A Purpose for Every Pitch - Tom McGough’s Journey AlongTheWay 29

The one verse that I could not escape the meaning I could not misinterpret was Paul writing to the church in Ephesus. And he said before, by the grace of God, you and I've been safe. And that's not of ourselves. It is not a works. It is through faith. It is the gift of God not of works, lest any man should boast. Wow. Well, I had a hard time digesting that. And so God brought another interpreter into my life. And that spring training, there was a player that was everything that I dreamed I could be longtime second baseman with the San Francisco Giants. He was at the end of his career, he had just been released by the San Francisco Giants. And he was just on fire for the Lord and, and I looked right in Glenn's eyes. I'm very gregarious. And I said, Glenn, it's a pleasure to meet you. And he looked right back in my eyes, and he said, God has a plan for your life. And I thought, Oh my gosh, these Jesus freaks are everywhere.

Welcome to along the way, I'm John Matarazzo.

Your host and fellow traveler, thank you for joining me along my way as I try to become more like Jesus every day. I love talking with fascinating people and learning how God has met them along their way. But this along the way conversation I have the privilege of talking with Tom McGough, who is one of the hosts of real life which is the TV program that I produce for Cornerstone television. Tom is one of the most purposeful men that I have ever known. He is the same on camera that he is off camera. The joy of the Lord really is his strength. And I am always impressed by his intentionality. If you want to be intentional with your life and know how you can have purpose for every pitch, then you really enjoy this conversation. I'll get to that in just a moment. But I want to make sure that you know that you can hear all of my episodes even the ones that you might have missed by visiting my website along the way dot media, or simply subscribing to along the way and your favorite podcast app. You can also find along the way on Facebook and Instagram. I started and along the way email subscriber list if you want to be notified of episodes and any other friends special announcements, please consider joining my email list. The link will be in my show notes. My social links and web address are in the show notes. I look forward to hearing from you. And now here's my along the way conversation with Tom McGough. On the guff thank you so much for joining me along the way, you're actually allowing me to join along your way just a little bit. Your privilege,

my privilege.

Absolutely. You're one of the hosts of the real life program. I get to work with you a couple days a week doing that. And you do a phenomenal job as a host. And it's a privilege and an honor to work with you. But sometimes, you know, you're most of the time you're doing the interview. And you're talking with the guests and we don't get to hear your story so much. But we'll get to hear a little snippets here and there right as the Lord leads and you get the opportunity to kind of weave some of your story in there. But in this conversation, I want to hear about your story. And just kind of how God has led you from childhood to a career in Baseball to now working here at Cornerstone television and what God has been doing in your life So Tom McGough Tell me about your journey.

Oh, what a what a blessing it is to have this opportunity to share and and for me, I have always had a consciousness of God I grew up in a wonderful Christian home and in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, a mom and a dad who truly poured their lives out into my brothers into me. So as a little boy, and my brothers always set such a wonderful example. We were churchgoers. And of course, I was acclimated to my relationship with God initially, through Sunday school and literally from my earliest memories, always having that influence of God. And if, if there would be a scripture to characterize it, it would be from from this wonderful passage in Psalm 4610 and it says to be still and To know him as GM and and I, I can honestly say that from my first memories, God was a priority. He was made that priority by my family. But as a little boy growing up I had the dream of being a baseball player. And and so God blessed me with an inordinate skill, a wonderful work ethic and an attitude or a paradigm that I felt I was in control of my own destiny. So as a little boy growing up in fact, I still go around to schools now and I still speak and I share what I call the metamorphosis of the rubber coated baseball okay. And it is literally a baseball's we grew up across from a shopping center and and I would take these baseballs and just throw them incessantly off of the brick wall. And they were Wilson indestructible baseball's had this indestructible outer cover. Well, I have baseball From the different stages of my development, and I take them into schools, and my message is always if you dream it, and even little children can see the work that went into these baseball. Right? Right. Literally the covers are worn off of them.

So they were double, but you're distracted the

right. Exactly, exactly. And, and the interesting thing about it is, that was my paradigm on life, that that if there was something that I wanted to achieve if there was something that I dreamed, be at academics in school, be at athletics, bit relationships, that I could work hard enough to achieve, I've just that type A personality. And that became a conflict. When it was time to sort my relationship sort out my relationship with God. And interestingly enough, God blessed my my time growing up, that I was focused I was very, very disciplined, was drafted as a 17 year old by the Cleveland Indians. Three days before I graduate from high school, and and then the first few years I was 19 years old. And in my third year professional baseball started that year 1975 in San Antonio, Texas. And in double A, I had a no hitter on Mother's Day, maybe the signature game of my career. Shortly thereafter, a couple of weeks after that, I got promoted to triple A. And then at the end of that season, when I was placed on Cleveland's roster, the big league roster, I was the youngest rostered player in the big leagues. Well, when I came home that offseason, I was a big fish in a small sea because I came back to Johnstown stayed with my mom and dad. And everywhere that I would go, I would see people pointing and I knew what they were talking about. This was the kid that had a triple digit fastball, but again, everything of what I felt I had achieved, that I had worked for that, that my dream came true and I I understood that God was a part of that, that God blessed my work ethic that God Bless my hard work, but there was still that prideful side that I was taking credit for it. Well, in 1975 that offseason, God was about to change my paradigm on life because that was the the offseason that I met Lucy. Okay. And and I saw in her something that I'd never seen, really in anyone, certainly anyone my age before. She had such a wonderful relationship with God, she's a PK preacher's kid, and she just had such a love for God, but she didn't wear it on her sleeve. She didn't she wasn't showing up on that relationship. There was just a humility there, that frankly, I could hardly understand. And at that same time, this is the mid seven days, I was approached by a very active fellowship in Johnstown young people from the Oakland United Methodist Church, Dick Burns was an evangelist and the pastor there and he had everyone on fire for sharing the gospel, let them see Jesus in you. And so these kids that I had gone to school with, we're now on fire for the Lord kids that had really had challenges in their life. The kids that were the troublemakers in school and the low achievers in school, some of them now all of a sudden had been taken off of drugs taken off of alcohol taken off of just deviant behavior, because of their relationship with God. And so they had the audacity to come to the pit campus and they had the audacity to invade that imaginary three feet of personal space that each of us have. And they would just ask questions like, do you know where you're going to spend eternity? Matter of fact, every time I'd be with my one friend, it seemed like we would run into these Jesus people because I blamed him. I thought I'm right with God, you know, but man, they got a message for you. Well, little did I know that that message was for me. And so all offseason 75 and then going into 76, the winner is 76. This whole offseason, I would be approached by these people and it just seemed like God was making a point in my life. When I went away that year to spring training 1976 in February when I went to big league camp for spring training, and I'm thinking that it was with a Gideon Bible. But I began to read the Bible. I began to read the New Testament started, of course in Matthew and, and I wanted to find out for myself because I just absolutely couldn't reconcile in my mind that it was what these people with these Jesus people, Jesus freaks what they were saying, there had to be some component of working hard. There had to be some component of intentionality. There had to be some level of component to just a diligence and an obedience because that's what you were going with that's that's what I was

