseball and eventually pitched in the Major Leagues.

But... while he was still working toward that goal, during a long overnight bus ride in the minor leagues, God began speaking to Don's heart in a way he could no longer ignore. Later that evening, alone in a small hotel room with nothing but a Gideon Bible, Don surrendered his life to Christ.

That decision changed everything.

Instead of simply becoming another retired Major League player, Don spent the next several decades serving as a baseball chaplain, discipling players across Major League Baseball, leading international mission trips, and helping athletes discover that their greatest identity isn't found in wins, statistics, or championships—but in Jesus Christ.

This episode is about far more than baseball.

It's about identity.

Purpose.

Discipleship.

And what God can do when we surrender the thing we love most.