Jackson Holliday (center) celebrates with family and friends as his name is announced as the No. 1 overall pick during the 2022 MLB Draft. (Photo courtesy of Scarlett Gooch)
THIS IS THE TABLE FORTY PODCAST
WITH MATT AND LESLEE HOLLIDAY
It’s been a wild week for Matt and Leslee Holliday and their family. That’s especially true for their oldest son, Jackson, who was selected No. 1 overall by the Baltimore Orioles in the 2022 MLB Draft last week. While it’s an exciting time for Jackson and the Holliday family, it’s also bittersweet.
This week on “Table Forty,” Matt and Leslee reflect on the emotions of draft day, the journey it took for Jackson to reach that goal, and they share their emotions as they prepare for this next major transition in Jackson’s and their life. Their family dynamic will change with Jackson no longer in the house, but they are excited to see him start his professional baseball career and his adult life.
From the joy of draft day to the tears of knowing it’s the end of a season of life, Matt and Leslee let listeners in on what life has been like for the Holliday family over the past week and what it will look like going forward.
THIS IS THE GET IN THE GAME PODCAST
WITH SCOTT LINEBRINK
Our guest today is Matthew Boyd, starting pitcher for the Chicago Cubs. In 2025, Boyd was named to the NL All-Star team and led the Cubs to the playoffs with a career-high 14 wins, to go along with a 3.21 ERA and 154 strikeouts.
Matthew Boyd joins Scott Linebrink to discuss his perspective on playing baseball as a divine calling rather than just a sport. He emphasizes the importance of preparation, daily commitment, and the role of faith in overcoming challenges.
Love for Leather co-founder and president Lance Jarriel (second from right) with some baseball players in the Dominican Republic. (Photo courtesy of Lance Jarriel)
Each baseball glove has a story to tell. Its unique webbing and contours, the color, the size, the wear and tear, every feature adding to the plot. And now, through the sports ministry Love for Leather, baseball gloves in the Dominican Republic are telling the greatest story ever: the story of Jesus Christ — a Man who laid down His life for His friends.
Founded by Lance Jarriel — along with Matt Stanley and Thomas Walker — in 2024 after Jarriel attended a missions trip to the Dominican Republic, Love for Leather has a mission to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ and His love through the game of baseball. The nonprofit gifts boxes to young baseball players in the DR containing bilingual leather Bibles and brand-new distinctive baseball gloves, as well as hats, sunglasses, bracelets and next-step guides for new believers.
This past May, Love for Leather was able to gift 50 of these boxes on its Day of Giving during a trip to Villa Altagracia in the Dominican Republic. After the players opened their gifts, the Love for Leather team was able to take pictures with them, talk to them about Jesus Christ, and then play a friendly baseball game together.
“We got the chance to speak our purpose and passion into the lives of these aspiring baseball players and share the Good News of the Gospel with them,” Jarriel recently told Sports Spectrum. “We passed out all of the boxes, and at the same time each player opened the box, we had people from our group surrounding them with love and encouragement and excitement over what they were getting.”
The Love for Leather team recognizes that a baseball player and his glove have a bond like no other. It’s what sets him apart, is his companion through the successes and failures, becomes an extension of himself on the diamond. As such, Love for Leather has partnered with Llerandi Gloves in Houston to supply brand-new gloves, with no two being the same. That each glove differs from the rest is very intentional.
“God makes each one of us unique with a different story to tell, all pointing back to His glory,” Jarriel said. “Each glove mimics that purpose, and even has a unique Bible verse on the thumb stitched into the glove. We sat down and designed every one of these gloves, prayed over these gloves and the verses that are going on them. Each verse provides encouragement, purpose and love.”
The Bible verses — such as Luke 10:27 and Isaiah 40:31 — are intended to be conversation-starters about who Jesus is, as well as constant reminders to the players that they are not alone — they are loved more than they could ever imagine by the God of the universe.
“There is nothing like knowing who Jesus is and the love He has for us,” said Jarriel, who’s won Georgia state championships as a baseball coach. “At the end of the day, being a state championship coach does not get me into Heaven. Believing in Jesus and living a life that glorifies Him is what we are called to do. I want every person we ever come in contact with to feel and know the love of Jesus.”
One powerful way Jarriel saw the love of God on display was through the response of one young man in Villa Altagracia after receiving his box. He approached Jarriel with the box in his hands and tears in his eyes. Jarriel pulled out the glove, but the young man shook his head and reached for the Bible. It was the first Bible his family had ever owned. He had been praying for years that his family would one day have access to written scripture.