and everything is based on yourself,

right. And so surely there had to be that component. Wait, it can't be all grace Canada. Well, when I read it was unbelievable to me how spot on what these people were saying how spot on that was and, and that it was exactly what they said. And the one verse that I could not escape the meaning I could not misinterpret was Paul writing to the church in Ephesus. And he said before, by the grace of God, you and I've been safe. And that's not of ourselves. It is not a works. It is through faith. It is the gift of God not of works, lest any man should boast. Wow. Well, I had a hard time digesting that. And so God brought another interpreter into my life. And that spring training, there was a player that was everything that I dreamed I could be a gentleman by the name of Glenn Redmond and he was a longtime second baseman with the San Francisco Giants. He was at the end of his career he had just been released by the San Francisco Giants. He lived in Phoenix. As a matter of Fact was a member of Tommy Barnett's first assembly in Phoenix, and he was just on fire for the Lord. And when Glenn and I first met in it and a friend of ours introduced us and said, Tom Glenn, Glenn Tom. And I looked right in Glen's eyes. I'm very gregarious. And I said, Glenn, it's a pleasure to meet you. And he looked right back in my eyes, and he said, God has a plan for your life. And I thought, Oh my gosh, these Jesus freaks are everywhere. Yeah. Now he looked like an astronaut look totally different than the kids that were witnessing to me back in Johnstown. But the message was precisely the same. What do you mean, he looked like an astronaut?

I got it

all we had the crew cut, okay. And it was an athlete was a long time big league ballplayer. You know, so he had a totally different look than the more of the hippie logo that the young people would have had that

had so he was more something that you could relate to.

He was more somebody that I could relate to, and, and he just made it so real. And he confronted me with that truth that it's not by works of righteousness. That we've all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. And that just so perfectly melded in to everything that I was reading, that this was very obvious to me what God was trying to say that it was his precious gift to me, and to all who believe. And so it really did a number on me and and in subsequent conversations in a hotel room. Glenn asked if I wanted to receive Jesus as my personal Savior, and I gave my heart to the Lord. And that would have been in the spring of 1976. And I have to tell you, it's it's amazing to me the patience of God, how he's allowed me to sort that out all of these years, and I don't know that I would have ever imagined back then, but very much know now, that back when I thought that God was blessing me with this baseball for my glory, and for my satisfaction, little did I know that 43 years later God would allow that to be my testimony, that God would still allow that to be a platform that I could go out as a former ballplayer to others are exactly the same situation that I am that I can get their respect because I am a ballplayer, but my message of a victory is none that I ever won on the field of play.

Do you ever keep in touch with Glenn?

You know what I lost contact and have never been able to reconnect with him. When Scotty our younger son when he was at Oregon, University of Oregon, their series against Arizona State Yeah, took us to Tempe which is the Phoenix area. And we literally went to church at at that church at first assembly. And I went to information and I literally went around because I wondered how how interesting if 30 plus years after the fact 35 years after the fact if Glenn would still be a member of that group. I wasn't able to connect no one knew him by name or was familiar with him. But he was my angel. He was the one that God used to share that testimony with me. That's

interesting. That's interesting. So God knew that you would have a hard time receiving this message of God's grace and His unmerited favor from the hippies. That's right. And so he took us to baseball to get to a place where you had to have somebody that could minister to you. That's what he did. So I do want to talk about baseball. You mentioned that you you could pitch a triple digit are fast hundred mile an hour fastball. Could you tell me a little bit about your career and how how long it lasted and how how you felt like it was time to hang it up

