.png)
In his second stint with the Winnipeg Goldeyes, Kevin Garcia is living the childhood dream and, through it all, leans on his faith.
"In Mexico, baseball was everything," he said. "My dad played baseball, my uncle played. It was good. Faith has been a big part of my life since I was a young kid."
After not being able to go to a Division I school for baseball out of high school, Garcia was given the opportunity to go to a Jesuit school. "Church was on campus. It was very comfortable. I wasn't far away from my home, but still having that relationship, with faith and being a big part of the school, was very refreshing."
He was eventually drafted into the Major Leagues in 2014 by the Toronto Blue Jays and also spent some time with the Minnesota Twins. Garcia was eventually released a couple of weeks before the end of spring training when the manager of the Goldeyes called on him. "I was there for 2018, got injured, and then came back in 2019 for a year where I met my now wife in Winnipeg."
After going to play in Mexico for a few years, Garcia came back last year and is loving every minute in Winnipeg. "It's refreshing. Affiliate ball and Mexico ball is very competitive but different. Intention is different. Pressure that they don't tell you about."
While baseball was always the dream for Garcia, he admits it is different than what he was envisioning. "You dream about being a professional baseball player and you think you're going to get the contracts, big opportunities and whatnot, and it's simply not that way, especially for someone who was drafted late in the draft. The leash is very short compared to those guys who are prospects or get drafted top tiers."
Despite it being different, he says that independent ball has been refreshing. "Indy ball was where I found my best friend, and also, it's a bunch of guys that just love playing baseball. Love to win, love to compete, and are there for one another."
Garcia says that while he loves being in Winnipeg, there were some bumps along the way. "100 per cent, I'm sure that I'm not the only one who has gone through that season of doubt of why me and working so hard thinking I've done everything right."
Through the trials, Garcia said his family and specifically his mother played a big role in encouraging him. "She pushed me to have a relationship with God and keep faith. I know I'm not perfect and I'm okay with that. But knowing that I have someone that I can surrender all my pressures, all my fears, all my doubts to frees me up."
After a season-ending injury left him wondering if he would ever play the same again, he clung to his faith. "Going through a season-ending injury, possibly not being able to play the same way that I was. Then another injury with my shoulder, which was my number one tool. I remember listening to a podcast and it said sometimes we do it our way for so long until we say enough is enough. Something has to go. Something has to change. And for me, it was faith. It was going back to that, to that place of faith. Place of peace. It's a daily choice."
It's a good battle to have and I believe that it has brought me back to that child that really enjoys playing baseball and showing up to the field. I'm lucky now that I get to do that and then go home to my wife and our puppy. So really feeling how everything was supposed to happen, it's happening," he said.
Through the demanding schedule, Garcia has had to learn how to balance everything from his professional to his personal life. " After missing birthdays and holidays and sacrificing so much but still you're not where you want to be at the end of the day. For me, it was making sure my priorities were levelled. And making sure that I start my day with some sort of gratitude and meditation. Right before the game, I do my Bible study and read my passages trying to create some sort of peace so that I can feel free when I go out to the field."
Attending chapel has been beneficial for Garcia, especially doing it alongside some teammates. "Being a professional athlete comes with a lot of responsibilities off the field and not a lot of people understand. They see a pro and they think, everything's easy for them. They just show up and play. They don't see the struggle that we have when it comes down to mental health or to injuries. Chapel is a space where you feel not only validated, but a judgment-free zone."
Garcia said that keeping the routine of chapel is vital. "It's the one thing that's very consistent in a very inconsistent life that we live. For me it was finding some sort of peace, reminding me that this is what I do. This is not who I am and trying to use the platform to express what having faith has really done to me."
To any aspiring baseball players, Garcia has one thing he would say to them. "Having that vision, that dream, it's always good. One thing I would tell them is, not to let them consume their life. It's good to prepare and work out. It's also important to understand that it's something that you want to do, it's not someone you want to become. I think that's the biggest misconception that we have nowadays."
Keeping that in mind, he believes that, "With a little bit of faith. Then I think sky's the limit."
The Goldeyes are in action tonight against the Kansas City Monarchs at Blue Cross Park at 7 p.m.
On Saturday, join CHVN for Faith Night with The Goldeyes at 6 p.m. Tickets can be purchased here.