Matt Sieger spent years researching the 1978 San Francisco Giants, a team that nobody remembers winning anything but everybody in the city that year remembers. They increased their attendance by one million fans in a single season. They had nine to ten born-again Christians on a 25-man roster. They started thanking God in post-game interviews. And then the Dodgers overtook them in mid-August, the wins stopped, and the San Francisco media turned on them in a way that followed some of those players for the rest of their careers.

A fake quote, a satirical column proposing one player sell his soul to the devil, death threats sent to a pitcher, and a national media pile-on built on myths: Matt walks through what the God Squad actually said, what the press reported they said, and why a story about pitcher Bob Knepper telling his manager a home run was God’s will, a story Knepper flatly denies, ended up in national columns from coast to coast. He also makes the case that the abuse this group absorbed in San Francisco is precisely why today’s athletes can thank Jesus on national television without a second thought.

Highlights
How reliever Gary Lavelle came to faith in winter ball in 1976 and quietly led teammates to Jesus over the next two seasons
Why the San Francisco media was fine with the God Squad in 1978 when the Giants were winning and turned hostile when they started losing
The columnist who proposed one player sell his soul to the devil in a piece called Can Satan Save the Giants
The fake Bob Knepper quote about God’s will, which he denies ever saying, that national columnists repeated as fact for years
How Gary Lavelle received death threats after a New York Times column stripped the context from his statements about homosexuality
Why the God Squad’s experience in San Francisco educated the national media that this kind of openness from athletes was going to become a permanent thing
The moment Bob Costas was visibly taken aback when Gary Carter thanked Jesus live on national television after the 1986 World Series
How organizations like Baseball Chapel and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes built on what the God Squad started

Resources / Links / CTA
📖 Book: The God Squad: The Born Again San Francisco Giants of 1978 by Matt Sieger
🌐 Follow, share, and explore more of Crosswalk Talk
👉 Follow, share, and subscribe for more faith-driven conversations on Lifeaudio

Click to Listen to Signs of Life: UM News Podcast Season One | UMNews.org

Join us this Fall for Season One of "Signs of Life," an original podcast from UM News. The journey begins in Atlanta, hearing how a book from an icon of the Civil Rights movement is bringing relationship and understanding to two congregations seeking to bridge divides. Then to Belfast, learning about the Northern Ireland Peace Process and the Methodist connection that was—and is—an essential part of healing and peacemaking. Finally, at the Global Young Peoples Convocation in Dublin, explore the world of translation and interpretation through diversity, language and culture.

UM News Podcast Season One | UMNews.org

Matt Sieger spent years researching the 1978 San Francisco Giants, a team that nobody remembers winning anything but everybody in the city that year remembers. They increased their attendance by one million fans in a single season. They had nine to ten born-again Christians on a 25-man roster. They started thanking God in post-game interviews. And then the Dodgers overtook them in mid-August, the wins stopped, and the San Francisco media turned on them in a way that followed some of those players for the rest of their careers.
A fake quote, a satirical column proposing one player sell his soul to the devil, death threats sent to a pitcher, and a national media pile-on built on myths: Matt walks through what the God Squad actually said, what the press reported they said, and why a story about pitcher Bob Knepper telling his manager a home run was God&rsquo;s will, a story Knepper flatly denies, ended up in national columns from coast to coast. He also makes the case that the abuse this group absorbed in San Francisco is precisely why today&rsquo;s athletes can thank Jesus on national television without a second thought.
Highlights
<ul dir="ltr">
<li>How reliever Gary Lavelle came to faith in winter ball in 1976 and quietly led teammates to Jesus over the next two seasons</li>
<li>Why the San Francisco media was fine with the God Squad in 1978 when the Giants were winning and turned hostile when they started losing</li>
<li>The columnist who proposed one player sell his soul to the devil in a piece called Can Satan Save the Giants</li>
<li>The fake Bob Knepper quote about God&rsquo;s will, which he denies ever saying, that national columnists repeated as fact for years</li>
<li>How Gary Lavelle received death threats after a New York Times column stripped the context from his statements about homosexuality</li>
<li>Why the God Squad&rsquo;s experience in San Francisco educated the national media that this kind of openness from athletes was going to become a permanent thing</li>
<li>The moment Bob Costas was visibly taken aback when Gary Carter thanked Jesus live on national television after the 1986 World Series</li>
<li>How organizations like Baseball Chapel and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes built on what the God Squad started</li>
</ul>
Resources / Links / CTA
<ul dir="ltr">
<li>📖 Book: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1631322184?lv=shuf&amp;channelId=500&amp;plpRedirect=mhFallback">The God Squad: The Born Again San Francisco Giants of 1978 by Matt Sieger</a></li>
<li>🌐 Follow, share, and explore more of <a href="https://www.lifeaudio.com/podcasts/crosswalk-talk-celebrity-christian-interviews/">Crosswalk Talk</a></li>
<li>👉 Follow, share, and subscribe for more faith-driven conversations on <a href="https://www.lifeaudio.com/">Lifeaudio</a></li>
</ul>
Click to Listen to&nbsp;Signs of Life: <a href="https://www.umnews.org/en/news/um-news-podcast-season-one">UM News Podcast Season One | UMNews.org</a>
Join us this Fall for Season One of "Signs of Life," an original podcast from UM News. The journey begins in Atlanta, hearing how a book from an icon of the Civil Rights movement is bringing relationship and understanding to two congregations seeking to bridge divides. Then to Belfast, learning about the Northern Ireland Peace Process and the Methodist connection that was&mdash;and is&mdash;an essential part of healing and peacemaking. Finally, at the Global Young Peoples Convocation in Dublin, explore the world of translation and interpretation through diversity, language and culture.
<a href="https://www.umnews.org/en/news/um-news-podcast-season-one">UM News Podcast Season One | UMNews.org</a>