to it was it for me it was my single minded focus as a boy growing up and every day when I would go over to the to my field of dreams, which was the the adjunct parking area of the the PT, the PT and that Shopping Center, the Westwood Plaza and the PT side was there. And every day that I would go over there, I was just affixed to this dream. Now every one of my friends had that dream as well. Everybody wanted, right a Pittsburgh pirate, and everybody wanted to be a big league ballplayer. But I knew that there that the the more that I would work, there was a direct relationship with that and the success that I can expect out. Well, God blessed me with an uncanny ability and I I try to say this with as little pride as possible. But when we were doing the sports week program, oh yeah, just to give you an idea, a lot of the people that I would interview would be managers and coaches of the different teams and they would have been players from my era. And every single one of them to the man would talk about never seeing anyone throw as hard as what I threw and that just you know 24 Five years, 30 years, 35 years after the fact that really stood as a testament like, man, I really did have this an uncanny a one in a million kind of ability. And it was because I grew up in that parking lot and literally just threw the ball around the clock. Yeah. And so I was drafted out of high school. I was Cleveland's first pitcher choice in the 73 summer draft. I went away for the first time and it was an incredible experience. went away for the first time 17 years of age first time i was on an airplane first time I was away from home went to Sarasota, Florida. Then the next year, I played in high a in Reno, Nevada, and I was very gifted I had an all star season there and did extremely well. And then the next year 75 is the year that I spoke up right that I started off in double A with a no hitter and then triple A and then at the end of the season, put on the major league roster. Now my one string was also my weakness because I came into baseball at a very, very young age. But I came in literally as a high school pitcher. So so within a few weeks, I went from pitching to high school kids in Johnstown to pitching to professional baseball players, you know, and so, transitions. Yeah, it was it was a big transition. And at that time, the organizational philosophy for Cleveland, it was was really to run inexpensively. Okay. The the farm director, at that time, was a gifted administrator. And one of his big notes of accomplishment was the fact that he ran the organization, the entire minor league system on $100,000 budget. So the rookie League, the a the double A and the triple A team ran on a very, very lean budget. And what that meant specifically is we did not have this is a kind of hard to believe, as I say this, but we did not have a designated pitching coach at each of those different levels. We did not have a designated hitting coach. At each of those levels. You'd have a traveling, you know how sometimes a small school district will have like a traveling art teacher, music teacher. In that context, we had a traveling pitching coach that you may see once in a season, maybe twice, and you'd have a traveling hitting coach that you'd see once maybe twice in the season. Well, for me as a 17 year old as an 18 year old as a 19 year old what I needed more than anything was to learn how to pitch because throwing 100 mile an hour fastball without knowing how to pitch that got me so far, okay, because I could just literally blow the ball by the rookie league hitters, the hitters, the double A hitters, but when you get into AAA when you get into the major leagues, that the hitters are much more sophistic And and when when you are, when they're seeing that same speed, it doesn't matter what speed it is, they can eventually catch up to that fastball, if you're not mixing speeds, if you're not, you know, moving the locations of the pitches and and and really pitching that the the finesse aspects of pitching. And and I got to a point where we're pitchers with much less physical ability, we're having far greater success because they were changing speeds and getting ahead of the hitters and getting the hitters to hit on on hitter on pitchers counts, right oh 212. And that was that was an area of the game that I just didn't know. And so that that really I hit the wall. I hit that wall. And an interesting little footnote to all of this is is two years after I was the youngest player in the major leagues. The youngest player in the major leagues in 1977. Was Clint hurdle. Okay, and hurdle was had the cover of Sports Illustrated and and I believe that the title of it was the baseball's next phenol and and i think much the same as what I was a high school kid coming out with just an awesome amount of talent. But it has to be harnessed it has to be focused it has to be you have to learn the finesse aspects of hitting and that's why he also was was in the situation probably never lived up to that to that promise. And that was that was really the case for me is that that I had an extraordinary amount of ability, but but never got over that lip never got over the hump, if you will. I had a little time in the big leagues. I was up on the roster for two years and had what they call a cup of coffee. Okay, the big leagues at the end of the 77 season. But it wasn't until the second half of my career that that I actually dropped my arm Mango and this was my manager in Jersey City was john Orsini he was a big league catcher, I believe with the giants and, and John taught me how to pitch. And at that point, I didn't have the hundred mile an hour fastball, but I had much more movement on the on the fastball. I was changing speeds I was throwing more breaking pitches and so forth. And learning how to pitch not learning how all learning how to pitch not just throat not just rare back and fire play countries it's

not just a guy throwing too It's not just a pitcher thrown to a catcher and hoping the batter doesn't doesn't hit it right. to the to the casual observer that might be what you're thinking, sure,

but it really is like a chess match

the way it is because you're thinking because the ball has to like release from the place to get the batter to think it's doing something different. Exactly it so it's really a chess match between the pitcher and the catcher working against the batter

it most assuredly is and I have to tell you, john, I literally threw the ball so Hard that I could hear it coming out of my hand a while, and and that it would cut the air. And that would literally make a sound an audible sound that I could hear. And it was hard for me to reconcile in my mind when you throw a ball that hard that it literally whistles through the air, but then have a guy hit it out of the ballpark. Yeah, because he's what they call sitting on the fastball, you know, and that second pitch to the end that I bet the third pitch the fourth pitch. Now when they're seeing that same speed, they can catch up to that. Yeah, so it taught me a lesson. And and and God allowed me to learn that not necessarily in my career, but allowed me to learn that very valuable component of pitching for my two boys. And both of my boys were blessed because of that. Okay. Both of them have been professional baseball players.

Yeah. Well, let's talk a little bit about that because you mentioned your need for coaching. That was right there. That's right. And if they had a bigger budget than 100,000 dollars, we might have a different conversation here, right as you would have had a dedicated coach, a pitching coach that could have helped you rock out some of

those things. Sure.

I mean, it's remarkable that you were able to do what you did, though,

Scott,

but I'm sure you had a different appreciation or a much deeper appreciation for coaching. And you just mentioned about your two boys, Scotty and Eric Right. I've heard you talk about them many times or let's talk about them. And because I know that they are your pride enjoys for sure

they are and and I am just most grateful to God for His blessing. And just last week, we had an opportunity to be together as a family and we're spread out because Scotty played this past season, he had an all star season. He's also a pitcher. He's also a pitcher. And after being in the big leagues with the Orioles, the Rockies, the Marlins, last year, he had actually resigned in November with the Rockies, but shortly thereafter became a free agent. signed with the Rockies. But shortly thereafter, he had an opportunity and his contract was bought out by the occult swallows from Tokyo, Japan in the Nippon big leagues, the major leagues of Japan. And so, baseball was huge in Japan. Oh my goodness. This is just absolutely indescribable because they're there aren't the diversions if you will of the NFL, the NBA, the NHL, it is the sport and so is Scotty and Lauren just had the most wonderful experience this year, Scotty was blessed to make the all star team. But the thing that I'm most proud is his growing relationship with God. And the priority that he's making. I I just we've had wonderful opportunity. They were home for the weekend. And we had a chance. I was speaking at Northway Christian community on Saturday morning, Scotty had a chance to be there with me. We have our Sunday evening. community outreach and at Sunday light and Scotty and Lori Were able to be there. And it's just to see his heart. And to see his desire to to obey God to to follow God, to be still and acknowledge God just tickles my heart. And the occasion, the reason that we were all together was because Eric was graduating from basic training at Fort Jackson. And so we were all down in South Carolina last week, and just to see God's influence in his life, to see and both of the boys have always loved the Lord, and made that commitment to God early on in their life, but to see that relationship growing and flourishing, to just see their the biggest desire that both of them have in our in our daughters now as well. The biggest desire that they have is to use the platform that God has given them. I really see Scotty using the baseball platform to share the greatest victory that he has in his life. I really see Eric Using the platform that he has now as a husband and a father, to be able to share the the victory of Jesus Christ, and that the limited conversations that we had with Eric and it was actually through Katie, his wife, during his 10 weeks of basic training. He was just so tickled that he would have an opportunity to share or witness with one of his fellow soldiers for you know, so praise God for that because the baseball that will come and go, I've experienced that in my life. But that relationship with God is eternal. That victory is forever.

