Oct. 19, 2026 · show notes

ABOUT THIS EPISODE

Three Home Runs and a Dropped Elbow | Jim Sundberg

Rangers Hall of Fame catcher Jim Sundberg won six Gold Gloves and a World Series. His father's coaching never let up, so he swore he would never do the same to his own son, and then learned what the opposite cost. Dr. Jack Graham and Jeremiah Johnston talk with him about sports parenting, faith on the road, the armor of God in catcher's gear, and whether your child should play select sports.

Scripture referenced

Ephesians 6:10-18 (the armor of God)
Ephesians 6:16, (fiery darts)
Galatians 5:22-23 (the fruit of the Spirit)
2 Timothy 1:13-14
Proverbs 22:6 ("train up a child")
Romans 14:1 (the source of The Disputable Matter's name)

Resources mentioned

How to Win at Sports Parenting, Jim and Janet Sundberg
Equipped to Win!: Suiting Up in the Armor of God for Spiritual Maturity, Jim Sundberg (2022)
Legacy Playbook: 50 Days of Encouragement to Pass on What Matters Most, Jim Sundberg (2020)
The Late Great Planet Earth, Hal Lindsey, the book he was reading in Toronto in 1977
Seasons in Hell, Mike Shropshire, on the 1973 to 1975 Rangers
Bible Study Fellowship (BSF)
The Brief, the weekly briefing from Jeremiah Johnston, PhD and the Christian Thinkers Society
Power Living, the weekly email from Dr. Jack Graham and PowerPoint Ministries

Jim Sundberg links

Website - https://jimsundberg.com
Book - https://link.amazon/B05XiRF63
X - https://x.com/backstop10
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/JimSundbergSpeaks/

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IN THIS EPISODE

mike shropshire

# hal lindsey

janet sundberg

# jeremiah johnston

# jack graham

# jim sundberg

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SHOW NOTES 🔗

00:00:00Welcome, and Gary Carter's catcher's mitt

00:04:06A hotel room in Toronto, 1977

00:05:56From Galesburg to the Rangers, and the tools of intelligence

00:07:44Billy Martin and the suicide squeeze

00:14:09How to win at sports parenting

00:17:29Three home runs and a dropped elbow

00:21:19What fifteen big leaguers said about their fathers

00:27:34"Actually, that was me": a father, a son, and a little push

00:30:56Select ball, burnout, and Sunday morning

00:36:24The armor of God in catcher's gear

00:41:25The toughest pitchers, and Nolan Ryan's rubber snake

00:45:20The state of the game today

00:54:27Holding the pattern, like a catcher holds the strike zone

00:57:39The 1985 ring and Bo Jackson

00:59:24The Disputable Matter: should your child play select sports?

TRANSCRIPT 🔗

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