Stay ConnectedHosted by former MLB All-Star Matt Holliday and his wife Leslee, Table Forty is a show that brings organic conversations about Jesus and life.
Take a seat at Table Forty with Matt and Leslee and get a better understanding of Jesus to help you discover who you are becoming and why it matters.
Table Forty is part of the Sports Spectrum Podcast Network. For stories of sports and faith, check out http://SportsSpectrum.com
Copyright: © Matt and Leslee Holliday
Episode 62
Max Hewitt is a recent graduate of Oklahoma State University, where he was a catcher and infielder on the baseball team. He was also recently signed by the Los Angeles Dodgers to a free agent contract.
He joins the Table Forty Podcast this week to talk about his upbringing in Canada, his baseball journey, getting signed to a pro contract, and his walk with Jesus.
Table Forty is part of the Sports Spectrum Podcast Network.
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If you enjoyed this episode, we know you'll enjoy these as well.
— Oklahoma State Baseball Coach Josh Holliday & Wife Jenny
— Oklahoma State Tennis Coach Chris Young & Wife Sarah
— Matt Holliday – Lessons From His Career
Episode 61
Josh Holliday is the head baseball coach at Oklahoma State University. Since being hired in 2012, Josh had led the Cowboys to seven NCAA Regional appearances, three Super Regional appearances, and the 2016 College World Series. He was named the 2014 Big 12 Coach of the Year and the 2016 Midwest Regional Coach of the Year.
Josh, who is Matt Holliday's brother, and his wife Jenny join Matt and Leslee Holliday this week to talk about all aspects of coaching and issues facing athletes, coaches, and parents. They touch on the pressure athletes feel to specialize in specific sports and the role comparison plays in the minds of today's young athletes as well the joys that come with coaching and getting to mentor young men. They also discuss the role that faith plays in all of this.
Table Forty is part of the Sports Spectrum Podcast Network.
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If you enjoyed this episode, we know you'll enjoy these as well:
— Oklahoma State Tennis Coach Chris Young & Wife Sarah
— Matt Holliday – Lessons From His Career
— OSU Men’s Basketball Coach Mike Boynton
Episode 60
Chris Young is the director of tennis and the head women's tennis coach at Oklahoma State University. In 11 years as head coach of the women's program, he's turned it into a national power, highlighted by a national runner-up finish in 2016. He was unanimously chosen as the Big 12 Coach of the Year that same season.
He and his wife Sarah join Matt and Leslee Holliday this week to talk about building a culture that lasts in an athletic program, prioritizing character over winning at all costs, navigating marriage through tough seasons, and how they coach their children and the players in the program how to fight against comparison.
Table Forty is part of the Sports Spectrum Podcast Network.
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If you enjoyed this episode, we know you'll enjoy these as well:
— Oklahoma State Basketball Coach Mike Boynton
— Texas Rangers GM Chris Young & Wife Liz
Episode 59
Blake Hawksworth knows what it's like to experience the highs and lows of athletics. Rated as one of the top high school pitchers in the 2001 Major League Baseball draft class, Hawksworth was selected by the St. Louis Cardinals in 28th round that summer. He instead enrolled at Bellevue Community College in Washington state, where he played for one season before signing with the St. Louis Cardinals. After just two seasons, Baseball America rated him as the top prospect in the Cardinals' organization.
Injuries plagued his career, though, and limiting him to three seasons in the major leagues from 2009-2011 with the Cardinals and the Los Angeles Dodgers. But he's remained heavily involved in the game since retiring in a coaching capacity. He serves as the pitching coach at JSerra Catholic High School in San Juan Capistrano, California, but before that he was the pitching coach at Grand Canyon University, an assistant coach at California State-Fullerton, and an assistant basketball coach at Eastlake High School in Washington, where he graduated from also and starred as a basketball player.
Hawksworth was a talented basketball player as well, and he talks about his love of hoops and sharing that with his son, Jackson, in this conversation with Matt and Leslee Holliday. He talks about the pressure he felt as a high school athlete, feeling like he needed to perform and focus on statistics instead of just helping his team. He also shares how he dealt with the disappointment his injuries brought and how his faith in God was shaped throughout the struggles and joys of his life and athletic career.
Table Forty is part of the Sports Spectrum Podcast Network.
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If you enjoyed this episode, we know you'll love these conversations as well:
— Matt Holliday – Lessons From His Career
— Skip and Lindsey Schumaker – MLB Couple
— Tennessee Basketball Coach Rick Barnes
Episode 58
Hannah Price is a woman dedicated to Jesus that served the Holliday family for years. She is full of joy and brought a ton of laughter to the Holliday family through the years. She loves deep conversations and hugs.
She talks with Matt and Leslee Holliday about building an authentic faith and being your authentic self. She discusses the battle that young people — especially young women — face with comparison, both in life but also in dating. She speaks about approaching that dilemma with a heart toward Jesus, as well as dealing with grief following the loss of her brother last year.
On the heels of Father's Day, she also talks about the influence her father had on her faith journey.
Table Forty is part of the Sports Spectrum Podcast Network.