Yeah, absolutely. Talking about your relationship with God Hmm. I like hearing about the first time that you remember hearing God speak to you. Do you remember what that was and how it changed you?

You know, probably if if I can just take a portion of that question. And and say it this way. I you know, that I came to know Jesus as My Savior in that hotel room, and it was it was literally on a Sunday evening. And and we had done Easter Sunday and Easter Sunday evening and, and and I had gone to we had our game earlier on in the day. And I just had this is while all of this stuff is floating in my mind and and now God is getting ready to put it all together. And I just started out we I got back to where we were staying out. Far out from the town of Williamsport. And I remember, we had our supper and and I'm walking. Now I just want to go back into town. And I want to go to church. I just really feel like I need to affirm this that I'm feeling and I need to be in church. And so I get about 100 yards away from the complex where we were staying and and another pitcher on the team calls out to me and he says Tommy and I wait for him and he comes up to me says Where you headed man? And I said, You know what, Dan, I'm going to church and he said can I go with you? And I said You bet you can. So the two of us walked in. Now I'm a walker. So you can just gauging from the time that we walked, I know the distance, and it probably would have been probably at least five miles back into town. And we were just looking around, just had no idea where a church would be, but just heading back into the town of Williamsport. And, at the end of this walk at the end of probably at least five miles, we could hear music coming from a building up further up the street where you're at, and it wasn't a good section of this of Williamsport. But it was a place called the lighthouse. And it was just a missions church. And they were meeting in a facility where they would pass out food through the week, distribute food through the week. So it was just basically a storefront. But we heard this music and I remember as we walked there, I said, Dan, I think we found church. And as we got to the door, I opened up the door for him and for me, and when we looked in, I believe it was blessed that assurance that that those people were singing and Everyone in that church just look back because as the door opened, obviously, it drew attention unfortunately to us, but everybody just motion and come on in, come on in. And when I saw that affirmation and just met those people, just and many of them, at least some of them, the homeless people that were being fed through the week. So these were people that literally lived on the streets in that area, but just so welcoming to Dan and to me, that come on in the water's fine. And, and, and I saw that and that's when this idea of my relationship with God became real, that this wasn't an omnipotent god that was somehow in a holy of holiness, but literally, through Jesus Christ was. Now I had access to the Father, that I could literally speak to the father that I could be in God's presence. That's when I knew it was real. And when Lucy and I got married the second part of the answer to this question is when Lucy and I got married that first Christmas that would have been 1979 one of the gifts that I got from my Lucy's mom and dad were a subscription to moody monthly. And I love that magazine and I believe it was in the very first magazine, so I believe it would have been in December of that year. And I haven't I'll describe this for the listener but this was a cartoon drawing that was in that edition of the moody monthly and I was just so taken by this this is this is when I felt God spoke to me. This is what your ministry is to be about. And and it's this cartoon drawing a rough sketch a cartoon sketch of of ministry to me that I that I called street level and just describing this, it's it's the picture of this wild chaotic scene it just a moment mass of humanity down at the street level and that's what I called this this sketch was street level but rising up out of this as this pillar in this beautiful Christian enclave up above the crowd and and and up there up in the clouds if you will is in its in its fenced off and and it's just this beautiful It's the whiter than snow holy laundry. It's the first separatists church and we're all so proud of ourselves up there in up in the clouds and we're so proud and we're looking down and if you look at the facia, it says things like john 316 and repent.

But I looked at this painting then and I I've looked at it thousands of times over these last 40 years. There's not one of those people at the street level. That's curious about what we're doing enough to be looking up. They're living their lives at the street level. Yeah. And if you look At the painting, there's one man that's in a parachute. And I prayed to God and I really believe that God pointed to me and said, you're going to be one of those people. I'm going to take you from the church. I'm going to take you from religiousness. Yeah. And I'm going to put you down at the street level. And that to me, was my calling to ministry street level, to take it in a real way. One beggar telling another beggar where I found food. And that was the essence of my ministry and not coincidentally, the first radio program and my my entry into broadcast ministry was through a radio program at the old WP it called street level. And and that was the essence of the program. I had a little $35 Radio Shack tape recorder. And I would just go to where people were not we would do some of our interviews at the ballpark and and that you Here the ambient sounds Yeah, we would do concerts and you would hear the other members of the band maybe tuning their instruments. But everywhere that we would go I actually did an interview with Krista Handley, his brother, brother in law. Krista Hanley also works at Cornerstone right? And and I did an interview with her brother in law, who was a missionary pilot to Bolivia. And we did it did it from up in an airplane. And it was amazing how you just felt like you were there. And people would often say that, that when we would go places that you could actually smell the peanuts and the popcorn in the background. That's great. But it was from that premise of going to the street level where people were ministering and telling their story in a way that would be real and relevant and meaningful, not necessarily religious.

Yeah. So you just mentioned that that's kind of how you got into broadcasting Now you work in a Christian television station right for how many years? Have you been here?

26 I'm in my 26th year here at Cornerstone

How did God bring you to Cornerstone television?