“This young man genuinely became emotional because he got God’s Word,” Jarriel said. “That is something [Americans] take for granted so many times, and something as simple as a Bible meant the world to this young man.”
Jarriel and the rest of the Love for Leather team are dreaming big about what God can do through the ministry. They hope that what started with 50 boxes in the Dominican Republic will one day, by the power of the Holy Spirit, extend to the ends of the earth.
“We are willing to go anywhere the Lord leads us and opens doors for Love for Leather,” Jarriel said. “There is such a need for His Word all over this world. Baseball is a very popular sport in many different countries, and if we can get gloves and Bibles in every one of these countries, then I am ready for it. I will never limit what God can do or where He can take us. We just want to be His vessel to share His love and His Word, wherever that may be.”
But Jarriel and his small team know they can’t do it alone. If God desires to grow Love for Leather into an international movement — as they’ve been praying — others will need to come alongside them. The first way to do that, Jarriel said, is simply by praying. Love for Leather is also open to connections and resources, as well as tax-deductible monetary donations that can be made on the nonprofit’s website.
“I am just a man who loves the game of baseball but loves Jesus a whole lot more,” Jarriel said, “and I want other people to experience that love that I feel for my Savior.”
With Love for Leather, he’s providing a way for Dominican baseball players to experience it through the feel of leather gloves on their hands and God’s Word in their hearts.
Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw holds the World Series trophy as Mookie Betts (right) and teammates celebrate, Nov. 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
After cruising to the World Series championship a year ago, the Los Angeles Dodgers were favored all season long to repeat. But through eight innings in Game 7 of the 2025 World Series on Saturday night, their repeat bid looked to have come up short against the Toronto Blue Jays.
They trailed all night, and entered the final frame down 4-3. With one out in the top of the ninth, however, the ninth batter in L.A.’s lineup, Miguel Rojas, clubbed a game-tying home run to left field. The second baseman hadn’t collected a hit since Oct. 1, going hitless in his five previous games.
Overall, it’s the ninth world title for the Dodgers, moving them into third all time (behind the Yankees’ 27 championships, and the St. Louis Cardinals’ 11). They’ve won three of the last six World Series.
“The love that we have for each other in this clubhouse, in this organization, is something I’ve never been a part of,” Betts said after the game. “I love being a Dodger, I love each and every person in here, and it was on display today.”
Through the first five games against Toronto, the eight-time All-Star was hitting just 3-for-23. After Game 5, he told the media, “I’ve just been terrible.” But in the third inning of Game 6, Betts’ single to left drove in two runs, which proved to be the difference in the game and keep the Dodgers’ season alive. He didn’t get a hit Saturday in Game 7, but his lead-off walk in the sixth led to him scoring and cutting Toronto’s lead to one.
Then came the title-clinching double play. Betts made it look routine, but considering he’s spent most of his 12-year MLB career as an outfielder (six career Gold Gloves in right field), it was an impressive play.
“I was so nervous right there,” Betts told Fox Sports after the game. “I’ve never been in that situation. I was so nervous and as he was pitching the ball, I was talking to myself, saying, ‘Be nasty. Mook, just make a play. Be nasty. Be nasty.’ And the ball found me and I just kind of played. All the work in the back fields, it all came to fruition.”
Prior to the World Series, Betts was asked by CBN Sports about how God’s grace has been seen through the ups and downs in his life. He specifically mentioned his move to shortstop.
“Oh, it’s huge,” Betts said. “Just for me moving to short and then praying — a lot of prayers on wanting to be a successful shortstop, especially in His image. But He really just answered all the prayers. I mean, He answers everyone’s prayers as long as you have a relationship with Him, you talk to Him, you come to Him with everything, and I did and He’s definitely led me this far.”
The World Series win is the fourth for Betts, who was traded from the Boston Red Sox (where he won the title in 2018) to the Dodgers in February 2020. Later that year, he helped his new team win a championship for the first time in 32 years.
That title was the first for Dodgers pitching legend Clayton Kershaw, a three-time Cy Young Award winner and 11-time All-Star who announced in September that he would retire after this season. He made only two postseason appearances — one being an eight-pitch relief effort in the 18-inning marathon that was Game 3 of the World Series — but earned his third championship ring nonetheless.
