Ryan Thompson in April 2023. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
THIS IS THE SPORTS SPECTRUM PODCAST
WITH JASON ROMANO, FEATURING RYAN THOMPSON
Ryan Thompson is a relief pitcher with the Tampa Bay Rays. The Turner, Oregon, native was selected in the 23rd round of the 2014 MLB Draft by the Houston Astros after playing college baseball at Chemeketa Community College (Salem, Oregon) and Campbell University (Buies Creek, North Carolina).
The Rays selected Thompson in the Rule 5 Draft in 2018, and two years later, during the COVID pandemic, Ryan made his MLB debut with the team on July 24, 2020.
Today on the podcast, we talk to Ryan Thompson about his testimony of faith in Jesus, understanding that baseball isn’t his identity, and becoming more intentional about sharing his faith.
Whether you truly believe or not, I challenge you to pray every day this month and lay your burdens at the feet of Jesus Christ. What do you have to lose?
Anthony "Spice" Adams in 2010. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
THIS IS THE SPORTS SPECTRUM PODCAST WITH MATT FORTE & JASON ROMANO, FEATURING ANTHONY “SPICE” ADAMS
Anthony “Spice” Adams is a former NFL player who was selected in the second round of the 2003 NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers. He spent four seasons with San Francisco, then signed in 2007 with the Chicago Bears, where he would spend the last five years of his career. He was teammates with our host, Matt Forte, for four seasons in Chicago.
Today on the podcast, Anthony “Spice” Adams joins us to talk about his family background, his draft day experience, the challenges of playing nose guard, and the humorous moments he and Forte shared as teammates. They discuss the importance of camaraderie in the locker room, the highs and lows of game-day rituals, and the adrenaline rush that follows a game.
Cincinnati Reds outfielder Austin Hays, April 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
It’s been a whirlwind couple of seasons, but outfielder Austin Hays is finding solid footing once again — this time with the Cincinnati Reds. After missing the first 16 games due to a calf strain, he’s provided a jolt to the Reds offense, hitting .361 with three home runs, nine runs batted in and a stolen base over nine games.
In his debut with the team on April 15, he went 2-for-4 with four RBIs, including a three-run home run against former Reds pitcher Luis Castillo during a four-run fifth inning that propelled Cincinnati to an 8-4 come-from-behind win.
Hays picked up where he left off in spring training, where he finished with a .310 batting average to go along with three home runs and a team-leading 14 RBIs over 16 games.
“It doesn’t always work that quickly when a guy comes back, but I think we just missed him,” Reds manager Terry Francona said following Hays’ debut.
Hays was the only player the Reds added via free agency this past offseason when he signed a one-year contract for $5 million. He not only provides an extra source of power and production in the lineup, but at 29 years old and in his eighth season as a big leaguer, he provides a steady veteran presence for a young, energetic roster hungry to make it back to the postseason.
But Hays’ journey to Cincinnati has been anything but linear.
In 2023, he was named to the American League All-Star team as a member of the Baltimore Orioles, ultimately slashing .275/.325/.444 with 16 home runs and 67 runs batted in. He not only brought consistent offense but shined defensively as well, recording six defensive runs saved in left field — good for fourth among all AL outfielders.
But the Orioles dealt Hays to the Philadelphia Phillies at the 2024 trade deadline, aiming to bolster their roster with pitching. Hays, meanwhile, was brought in to help the Phillies counter left-handed pitching, and he delivered when healthy — batting .328 with an .894 OPS against southpaws.
Yet a tough stretch of injuries, including a hamstring strain and what he described as a “mysterious” kidney infection, limited him to just 22 games in Philadelphia, where he hit .256 with two home runs and six RBIs. Members of the Phillies organization praised him for battling through the infection.
Through the ups and downs of baseball, Hays has said his peace comes from his faith in God, which really started to blossom when he and his wife, Samantha, became Christians in 2020.
“During the 2020 season, we were here at our home and just felt like something was missing,” he said on the Sports Spectrum Podcast in March 2024. “We had just completed the first full season in the big leagues, felt like we were finally established, have everything you could want materialistically, and we just didn’t feel whole.”
They attended a Pro Athletes Outreach event in 2020, heard the Gospel and were saved.
“Couldn’t really describe what that feeling was like and the connection Sam and I had together,” he said. “We were looking at each other and asking, ‘Is this real? Are we both feeling this right now?’ We finished the three days there and just really felt like we were completed and we were whole and we had accepted Jesus into our lives.”
Wanting to make sure they weren’t just riding the high of the event, they got plugged in with a church near their home in Florida and continued to grow in their faith. Eventually, he and Samantha were baptized together.
“It’s been a great three years since that day,” he said in 2024. “We’ve grown a lot in our faith and continue to grow every day.”
Now, Hays hopes his play on the field can reflect the peace he’s found through a relationship with God.
“I can take everything that comes with baseball, I can take it to God,” he said. “I don’t have to do it myself. I don’t have to manage it myself and feel like I have to be in control of everything because, ultimately, baseball is a very difficult sport.”
“I can take everything that comes with baseball, I can take it to God.”
He noted how much failure is a part of the game of baseball, even for the best players. A career .263 hitter, he fails nearly 75% of the time, which would be unacceptable in most lines of work. But with baseball, it’s all about perspective.
“With that much failure, I can’t go at it alone,” he said on the podcast. “I can’t go at it by myself. You’re not equipped to do that as an individual. To be able to take it all to Christ and say, ‘I don’t want to do this alone and I don’t want to have to go about it by myself. I want to glorify You in everything that I do on the field.’
“Whether I play good or play bad, I’m alive in Christ and my identity is known from within. It’s known in front of the Lord that I’m living my life the way I was intended to no matter how my game is going on the field that day.”
Hays and the Reds (12-13) are off Thursday before starting a three-game series in Colorado on Friday.
Skip Schumaker in December 2023. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
THIS IS THE GET IN THE GAME PODCAST
WITH SCOTT LINEBRINK
Skip Schumaker is a former MLB player who spent eight years with the St. Louis Cardinals (2005-12, helping them win the 2011 World Series), one season with the Los Angeles Dodgers (2013), and his final two years with the Cincinnati Reds (2014-15). He later got into coaching and became the manager for the Miami Marlins in 2023, winning NL Manager of the Year honors that year, before stepping away from the role after the 2024 season.
Skip joins the show today to discuss his journey through baseball, including defining moments in his career, the importance of leadership and communication, and the impact of faith on his coaching style. He shares insights on transitioning positions, the significance of servant leadership, and how he finds purpose after retirement. The conversation highlights the importance of relationships in baseball and life, and the impact of giving back to the community.
THIS IS THE SPORTS SPECTRUM PODCAST WITH MATT FORTE & JASON ROMANO, FEATURING DERWIN GRAY
Derwin Gray played five seasons in the NFL with the Indianapolis Colts and Carolina Panthers. He is currently the pastor of Transformation Church in the Charlotte, North Carolina, area. His latest book, “Lit Up With Love,” is out now.
Today on the podcast, we talk to Derwin Gray about the “naked preacher” who led him to Jesus, how his scars have helped him help others, and being an “everyday missionary” who is led by love as a follower of Christ.