Oh, that's a very good question, john. I i after baseball my first real job was in the corporate world. And like everything else that God allowed me to be a part of in my life, I had success and and because there's that competitive athletic spirit, and so I know that that hard work and and being focused and so forth really lends itself to success. And there is a relationship with that there's certainly relationship between hard work and and and focus and the success that you can expect out. Well, God blessed me to be very successful in business. As a matter of fact, that's what brought us here to Pittsburgh, because my first promotion is a division manager for the world's largest producer of consumer goods. That's what brought us here. I was an assistant division manager then also ultimately became division manager. And that's what brought us Here to Pittsburgh, but it would have been at 37 years of age at 37 years of agent. And by the way, much like the baseball that first part of my business career was very glamorous. And before the boys were born, it was it was wonderful that Lucy I would we would fly her out and meet me if I was doing business somewhere, you know, and it would just be wonderful. So so it kept us younger, longer. But when the boys when we were blessed with our two boys, all of a sudden it wasn't so much fun to be away from home for three, four nights a week and then have to really pack in a lot of work administrative work over a weekend and then fly out on a Sunday night again. And so it just so happened that I was speaking at Sid bream church, okay up and Zealand opal. This would have been in February, and this would have been in 1992 37 years of age and I came out of that show. with just the warmest feeling that I'd ever had in my life here again, God was speaking to me. And and and I said to Lucy when we came out of this, this wonderful event and it was just the anointing of God was there and his spirit was just so conspicuous. And I came out and our boys were little, they were in the backseat, we were just all kind of cozy, it was cold, but in the car, it was more. We're driving back from Celia Noble. And I just said, Lucy, that's how I want to live my life. I just, I'm just not enjoying the corporate Doggy Dogg, like I used to. And praise be to God on Monday was Presidents Day, and I didn't. We were off work that day. And so on Saturday, coming home, coming back from Zaillian opal, when I said that to Lucy, Lucy suggest that I do something that I'd never done in my life. She said, Honey, why don't we get a paper get the Sunday paper? Run Saturday night night then and we stopped at a local supermarket gotta gotta paper. And Lucy said let's look, I'd never looked at classified ads. Yeah, you know that for a position. But I looked and they were advertising a position for account executive and entry level position for sales WP it well I was the sales manager, right that was the big Christian radio station had gone on the air in 1947 and was a real standard bearer had really begun a lot of the big named radio ministries. They began thanks to Michael comma check, who was an engineer and 47, but was the general manager. And so when I saw this in the paper, when we got back home on on that Saturday evening, I saw this, and I knew that this was going to be my job. And so I went on Monday to interview for the job, and Debbie Austin, who also worked for a time here at cornerstone. It's amazing how God brings these people back into your life. But I interviewed with Debbie. And her only question was, why would somebody that's a corporate executive want to go back to basically an entry level position. And I told her that my heart was in ministry, and that the experience that I had just that Saturday evening, and I really felt God was calling me into a broadcast ministry. And I had the position and God just blessed me with that, simultaneous to that I had opportunity and homesteader. And Martha who's the Traffic Manager here at Cornerstone, her husband Ed was the maintenance manager at that time, and he had heard me speak at their church, Gephardt United Methodist, and so he he told Russ and normally you know, you want to have this guy speak and so I had my first time here at Cornerstone and learned a little bit about Cornerstone and, and so that interested me In Cornerstone and praise be to God it interested some of the leadership here in my being a part of the team. And so after less than a year at WP it our station was taken over by another entity. But God used that as the catalyst to draw me here to WPIT. And there was one little interim step up here to Cornerstone

appear to Cornerstone appear to Cornerstone and there was one little interim step. We were bought out and taken over and our entity converted into a country western. And but at that time, I just still had this passion for this radio program. We were blessed financially. Lucy and I were blessed financially so there wasn't an immediate need for that. Sure. But but the ministry we just didn't want to see this radio program. We didn't want to see it lapse. We didn't want to see it die. And so I went to another radio station and WAVL a power Apollo Vandergriff literally and met with Bob Dane and who was the general manager at that time. And I spoke to him about if he would be interested in having this program and he said that he was familiar with it. And he said he liked it. And he said, You're not going to believe this. But he said, Luis Palau has a 15 minute program. And he said, we just got notification that they're not going to be sending us the program any longer. And he said, I would love to put your program into that slot. Well, praise God. That was my start at this new station. When I got home I was all excited and shortly after I'd gotten home, Bob gives me a call back and he said, Do you have any Have you given any thought to where you're going to work now that WP it has changed hands? And I said I haven't. He said, Would you come out he said, I'd like to introduce you to the family. He said we may have an opportunity here for you. And so I work that summer. WAVL making $5 an hour. I'm working the Nunes but God paid blessed us all that I have needed. The hand has provided greatest I faithfulness. And, and literally discretionary money was a little tight over that summer. But I remember I used to collect change through the week. And on Friday when Lucy would come out to pick me up, we would pass a little shopping center. And it had two little dollar stores within that center shopping center. And I used to let the boys buy plastic football helmets, this was a big treat for them, plastic football, hammer those out of a machine because they were 25 pounds, and I'd be the big spender. When I started here at cornerstone. They blessed me to be able to continue this program with interviews that I was doing here, and we would edit them and produce them right here. And what I would do is I would mail out to now big syndication for this radio program. And God would bless me because I would take the one This one program to WAVL. And I would always hand deliver that on Saturday. The reason that I would hand deliver that is because I wanted to give testament to the boys give testimony to the boys, that when we would take that radio, take that out to the radio station and Apollo, we would pass that little shopping center. And I would just remind them almost like the rocks at the altar and Gil goal that our God is faithful. I could have sent that in the mail. Sure. And I wanted every week to just remind them that God provided because it when we would stop at those stores now with the money to buy more than 25 cent writes. It was just a way of my saying, never, ever forget that all that we need. God provides for us. So it was just a testament each Saturday that I would do that. And what was interesting is I did the street level radio program until we started the sports week program, which was a TV program. But we found out that we could actually do that do the audio version of that Did it translate very well to radio. So all of these stations, they still that we had a relationship with. They were thrilled to be able to get the sports week programs. And so God knows what he's doing. And I guess if there's a point to this, as you're listening to this, it's, you know, when you when you question like, Well, God, why do you have me do this? God? Why do you have me do that? My life is literally a testimony of a patchwork of things that seem unrelated. Why would you have me in business? To move us here to Pittsburgh? Why would you have me do this? Why would you help me with that particular company? Because it perfected the ability to speak and to lead? Why would you have me do this? Why would you have me do that? Why would you allow this to happen? Every single thing, and that earlier part of my life was all a part of a patchwork that came together to make the mosaic now that I look back and can say, look what the Lord has done. Thank you, God.

