Crossing Home Plate
Crossing Home Plate
Podcast Description
Crossing Home Plate: Life Beyond the GameBaseball is more than a sport. It’s a life, a dream, and—for many—a long road back to reality and a struggle with identity.Crossing Home Plate is the podcast where former and current baseball players get real about the game, the grind, and what comes after. From MLB All-Stars, Home Run Champions, and a Cy Young Award winner, to college stars, minor league warriors, and players whose dreams ended early—every guest shares the truth of what it means to give your life to baseball… and how to live when the cleats come off.Hosted by Chris Davis—Baltimore Orioles and Texas Rangers great—and Steven Van Ooyen, CEO and author of "4-Star Reviews Suck", this show pulls no punches. They ask the hard question:“You’ll be a former baseball player longer than you’ll be a baseball player. What are you going to do when it’s over?”Each episode features raw, unfiltered conversations with players at every level. Some reached the mountaintop. Others barely got out of college ball. Some became coaches or entrepreneurs. Others battled anxiety, addiction, or the quiet ache of a dream deferred.But all of them have one thing in common: they had to find a way to cross home plate in life—not just on the field.Crossing Home Plate isn’t about batting averages or highlight reels. It’s about human stories: heartbreak, healing, identity, purpose, and redemption. It’s about the laughs in the locker room and the pain in the silence after the crowd is gone. It’s for anyone who has ever asked: “What now?” Without a relationship with Christ, your options are very limited.Whether you’re a lifelong fan, a former athlete, or someone navigating your own next chapter, this show will move you. Because baseball may end—but life keeps going.And the most important run you'll ever score is the one that takes you home.
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The podcast navigates themes of identity, healing, and personal growth after a life dedicated to baseball. Episodes address the struggles of transitioning to life after the sport, featuring stories on mental health challenges such as anxiety and addiction, as well as guest journeys ranging from elite MLB careers to lesser-known experiences in college and minor leagues. For example, an episode may dive into the life lessons learned from a Cy Young Award winner while another could explore the quiet struggles of a minor league player.
Crossing Home Plate: Life Beyond the Game
Baseball is more than a sport. It’s a life, a dream, and—for many—a long road back to reality and a struggle with identity.
Crossing Home Plate is the podcast where former and current baseball players get real about the game, the grind, and what comes after. From MLB All-Stars, Home Run Champions, and a Cy Young Award winner, to college stars, minor league warriors, and players whose dreams ended early—every guest shares the truth of what it means to give your life to baseball… and how to live when the cleats come off.
Hosted by Chris Davis—Baltimore Orioles and Texas Rangers great—and Steven Van Ooyen, CEO and author of “4-Star Reviews Suck”, this show pulls no punches. They ask the hard question:
“You’ll be a former baseball player longer than you’ll be a baseball player. What are you going to do when it’s over?”
Each episode features raw, unfiltered conversations with players at every level. Some reached the mountaintop. Others barely got out of college ball. Some became coaches or entrepreneurs. Others battled anxiety, addiction, or the quiet ache of a dream deferred.
But all of them have one thing in common: they had to find a way to cross home plate in life—not just on the field.
Crossing Home Plate isn’t about batting averages or highlight reels. It’s about human stories: heartbreak, healing, identity, purpose, and redemption. It’s about the laughs in the locker room and the pain in the silence after the crowd is gone. It’s for anyone who has ever asked: “What now?” Without a relationship with Christ, your options are very limited.
Whether you’re a lifelong fan, a former athlete, or someone navigating your own next chapter, this show will move you. Because baseball may end—but life keeps going.
And the most important run you’ll ever score is the one that takes you home.
Major League Baseball All-Stars – Chris Davis (Baltimore Orioles) and Chris Carpenter (St. Louis Cardinals) share the stories and perspectives of being on the biggest stages in baseball with host, Steven Van Ooyen.
Both fierce competitors, Davis and Carpenter get real about what it was like to be in the game and what it’s been like after the game. They talk about their struggles, pressures, relationships, and, most importantly, what their relationship with Christ means to them and how that plays out on a daily basis.
Disclaimer
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