Join us each week on Crosswalk Talk where we interview your favorite Christian celebrities. Hear how famous Christian figures keep their faith a priority in Hollywood and discover the best Christian movies, books, television, and other entertainment.

Some of our favorite interviews include:

⭐️ Chrissy Metz and Bradley Collins Discuss Their Heartwarming Children's Book on Prayer

⭐️ Patricia Heaton and David Hunt Talk Faith, Life and Their Adoption Film Unexpected

⭐️ Willie and Korie Robertson Open Up About The Blind and the Generational Impact of Faith

⭐️ Phil Wickham Talks New Album, Songwriting, and the Deconstruction Movement

Let us know what famous Christian celebrities you want us to interview for the show!

Join us each week on Crosswalk Talk where we interview your favorite Christian celebrities. Hear how famous Christian figures keep their faith a priority in Hollywood and discover the best Christian movies, books, television, and other entertainment.
Some of our favorite interviews include:
⭐️ Chrissy Metz and Bradley Collins Discuss Their Heartwarming Children's Book on Prayer
⭐️ Patricia Heaton and David Hunt Talk Faith, Life and Their Adoption Film Unexpected
⭐️ Willie and Korie Robertson Open Up About The Blind and the Generational Impact of Faith
⭐️ Phil Wickham Talks New Album, Songwriting, and the Deconstruction Movement
Let us know what famous Christian celebrities you want us to interview for the show!

Join us each week on Crosswalk Talk where we interview your favorite Christian celebrities. Hear how famous Christian figures keep their faith a priority in Hollywood and discover the best Christian movies, books, television, and other entertainment.

Crosswalk Talk: Celebrity Christian Interviews

Join us each week on Crosswalk Talk where we interview your favorite Christian celebrities. Hear how famous Christian figures keep their faith a priority in Hollywood and discover the best Christian movies, books, television, and other entertainment.
Some of our favorite interviews include:
⭐️ Chrissy Metz and Bradley Collins Discuss Their Heartwarming Children's Book on Prayer
⭐️ Patricia Heaton and David Hunt Talk Faith, Life and Their Adoption Film Unexpected
⭐️ Willie and Korie Robertson Open Up About The Blind and the Generational Impact of Faith
⭐️ Phil Wickham Talks New Album, Songwriting, and the Deconstruction Movement
Let us know what famous Christian celebrities you want us to interview for the show!

The 1978 Giants Had Nine Born-Again Christians and a Media Storm

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/5e27a451-e6e6-4c51-aa03-a7370003783c/clips/13128277-78b7-4d5a-9ae9-b4e300e2082c/transcript