And that's what that's really you just kind of summed up what this podcast is all about. Looking for those along the way moments because, you know, in the Amai is road story the disciples were walking with Jesus. But they didn't realize that Jesus was right there this whole time, until he reveals that it's him. And then he disappears and they say, we're in our hearts burning. We're in our hearts burning along the way as he was revealing the scriptures to us. And Thomas seems like you've been very intentional to see those moments, or at least since looking back, but what advice would you give me about seeing those moments in my life now moving forward,

be still and acknowledge Him as God. That verse is something that I prayed over my son, our older son, Eric, before he was born when Lucy was pregnant with Eric, I believe is when I started praying that over our family, and and i would pray in the morning, the first thing that we would pray in the morning would be the last thing that we would pray at night, and then all the while that the boys were growing up in our home. And we still pray that to this day, be still and know that I am God. And the reason that that is so significant, John, is because I said early on that I'm a type A personality. So I like to duck duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, then I have everything laid out. I have my ducks on the pond and, and I like to be intentional. And I like to have plan and I like to be the first one there. I like to be the best prepared and so forth. But that can conflict with God's plan for our life. Yeah. I used to say, when God would speak to me and I would hear him I used to say, Boy, honey, I would say to Lucy boy, Honey, did God speak to me today. God's always speaking to us. What I say now to Lucy, honey, I shut up long enough to be able to hear what God was saying. Yeah. God is always ready to give us advice. God is always ready to give us direction. God is always prepared continually to Give us that anointing. But we have to be still and acknowledge him has got, we've got to be quiet so that we can hear.

Yeah, Tom, one of the things that I really, really respect about you is your intentionality. And actually another thing is it almost like a childlike faith, you just have this more more of a wonder of God. You're always amazed about that. And you're just the way that you talk about the Lord. But I want to talk about your intentionality because that is something that I appreciate so much, because you're intentionally leaving space to hear God

hmm

you intentionally raised your boys to fear the Lord you intentionally hand delivered that tape when you could have just easily sent it out like you did all the other ones. And you intentionally you know, use a quarter to get those and helmets for your boys. There was so many intentional things that you did. Talk to me about that intentionality, what is the purpose of that I guess

that's A really good question, John it and I think that God uses us, whoever we are. A variation of that would be some people are leaders, some people are followers. I make a point to everyone, that they're both okay. You don't have to be a leader to be anointed in God's eyes. God takes us where we're at. I believe that for me, that intentionality was just a part of my nature. That's how I was raised. My mom and dad raised me with that intentionality that you have a purpose for every pitch. That's the axiom that I used to share with the boys as just a simple way of teaching them the game of baseball, when you go to a little a game, and and especially when it's the real little players, you'll see them and they'll be there'll be daydreaming and they're looking up in the sky and they're catching butter. flies oh my goodness, well, I would always try to teach my boys that that you will have a competitive edge if you have a purpose for every pitch. And literally from the time they were little boys, they had that advantage of being able to have a purpose for every pitch. That translates no matter what your personality is. Some people by nature just don't have a lot of intentionality. That's okay. That's okay. Some people by nature don't have a lot of leadership skills naturally, you know, maybe didn't grow up with with that being a skill. That's okay. We can be intentional in the Lord. And and and it's so it's it's not a matter of what I'm doing. It's not a matter of my intentionality as much as it is allowing God's purpose allowing God's intentionality see the difference. Yeah. And and God has really put this to work with me in in that that verse. If he listens to Late Night, that was clearly my salvation verse, clearly how I was saved through faith and that not of myself, it myself it is the gift of God not of works, lest any man should boast. Now all these years later, I see that it is what sustains me as well and actually has taken away some of my personal intentionality. Okay and has been replaced by allowing God's intentionality in my life. There's a big, big difference 30 years ago, I was very intentional and it was all about me. Yeah, it was my to do list it was it was my planner and, and and my laying out my to do list for the day. Now my intentionality is acquiesced to God's purpose. Yeah, life.

Well, you just mentioned something about 30 years ago. One of the questions I love asking is it go back to the past and visit yourself along with your timeline and give a younger version of Tom ago, a piece of advice and what's going on in that situation to send the scene for me? And then what advice would you give yourself

30 years ago, this is when when Lucy and I would have been new and our relationship married just about 10 years, we would have had two little boys at that time. And like most young families, more things to do than the time to do them. And, and you sometimes and this is, unfortunately a lot of people in ministry, face burnout. And it's because we don't abide by the principle that God demonstrated at creation. Meaning that you work for the six days and you rest on the Sabbath that you rest on that Seventh Day. We've lost that and now Sundays for us or our Sabbath are the busiest Days of the Week, right? And and so if I were to go back to that time in my life, I think if I were to give myself advice, it would be that Psalm 4610 be still be more intentional about designating that time for God. I think I think God blessed us to be aware of that, at that time. And I think that we were always very conscious of that. And and obviously church was it was a big priority and, and Sundays were always set aside, even in the training of the boys. I we would have their their training coded as an A day being a strain day of be day being a stretch and more relaxation day and a C day being a rest day. And typically, their pattern for training for baseball or basketball, whatever it was that they were training would be like a Monday, Wednesday, Friday would be the a day. Then the Tuesday Thursday, Saturday would be the stretch day and relax. One day, and then Sunday will be the rest day where you did nothing, where we had to focus on God. Because see, I grew up in that in that time went on a Sunday, you went to church on a Sunday stores weren't open, maybe a drug store, but nothing else was open supermarkets right like that weren't open. So it was it was a much more conspicuous in the culture of that day than it would be now. So if I were to go back 30 years, and there would be something that I teach, and I can say, this is what I pray to God, we can demonstrate for our sons. And then from them, I have a real passion for sharing with young families to mentoring and in my roles as a pastor, I have a real heart for these young families that we're now are now where we were right then. And I am able to share this. So it's not a hypothetical thing, sharing it with me, but I can share it with them from my experience. Make sure that you Take time to spend with God that you acknowledge who God is that you that you literally be still and not just know Him as God. But that that becomes the base word to acknowledge him by what we think and what we say and what we do.

