Torii Hunter: Faith in Christ 'Allows Me to Go On and Not Worry About Life'

He is a professional major league baseball player. He plays right field for the Detroit Tigers. Before that, he played for the Minnesota Twins and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. He is a five-time All-Star. He won nine consecutive Gold Glove Awards as an outfielder and has won two Silver Slugger Awards.

As a child, he grew up in a neighborhood of crime, poverty, drugs, and gangs. His father was addicted to crack cocaine most of his life and his brother joined a gang. However, he found safety and hope in church due to the influence of his mother and grandmother. This early instillation of faith propelled him to find strength and hope in Jesus Christ and through the Bible.

In an interview with Sports Spectrum, he said of the difficult time he faced growing up that, "The Holy Spirit always was with me and helped me make the right decisions. Sometimes, I’d do some stupid stuff, anyway, and I always paid the consequences. I wasn’t always right. But the more I went through, the closer I got to Him, and the stronger I got to survive in that city."

He went on to say, "Without Jesus, I promise you, I couldn’t do anything. In everything I do, I ask Him to guide me. Some guys who really don’t have faith actually feel like they want to commit suicide. My faith allows me to go on, day to day, and not worry about what’s on and off the field."

He currently serves as a mentor to young people and other young baseball players trying to make it to the major leagues. He said, "Anytime I receive something, I try to give it back. That is a blessing, to be a giver. Some people are just takers. I want to be a giver and not a receiver. It’s just about passing the torch. That’s what I want to do.”

His name is Torii Hunter.