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 52
One of the most accomplished quarterbacks in the Big 12 in recent memory, Mason Rudolph now plays quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers, serving as Ben Roethlisberger's backup. Rudolph starred at Oklahoma State from 2014-17, where he was the 2017 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award winner, given annually to the nation's top senior college quarterback.
He was named the 2017 Fellowship of Christian Athletes Bobby Bowden Award winner and was also named the 2017 Camping World Bowl Game Most Valuable Player. He was drafted in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft by the Pittsburg Steelers, where he's made nine starts in place of Roethlisberger.
In this conversation, he talks with Matt and Leslee about the role his father and coaches have played in his life as an athlete and a man, the lessons on leadership he's learned along the way, how his faith plays into it all, and much more.
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If you enjoyed this episode, we know you'll love these conversations as well:
— Rickie and Allison Fowler – Sports Couple
— Dodgers Pitcher Clayton Kershaw & Wife Ellen
— Skip and Lindsey Schumaker – MLB Couple
Episode 51
Clayton Kershaw is one of the best pitchers in the major leagues, and he and his wife Ellen work to have as much success in humanitarian efforts off the field.
A three-time Cy Young Award winner, eight-time All-Star, and 2020 World Series winner, the Los Angeles Dodgers star and his wife participate in a number of charity and missions projects each year through his organization Kershaw's Challenge. They've been on several international relief trips and since the 2013 season, he's hosted a ping-pong tournament called Ping "Pong 4 Purpose" that features high profile celebrities and raises money for Kershaw's Challenge.
In December he wrote an op-ed for CNN.com on Human Rights Day describing how he and Ellen joined with the International Justice Mission and other organizations to urge the Dominican Constitutional Court to declare child marriage unconstitutional.
Clayton and Ellen talk with Matt and Leslee about the humanitarian work they've done and continue to do, share some baseball stories, and talk about how their relationship started and is grounded in their faith in Jesus.
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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 50
Daniel and Tori Murphy have been through a lot together — a 12-year baseball career, three children, and a couple breakups early on that brought both of them closer to Christ and each other. They joined Matt and Leslee to talk about all of that much more.
Throughout his 12-year major league career, Daniel was selected to three All-Star Games, won the Silver Slugger Award twice and was the 2015 National League Championship Series MVP with the New York Mets.
During his career, he and Tori were active in giving back to the communities where he played. In 2019 and 2020 when Daniel was with the Colorado Rockies, Tori organized an event with other Rockies player wives to help give prom dresses to foster children.
Now retired, Daniel and Tori share what led to the decision to hang up the cleats and what life has been like without baseball in the mix, including Daniel returning to college.
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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 49
Rick Barnes is the head basketball coach at the University of Tennessee. He's put together one of the best coaching careers in recent memory with 727 wins, 24 of which have come in the NCAA Tournament. He coached Texas to the Final Four in 2003.
He was named the Naismith Coach of the Year in 2019, the Southeastern Conference Coach of the Year in 2018, and a four-time Big 12 Coach of the Year while serving as the head coach at Texas.
In this conversation he talks with Matt and Leslee about how he entered the coaching business, how he builds lasting relationships with his players, what his coaching philosophy is, and how important it is to serve others.
He also shares how he got saved while watching a Billy Graham crusade on television as well as the story that led him to stop cursing during practices. This is a vulnerable conversation where he opens up about chasing career success instead of contentment in God for a season, but he also shares how God redeemed him out of that.
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If you enjoyed this episode, we know you'll love these conversations as well:
-Mike Boynton, Oklahoma State Basketball Coach
-Kansas City Royals Manager Mike Matheny & Wife Kristin
Table Forty is part of the Sports Spectrum Podcast Network. For more stories intersecting sports and faith, check out SportsSpectrum.com.
Episode 48
Rest is something we recognize we need but we're not always great at doing it. Seth and Tori Bolt are here to help provide a way to do just that.
Seth is a member of the popular band NEEDTOBREATHE, but when he's not touring or making music, he and his wife Tori operate Bolt Farm Treehouse, a company that provides relaxing getaways in luxury treehouses that Seth built himself.
The first treehouse he built, in fact, was designed for their honeymoon.
In this conversation, Seth and Tori talk about what it means to seek and find true rest and why our bodies and souls need rest. They also share their unique love story, how they make their marriage work amid their busy schedules, and how they prioritize their relationship with God in their marriage.
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If you enjoyed this episode, we know you'll love these conversations as well:
-Matt and Leslee Holliday on Marriage
Table Forty is part of the Sports Spectrum Podcast Network. For more stories intersecting sports and faith, check out SportsSpectrum.com.