Yeah. So let's go back a little bit further. I don't normally ask a secondary or go back and look going back a little bit further. But if you could speak to maybe the the young Tom throwing these indestructible baseballs and destructing them, yes. What advice would you give young Tom they're

also a really good question, john. And, and, and, again, what I taught my boys Yeah, very intentional about my boys. Lucy and I were just talking last night. Humbly receiving this, Lucy. We did our walk last evening and, and this is our prayer time. And I was just thanking God because we've just come off of the most incredible week with our boys with our girls. With our granddaughters, and just so thankful to God for that time, and and I was just saying to them, we were both saying about how the humility, that that Eric and Scotty have, how humbly they embrace the blessings of God and, and they could not be more blessed their families could could just not be in more of a season of blessing than what it is and, and we're just so grateful to that we acknowledge God and and I say I was saying to Lucy, I said that I'm just so grateful for that. And we were talking about humanity and and about how important that is. and Lucy just said the sweetest thing she said, Honey, you just you taught that to the boys, and probably because it was such a weak point with me. Because pride and and being self centered and and being feeling as though I was in control ignorantly feeling as though I control my own destiny. I was ignorant to the truth. That indeed in My life is in God's hands. But But I ignorantly thought that I control my own destiny. But Lucy made such a sweet point to say, but you never translated that that way to the boys. You always emphasized humility to the boys, you always emphasize the teamwork. So Praise be to God what I would say to myself back then, I wish I would have learned this lesson of humility. I wish I would have learned this lesson of trusting in God with all your heart and not leaning on your own understanding and in all your ways acknowledge him from proverbs three, five and six. That I would have learned that earlier. But Praise God. God has been patient all these years with me. And so I feel I need to be patient with myself. Yeah, so I look back in a positive way. At least I learned it

Right. Right. Sometimes it's you know, the

sooner but I learned Yeah.

Tomorrow What?

I'm guessing that, that psalms 4610 be still and know that I am God, would that be something that you would consider a life verse?

almost definitely. Most definitely that would be one of my life verses because that says a lot. And and there are other verses that I feel that I see no differently this this is interesting job but God these last four or five years has put things into my life that he had in my life 30 years ago. And it's and it's interesting, all of the different things are community outreach, being on the air and and just everything God is bringing them back. And I I don't have a question in my mind that that God is saying, did you learn your lesson from the first time had you going through the first time you were doing these things? There was a little bit too much self we actually no longer there was a lot too much self. You were you were too too concerned about, you know this or that or the other thing. You weren't concerned about sharing the gospel and allowing me to be the power in that, allowing Almighty God to be the partner. We have this Excellency, in the earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power is of God and not of us. Yeah. So God is very graciously bringing back things that that he had in our life 30 years ago, 20 years ago, 10 years ago, bringing them back in our life, but this time, with an altogether different attitude. So, so one of those paradigm shifts is this dependence upon God. And, and, and another one. And this is not to say that we don't have an accountability. You know, this is kind of the flip side of that coin, is that we have an accountability, everything that we have is by the grace of God, not of works lest any man should boast. That verse that God used to save me, is now a life verse that God uses to sustain me. So when we're just just so grateful to God last week, and we just see his blessing of our children, he sees his blessing of our family. He sees his blood, we see his blessing in every aspect of ministry that he's allowing us to be in. That too, is the gift of God not of works, lest any man should boast. None of that was because oh, I did this, or Oh, I did that, or I made this call, or I work this or I worked hard. That too, is the gift of God, not of works. Every breath that I take, yeah, is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast.

That's good. That's very good. Tom, what resources do you use to feed your life now? I mean, books or podcasts? or How are you investing in your life now? And then what would you recommend for me out of that ministry,

the opportunities that God is giving me to minister and to minister with Lucy, we have we have this evening we have a king's kids. And so so we work together and I guess it wouldn't surprise me Lucy would tell you I'm like one of the kids. Exactly. You know, so watch cartoons. Oh,

absolutely. Yeah.

But literally in these aspects of ministry, it's allowing the Holy Spirit to prepare for each of those aspects of ministry, every message that I give, it's it's at least that week of preparation and every night when I when I think of that scripture and I research that scripture and here context to that and and that is probably the biggest component of preparation that I'm doing because the messages that God will allow me to share on the Sunday evening are really my life through that week is what's God speaking to me it's that fresh word that God is speaking to me that week. And and that's why there is the anointing on it. Because it's it's nothing that I'm reading about per se, other than his word. But it's literally it's my testimony. It's my testimony for this week is this message from Lamentations, or this week? It's but it's the message from Luke. You know, so for me, it's that preparation, where I literally get into the presence of God. And the computer is a wonderful source. Because now we have access to when when I know that God is speaking to me, and maybe the the sub points of a message are this, this and this, I can go to the computer, literally do a search. What are the Bible best Bible verses as it relates to determination, as best relates to obedience as whatever those points are, and then I'm able to be taught and just really see firsthand these different words and different passages of Scripture. And then there will be the one that the Holy Spirit will affirm. That is the one that you can really speak of, that's the one that I blessed you with. This week to really be able to speak from the heart. So that's that's the source to me is just to stay in the word, stay in God's presence in in prayer, and to continually abide in his anointing continually abide in his grace, we have a tendency we want to go out, we want to kind of run out like a little child and went on out ahead of God, but we need to continually abide in his presence.

Yeah, and I appreciate it so much that we're on the same team know, we're working together for The Real Life program here at the show TV. And I just want to brag on you and your wife a little bit. I love that. I know that as I send out information about the shows that you and your wife sit down and you prayed over the shows, you pray over what is going to happen on the next day and I just appreciate so much and that's something that I would love to have in my future marriage whenever that whenever God blesses me with that, that is something that I definitely look for in in my spouse, you know, looking for Moving forward. That's the kind of relationship that I want that we're praying about those things we're being we're having a purpose for every pitch and I just thank you for praise for the opportunity to be on the same team with UO. John,

it is my privilege and I just want to say to you and just to affirm, and just to encourage that God has chosen from the beginning of time, someone who will be that partner that helped me with you, I believe that with all of my heart, and Lucy and I actually pray for that, because we have the greatest respect you have an uncommon obedience to God, you have an uncommon diligence and intentionality in the way that you live your life and, and and I just can't tell you how impressed Lucy and I are, as we see how you prepare for the shows and and just there's no limit as to what you will do. And I believe that God will have someone that will literally be that perfect match for you. And I just want to tell a story that we are praying for you, as we prayed for both of our boys because when our boys were little, that was something that I prayed for them. And I would tell them the number one decision that you'll make in life is to have Jesus as your Lord and Savior,

to be saved by grace.