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If you enjoyed this episode, we know you'll love these conversations as well:
— Garrison Price
— Cardinals pitcher Jack Flaherty talks faith and grief on ‘Table Forty’ podcast
— Rickie and Allison Fowler – Sports Couple
Episode 57
Table Forty is focused on bringing in unique guests each week. Every once in a while, though, Matt and Leslee Holliday share a conversation together — just the two of them.
This week, Leslee interviews Matt about some of the more valuable lessons he learned during professional baseball career — lessons on discipline, how and when he knew he could be a major leaguer, how he dealt with success and failure, how important proper nutrition is, and how he grew in his faith throughout his 15-year career.
Matt was a seven-time All-Star, a four-time Silver Slugger Award winner, and in 2007 was arguably the best hitter in the National League. He finished with the highest batting average in the National League that year and also drove in the most runs. He was later named the Most Valuable Player of the 2007 National League Championship Series. He won a World Series with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2011.
This conversation provides a unique look into the mind of a professional athlete who knows what it takes to be great. Many of the questions Matt gets from coaches and athletes about how to play at the next level are answered in this conversation.
Table Forty is part of the Sports Spectrum Podcast Network.
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If you enjoyed this episode, we know you'll love these conversations as well:
— Matt and Leslee Holliday on Marriage
— Matt & Leslee Holliday Recap Season 1
— Former MLB Player Daniel Murphy & Wife Tori
Episode 56
After a successful 13-year career in the major leagues, Chris Young was hired in December as the general manager of the Texas Rangers, where he started his playing career in 2004. Just four years removed from playing, he's able to provide a unique perspective on the game in his new role.
He joined the Table Forty podcast to talk with Matt and Leslee Holliday about lessons he's learned in leadership from his time in baseball, how he carries himself with character in his job, and how a good work ethic is what leads someone to be great at something. He and his wife Liz also share some of their favorite stories from his playing days as well as how they both met while students at Princeton University, where the 6-foot-10 Chris played both basketball and baseball.
They have three children together, so they talked about parenting as well.
Chris won a World Series championship with the Kansas City Royals in 2015, was an All-Star in 2007, and in 2014 he was named the American League Comeback Player of the Year after undergoing surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome the year prior. He shares about his excitement to lead the Rangers through a "restart."
Table Forty is part of the Sports Spectrum Podcast Network.
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If you enjoyed this episode, we know you'll love these conversations as well:
— Tennessee Basketball Coach Rick Barnes
— Kansas City Royals Manager Mike Matheny & Wife Kristin
— Skip and Lindsey Schumaker – MLB Couple
Episode 55
Trevor Story is one of the premier shortstops in baseball. A two-time All-Star and Silver Slugger Award winner, Story is the face of the Colorado Rockies.
He led the National League in steals during the shortened 2020 season and since his debut in 2016, he's remained relatively consistent as a hitter and defender. He's relied on his faith the entire way.
He talks with Matt and Leslee this week about his upbringing in the faith, how it's gotten him through the tougher times in his career, his marriage, the heart of service his parents and grandfather instilled in him, and how baseball is not what defines him.
“We make a living off of this, but this isn’t the end all be all," he says. "I think having those good reminders and having that faith is huge and it’s the thing that keeps me going, no doubt.”
He also opens up about the trade that sent his good friend and teammate Nolan Arenado to the St. Louis Cardinals and how his faith helps deal with the uncertainties that come with playing professional baseball.
Table Forty is part of the Sports Spectrum Podcast Network.
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If you enjoyed this episode, we know you'll love these conversations as well:
Episode 54
Wherever he's gone in his career, Mark Melancon has found success. In his first year with the San Diego Padres, he currently leads the major leagues in saves and was named the National League Reliever of the Month for the month of April.
He and his wife Mary Catherine join the podcast to talk about how they met, what their 13-year major league journey has been like with Mark playing for several different teams, and how they've used their platform to share their faith.
Mary Catherine was a college athlete, playing water polo at Notre Dame, so they also share about how having the shared connection of playing competitive sports has been beneficial for the marriage.
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If you enjoyed this episode, we know you'll love these conversations as well:
Table Forty is part of the Sports Spectrum Podcast Network. For more stories intersecting sports and faith, check out SportsSpectrum.com.
Episode 53
Bo Bichette is one of the most exciting young players in baseball. The Toronto Blue Jays shortstop is part of a young crop of players bringing talent and entertainment to the game.
Bichette has also been a follower of Christ from a young age, and his faith has been what's kept him grounded as the spotlight got brighter on him during his baseball career.
His father Dante Bichette played 14 years in major leagues and was a four-time All-Star and led the league in home runs in 1995. He grew up around major leaguers and from an early on dealt with the pressure to perform at a high level because of what his last name was.
He talks with Matt and Leslee about dealing with that pressure, how important his faith is to him as an athlete and a person, how he deals with comparison, and what motivates him as an athlete.
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If you enjoyed this episode, we know you'll love these conversations as well:
Table Forty is part of the Sports Spectrum Podcast Network. For more stories intersecting sports and faith, check out SportsSpectrum.com.
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