Money. Women. Fame. Prestige. Being a major league baseball player has its perks. But worldly temptations and inflated egos are things Vince Perkins is trying to resist. As a Christian in the majors, one of the newest players for the Toronto Blue Jays tries to keep his eyes on God. "I always try to remember why I'm here," said the British Columbia native. "There's a lot of money to be made and a lot of worldly things available, but I try to concentrate on my faith, and make sure I'm doing God's will."
Although he has played baseball for most of his life — following his father who played ball in college, and his grandfather who was a minor league umpire — the quintessential summer sport is not Perkins' ultimate goal. "Most of the guys are just happy to be playing baseball, but if that were gone, they wouldn't know what to do," he said. "I know I have something else; baseball isn't the most important thing in my life."
A member of St. Andrew's, Victoria, B.C., his faith took him to South Africa in December to help with a baseball camp for kids. Travelling with Unlimited Potential, Inc., a Christian mission organization catering to baseball players, Perkins spent two weeks teaching youth baseball skills, Bible stories, and shared his love of Jesus Christ. "Some of the kids didn't have shoes to play in. I wished I could do more than what I did. Parts of it were really sad. A lot of the kids had lost one or both parents to AIDS," recalled Perkins, of his first mission trip. "I was surprised by the range in classes — from the wealthy with their mansions in the hills overlooking the ocean, and then a mile away, there were sheet metal huts with dirt floors and no water. It was a shock."
Despite the difficult circumstances, Perkins said he'd love to do another mission — even if it wasn't overseas. For now, he has to get ready for the approaching baseball season. Drafted by the Jays in 2000, the right-handed pitcher has paid his dues playing on the Jays' Class-A farm team in Dunedin, Florida. Recently named to Toronto's 40-man roster, the 23-year-old posted 47 strike-outs in 54 2/3 innings pitched in Dunedin in 2004. He had a 3.95 earned run average for 13 games, and a record of 1-4. The 6-foot-5 Perkins throws a 95 mph fastball and 86 mph slider.
When he is with his teammates, Perkins tries to set a good example. "I try to find opportunities to share my faith with the team. Some are open and some are not. But people see how I live, and they may question why I don't do certain things. And if anyone asks me, I'm happy to share."
He and his fiancée, Lori, hope to get married in Dec. 2006. She's a high school teacher and varsity coach in Florida, the state where Perkins attended college. His commitment to his fiancée and to Christ keeps him motivated to live a good life. "The challenge is walking the right path, and not getting caught up in what the team does," he said. "There comes a point when you have to say, 'I'm not going there.' It's tough sometimes. You don't want to do certain things, but you don't want to make people mad either. But with some things, you just can't compromise."
