Former Red Sox Pitcher Won’t Denounce Faith, No Matter the Cost
By Movieguide® Contributor
Former Boston Red Sox Matt Dermody refuses to denounce his Christian beliefs in order to get his pitching spot back with the baseball team.
The pitcher was, in part, cut from the Red Sox in June because of a deleted Tweet from 2021.
“Homosexuals will not inherit the kingdom of God. They will go to hell. That is not my opinion but the #Truth,” Dermody wrote, citing 1 Corinthians 6:9. “My we all examine our hearts, ask Jesus to forgive us and repent of all our sins. I love you all in Christ Jesus!”
Because of his tweet from two years ago, the Red Sox received backlash as soon as they pulled Dermody up from the minor leagues. However, at the time, the organization decided they would not let the outside noise distract them.
“That doesn’t mean that we endorse anything he said or anything he believes. But the fact of the matter is, if we’re committed to creating an (inclusive) environment, it’s not right for us to police what people believe,” Red Sox Baseball Officer Chaim Bloom said.
However, Dermody’s tweet certainly influenced his treatment following his MLB debut. After giving up three runs in four innings, he was designated for assignment the next day, meaning he was cut from the team to return to the minor leagues.
Five days later, the Red Sox cut Dermody from the organization, releasing him as a free agent.
“We wanted to give the opportunity to other players,” Red Sox general manager Brian O’Halloran told The Boston Globe. “We factor in everything. Certainly we considered everything that became public with regard to his Twitter activity. That was also something that we factored into this decision.”
Dermody has defended his tweet, explaining that he “[doesn’t] hate anybody in this world.” Rather, he “[doesn’t] want anybody to go to hell.”
The tweet came shortly after Dermody had become a Christian.
“The whole pandemic kind of shook my whole world up because…I lost my job in baseball, I…was kind of searching for meaning in life after that,” he said.
“I saw the list of all the things…that lead people to Hell, and I was on that list,” he added. “That instilled a fear of the Lord in me. And so now, it’s not really about me anymore, but it’s about helping others and preaching the Gospel and the Good News of Jesus Christ, that He saves us from…the fires of Hell.”
Even if his beliefs were the only reason he never played professional baseball again, Dermody said he would never back down.
“I would kind of just tell [the front offices] the response I gave on the day I pitched in Cleveland: ‘I’m sorry for hurting people’s feelings, but I believe in God. I believe in the word of God,’” Dermody said when asked how he would explain his tweet. “I want people to get to heaven. So I’m not going to affirm any kind of sinful or immoral behavior that’s going to lead people astray.”
“You know, Jesus said the way to heaven is a ‘narrow road.’ It’s the broad road, you know, the easy road that leads to destruction,” he added.
Movieguide® previously reported on another Boston Red Sox player:
After career-lows in consecutive at-bats, Boston Red Sox player and former All-Star shortstop Trevor Story earned the American League Player of the Week for May 16-22…
Whether Story experiences success on the field or is hindered by injury and playing poorly, his faith remains in Christ.
While on the Table Forty podcast last June, Story expressed the primary role faith plays in his life.
“I was thinking about it the other day and I was like, ‘I don’t know how you play baseball without being a Christian and having that strong faith,’ just because this game is so demanding and it’s built on failure,” Story said. “You’re going to fail many more times than you succeed. That is kind of similar to life.”
This dynamic is amplified in a city like Boston, where fans take their baseball seriously.
“I think that’s really rooted in my faith, being in the Word,” Story said. “I think we all need to be in the Word more than we are. That’s a challenge of mine that I really try to do.”
Would you renounce your faith for a payday?
- Content: +4Share:
- Content: +1