But the second most important decision that you will make in life will be to that person that God has brought into your life. And and I used to carry a $2 bill folded over by the picture on either side of my wall and on one side and the other side, the two boys, and I would have a $2 bill. And as I would see that $2 bill, it stood for a lot of different things, how to become one how we are second, you know, that we can only be second that God will always be number one in our life. And so that was just kind of symbolic for me. And when both of our boys got married, I took the $2 bill from my wallet, and I gave it to their new wife and just told them that that you are together at impart, because we have prayed to God from the time our boys were little, that they would find that perfect person, that two will become one. And so we're believing and we know that God has to become one in your life as well. Amen.

I receive that. All Tom. That's just another demonstration of you having a purpose for every pitch you've got. So thank you, God, thank you so much for joining me along the way.

Thank you and praise be to God.

If you spend any amount of time with Tom McGough, you will feel inspired to be the best version of yourself and to invest in others as well. I appreciate that. Even years after his last professional pitch. He is still intentional about using that platform for the kingdom of God. And he can still wear his Cleveland Indians uniform. I've seen him in it recently. He's very intentional about his health and fitness too. It's apparent that he would have seriously benefited from a dedicated pitching coach while he was in the minor leagues. But that's lack in his professional life didn't make him bitter. But rather he turned it into a benefit for his sons because he went the extra mile for them. I've never heard Tom complain about only getting a cup of coffee in the big leagues. He is very grateful for that opportunity that has let him have a platform of a pro ball player, which he always uses for Christ. I love how God used another ballplayer to reach Tom about having a real relationship with the Lord, not just a religious understanding of God. The apostle Paul wrote in his first letter to the Corinthians that he became all things to all people so that by all possible means he may save some, God will use whatever means necessary, whoever is necessary to reach that one who was out there that needs him. That's always encouraging to be reminded. And also in the verse in infusions to where Paul says, For by grace, you have been saved through faith and not of yourselves. It is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast That last part challenged Tom's pride. We can't boast in our own strength because we didn't earn our salvation. He had been so focused on what he could do to get better, to advance to be all that he could be. This verse flies in the face of our pride, it is the gift of God, not of yourselves, not anything you can do. You can't boast about your achievements when you didn't do anything to earn that gift. Thank you, God For your gift of grace, and that I can't take credit for. One of the most difficult things for me to do is the command from Psalms 46 verse 10, that Tom references multiple times in this conversation, be still

and acknowledge Him as

God, why is being still so difficult? For me it's partly because I feel guilty for sitting around and seemingly doing nothing when I try to be still. I think that especially in our American society, entrepreneur, Worship is so valued and rightfully so, to succeed, you need to keep moving and never stop. There are goals in my life that I know that if I want to achieve them, I need to work at them. I'm all for entrepreneurship and hard work. But the part that is really hard is the knowing that he is God, and that he will take care of things. I have a tendency to work myself into a downward spiral of anxiety and worry pretty easily. I worry that I won't have enough I worry that I won't be able to do enough. I even worried that I won't be enough. I've heard it said that God designed us to be human beings, not human doings. Doing is easy. Being is hard. Being requires us to be still and rely on God for our sustenance, for our identity and for our peace. I naturally want to work and earn what I have and try harder to have more. I slip into that mindset where I forget that I can't earn God's favor. It is so easy. trusted our own strength and determination. But God wants us to actively trust in Him.

Never, ever forget that all that we need.

God provides for us when the Israelites were in the wilderness for 40 years, God provided for them every single day. Every day, they collected this miracle food that we call manna. And they were to take what they needed for that day. If they took more, it would go bad the next day and spoil, but on the Sabbath day, they weren't supposed to collect matter. Rather, they would collect more the previous day and trust God, that it would still be there the next day, and it was for 40 years. I'm not saying that hard work, entrepreneurship and success are bad things. Not at all. But when God isn't at the center of them, we look to ourselves instead of him and we become unhealthy and primed for burnout. I need to acknowledge that he is God and I am not. And I can put my trust in him when I know that I am overdue to be still and know that he is God. I'm sometimes Set a timer on my phone for maybe 15 minutes, and I'll put it on the other side of the room and just sit there, and I won't touch the phone until the timer goes off. Practicing being still is hard. There you will find peace and trust in God. And sometimes that's the only way that as Tom said, I shut up

long enough

to be able to hear what God was saying, I need to do this more. And I suggest you try it too. I enjoyed hearing how Tom's journey led him to Cornerstone television when our paths eventually crossed. The fact that he gave up a great job as an account executive to become a broadcaster is pretty remarkable. The money in Christian Broadcasting isn't that great. But I can assure you from my own experience as well, that if you are in Christian Broadcasting, it's because God has called you into it. And he has a purpose for you to broadcast the gospel. Toms street level vision is one that I share too. And I love the way that he speaks about sharing the gospel. One beggar

telling another beggar where I found food.

Let's be purposeful with every pitch and share where we found food with someone else today. At the end of this conversation, Tom's words of encouragement made me blush. I thought about editing that part out because I don't always like to share vulnerable moments with the public, but I'm intentionally leaving it and because even though Thomas speaking to me, I feel that it is always good to be reminded of God's promises, and that other people really do care about you achieving God's plan for your lives as we do our best to be still and rest and understanding that he is God and he really does have a wonderful plan for your life. Thank you for listening to along the way. If you've enjoyed joining me along my way, please share this episode with a friend who you think will be encouraged by this podcast. Also, please rate and review along the way on iTunes. That helps more people discover along the way and subscribe to this podcast on iTunes or wherever you listen to your podcast. You can follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and My website along the way dot media, you can always email me at John along the way at gmail. com. I hope that you've enjoyed this part of my journey and may you realize when Jesus was walking with you along

your way