THIS IS EPISODE 43 OF THE SPORTS SPECTRUM PODCAST
Tim Fortugno is a former Major League Baseball pitcher and currently a professional scout for the New York Mets.
But the story of baseball is just a small part of the incredible life journey that Tim has had. Growing up as a child in a broken home, Tim witnessed physical and emotional abuse at the hands of his step-father. At 15, Tim was ready to end it all, but God intervened and brought Tim to foster family that turned his life around and changed him forever.
An unlikely trek to professional baseball started to take place and at the age where most baseball players are giving up their dream of making to the Majors, Tim Fortugno, age 30, gets the call to the show.
On this podcast, you’ll hear Tim’s incredible story of overcoming childhood abuse, the moment he wanted to end it all, how he came to faith in Jesus, why baseball was taken away from him and how getting married and having a child at a young age actually opened the door for him to pursue a professional baseball career.
Tim Fortugno’s baseball card from 1993.
TIMELINE:
3:15 – On being a scout for the New York Mets
5:30 – Has he ever seen a team with more injuries than the 2017 Mets?
7:45 – Growing up in a broken home.
11:00 – On the relationship with his Dad.
15:20 – Being placed into a foster home.
17:40 – Being raised Catholic and where faith was in his life as a child.
18:55 – Beginning his walk of faith at age 16 and returning to baseball.
21:55 – On having the thought process to end his life at age 15
23:15 – Baseball returning to the picture in high school
24:50 – Baseball then being taken away from him at age 18
30:15 – Becoming a Dad at a very young age and when baseball comes back into the picture
39:05 – How the trek to the Major Leagues became a reality
46:15 – Making his major league debut at age 30 in 1992
49:05 – Pitching a complete game in his second ever appearance in 1992
52:30 – On giving up George Brett’s 3000th hit in September 1992
58:05 – How difficult was it for him to accept his career as a player was over?
62:05 – What God is teaching him right now?
Tim Fortugno with his wife Kelly in 2015. (Photo Courtesy: Tim Fortugno)
QUOTES:
“It was so emotionally abusive. I began to rebel. I started doing drugs, alcohol, breaking and entering into neighbors homes, stealing their money, stealing money from family.”
“My step-dad took away the one love in my heart, the one love in my soul, and that was baseball.”
“I started skipping school, had to go to court. I was rejected my Mom, my step-dad and they didn’t want me anymore. I was place into a foster home.”
“In the first 16 years of my life, I never learned what it was like to have a personal relationship with Christ.”
“I needed to save my mom, my sister, my brothers, I needed to save all of us. I felt strong in that urge but God was there saying that you don’t have to do this. I felt like somebody was telling me, you don’t need to do this, this is going to be ok.”
“It’s really neat that I got the opportunity to play professional baseball.”
“God is teaching me to be more bold about my faith. He’s teaching me to stay in his word daily. Communicating with Him through prayer and his word.”
“I just can’t be afraid to share my faith and my story. God has been asking me to do this for a long time, to tell others what He did for me. I’m looking for more opportunities to share my faith with others.”
For more on Tim’s story, click to read this 2015 article from Bleacher Report.