What a moment for Clayton Kershaw as he's reunited with his family following the final game of his career pic.twitter.com/n3vHhxhgYB
“My last thing is my favorite Bible verse. It’s: ‘Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as you’re working for the Lord, not for men.’ It’s Colossians. And that’s what I’ve tried to do. Just work at it. Just work at it and love it,” he said.
"Colossians 3:23 – Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as you're working for the Lord, not for men."
With Game 7 going into extra innings, Kershaw was called on to begin warming up in the bullpen. Had the game been extended any further, he could’ve added on to the 3,052 innings (including playoffs) he’d already pitched in his career. But he was more than happy to watch the Dodgers’ young stars close out the win.
“I don’t have words, I really don’t,” Kershaw told MLB Network after the game. “It’s the most unbelievable feeling ever to win another one with this group. … This is the perfect way. I couldn’t script this any better. I am so happy that this was my last game I will ever play.”
Toronto Blue Jays star Vladimir Guerrero Jr. celebrates during Game 3 of the ALCS, Oct. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
The Toronto Blue Jays are headed back to the World Series for the first time since 1993, and star first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is a major reason why. The 26-year-old slugger was named MVP of the American League Championship Series after batting .385 with three home runs and three RBIs across seven games.
George Springer’s go-ahead three-run home run in the seventh inning of Game 7 propelled the Blue Jays to a come-from-behind, 4-3 win over the Seattle Mariners, and Guerrero was noticeably emotional during the postgame celebration. He said he knew what it meant to him personally but also the Blue Jays fanbase and the entire country of Canada.
“We worked for this. We worked so hard,” Guerrero told Fox Sports after the game. “We did everything we could to win, and when you believe in God and pray for this, something like that happens. You’ve got to give the glory to God.”
After two batters reached base in the seventh, Springer came up to bat to keep the rally going. He told Fox after the game that he was just trying to get the runner from third home, but he connected for his 23rd career postseason home run to give the Blue Jays the lead and eventually the win.
With their season on the brink, Guerrero went into the clubhouse that inning and prayed.
“I went to my knees and I said to God, ‘If it’s something for us, I’m going to give You the glory. If not, I’m going to give You the glory no matter what,'” he told Fox. “And thank God, He listened to me, and in that inning George came in and hit a home run.”
It’s been a long road back to the top for the Blue Jays. Though they’ve been flushed with young talent for years, they had yet to break through in the tough AL East. Just a year ago, they finished in last place. But from the first day of spring training this season, Guerrero sensed something different.
“Everybody was doing early work. Everybody was grinding. Nobody complained,” he told Fox. “When you’ve got a team like that and nobody complains and they come and play with their hearts for the fanbase and the city, you’ve got to believe in this team.”
In April, Guerrero signed a 14-year, $500-million contract extension to stay with the Blue Jays. It was a massive commitment from the organization to one of the game’s brightest young stars. He said it feels good to immediately reward the organization for their belief in him.
“But like I said, the job’s not finished,” he told Fox. “We’ve got to go get four more.”
Former MLB star David Ortiz, who is a part of Fox’s commentary crew, noted that Guerrero’s family and faith in God have always been central to who he is as a player and a person, and he asked Guerrero about that during the postgame interview.
“For us, God is great. God is important in my life,” Guerrero said. “We prayed for this moment. I don’t have words to explain how I feel right now. Thank God we did it, and we’re going to go for four more.”
Prior to the 2024 All-Star Game, Guerrero told CBN Sports, “For me, Jesus Christ is everything. I read the Bible before every game, when I wake up. I pray and read the Bible before bed.”
“Dreams come true,” he said then. “Since I was a kid I’ve always been thinking about this moment. I’ve worked all my life, very hard, and thank God it’s happening now.”
Faith is more than words for Guerrero — it’s also a visible part of his game. According to a 2021 ESPN.com story, every time he steps to the plate, he writes “DIOS” — the Spanish word for “God” — in the dirt. His social media bios on X and Instagram list Psalm 121, which begins, “I lift up my eyes to the mountains — where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.”
Now, he’s ready to make his dream of winning a World Series come true.
“We’re trying to go to the World Series and win it all,” he told Fox. “We prayed for this. The country is behind us, and we’re trying to bring the World Series back to Toronto.”
Game 1 of the World Series between the Blue Jays and the Los Angeles Dodgers begins Friday in Toronto at 8 p.m. ET.
