The late great Ted Williams once said, “Baseball is the only field of endeavor where a man can succeed three times out of ten and be considered a good performer.” Ted Williams was one of the best players ever and one of the best people as well. Here at GU, usually, everyone who has walked across the field has played for their teammates and God. The Greenville University Baseball Program has been around for a very long time and shows its values through the Panther Covenant.
This covenant showcases the GU baseball program’s work ethic and shows that for all the players who wore the orange and black jerseys, those seven letters stay with them throughout their lives after GU. A very good example of this is a GU Baseball alumnus Phillip Reedy. Reedy used to work in the admissions office at GU before taking on a job at FCA and being a mentor throughout the Greenville and nearby communities. Reedy stated, “In my eyes, it was the pinnacle of being a great teammate. Each of the words or phrases in ‘Panther’ are characteristics of someone that I wanted to be on and off the field.” Although he has a lot on his plate with FCA, he still finds time to come back to Robert E. Smith Field and works with the current Panthers’ pitchers with his former pitching coach, Andy Rincker. Taking the time to help the players with own their craft as Reedy experienced for his four years here at GU means a lot to the players and, most importantly, the coaching staff.
“The Panther Covenants are still invaluable because they are applicable to any phase of life,” states Reedy. “You are a teammate no matter where you are in life, but for me, they look a little different than they did while playing baseball at Greenville. I still have to be prepared, have an attitude of Christ, show respect and everything else.” The Panther Covenant is a big part of how GU lays the groundwork of making great men out of the program and those phrases leave a huge statement on all the players that played for the Panthers. Reedy, when asked what his favorite covenant was, answered, “I am a fan of all the covenants, but I would say that my two favorites are having an attitude of Christ and trying to never let your teammate down. I would argue that those are the most important and the two I try to apply most in my day-to-day life.” Knowing that something this small can change a person’s outlook on life makes the GU Baseball program stand out for trying to make men that are for Christ and doesn’t anyone down that comes into their lives.
“All of the coaches I had at Greenville helped me become a better teammate in some way, shape, or form. I can remember so many instances with Coach Rincker and Coach Carlson where they helped form me into a better teammate and ultimately, a better man. I am forever grateful for their love, support, wisdom, and guidance,” says Reedy. “The person that helped me the most, though, was the Lord. I had to pray day in and day out that he would refine me and help me to become more like him. If it weren’t for the Lord shaping me, my sinful and prideful self would have not wanted to follow the Panther Covenant at all. They are counter-cultural and go against our flesh.”
The GU Baseball Program is built upon men that wore this Covenant and will be built for years to come with this as well.
Stay tuned for GU Baseball action the season which is starting up this weekend in Georgia.
To keep track of your GU Baseball Panthers, check their schedule.
To check out more about FCA, visit their website.