Episode 47
Matt and Leslee close out Season One of the podcast by reminiscing on each episode and what stood out to them with each conversation.
They're taking a break during March and will be back on April 13 to celebrate one year of the show launching and kick off Season Two. The next season will feature much of the same conversations on faith, leadership, marriage, parenting, and the life of a professional athlete, but will also feature more focused series on different topics.
Be sure to catch up on any Season One episodes you missed and make sure you're subscribed for when Season Two launches in April.
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If you enjoyed this episode, we know you'll love these conversations as well:
-Matt and Leslee Holliday on Marriage
Table Forty is part of the Sports Spectrum Podcast Network. For more stories intersecting sports and faith, check out SportsSpectrum.com.
Episode 46
Josh Willingham played 11 seasons in the major leagues with stints with the Florida Marlins, Washington Nationals, Oakland Athletics, Minnesota Twins, and Kansas City Royals. He hit 195 career home runs and won the Silver Slugger Award in 2012 when he hit a career-high 35 home runs and drove in a career-high 110 runs.
He and his wife Ginger met in high school in Florence, Alabama and began dating while in college. Together they have three sons Rhett, Ryder, and Rogan. After he retired following the 2014 season, Josh and Ginger started the Josh Willingham Foundation, which helps at-risk children and provides support to organizations that combat child abuse.
In this conversation they talk with Matt and Leslee about their faith, Josh's career, their charitable involvement during and after Josh's career, and how they both followed God's discernment to know when it was time to retire.
Josh and Ginger also talked about parenting and what has made their marriage last.
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If you enjoyed this episode, we know you'll love these conversations as well:
-Matt and Leslee Holliday on Marriage
Table Forty is part of the Sports Spectrum Podcast Network. For more stories intersecting sports and faith, check out SportsSpectrum.com.
Episode 45
Brian Roberts played 14 season in the major leagues, mostly with the Baltimore Orioles, where he was named an All-Star in 2005 and 2007. He spent his final season with the New York Yankees.
He and his wife Diana married in 2009.
In this conversation, they talk with Matt and Leslee about their faith, their marriage, and how God is at the center of it all. Matt and Brian reminisce on some baseball memories, and the Roberts family talks about parenthood and adopting a child.
The four of them also share some fun stories about romantic gestures they've done for their spouse.
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If you enjoyed this episode, we know you'll love these conversations as well:
-Matt and Mackenzie Carpenter
Table Forty is part of the Sports Spectrum Podcast Network. For more stories intersecting sports and faith, check out SportsSpectrum.com.
Episode 44
Mike Matheny is the manager of the Kansas City Royals and was previously the manager for the St. Louis Cardinals from 2012-2018, where he managed Matt Holliday and led the team to the 2013 World Series. He also led the Cardinals to three straight National League Central championships.
He played 13 seasons in the major leagues with the Milwaukee Brewers, Toronto Blue Jays, St. Louis Cardinals, and the San Francisco Giants and was a four-time Gold Glove winner at the catcher position.
He and his wife Kristin met while they were both student-athletes at the University of Michigan, and Mike tells the funny story that led to him meeting Kristin while in Ann Arbor.
Mike and Kristin share some stories of their marriage, which included having five kids in seven years during Mike's playing career, and they talk with Matt and Leslee about what it's like to navigate and professional sports career while also trying to start a family. He opens up about some real estate ventures the went south and led him into debt but how God worked through that and other hard seasons with he and Kristin. He also shared some thoughts on his coaching philosophy that center on how he relates to his players.
Mike and Kristin are often engaged in charitable work, primarily through his Catch-22 Charity, which was founded in 2003 while he was playing in St. Louis. He often publishes blog posts on his personal blog.
During the month of February, Matt and Leslee will be talking all about marriage with several different couples.
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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 43
Matt and Leslee share what's helped them have a successful 20-year marriage. They talk about making vows and sticking to them, the importance of centering a marriage on Christ, and forgiveness.
Matt played for 15 years in the major leagues and their marriage has withstood all the travel and upheavals that his career has brought. They have three sons — Jackson, Ethan, and Reed — and one daughter, Gracyn. Leslee is back in school working toward a seminary degree.
"I think the great thing about a Christian marriage or marriage built on the principles Scripture is we get a chance to participate in the ways God participates with us," Leslee said. "We can forgive because we've been forgiven."
During the month of February, Matt and Leslee will be talking all about marriage with several different couples.
If you enjoyed this episode, we know you'll love these conversations as well:
-Matt and Leslee on Transitioning to the Offseason
Table Forty is part of the Sports Spectrum Podcast Network. For more stories of sports and faith, check out SportsSpectrum.com.
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