Baseball fans will remember Kent "Hoss" Bottenfield's pitching days with St. Louis, Chicago, Montreal and Philadelphia. He earned a spot on the 1999 All-Star team and a $4 million contract in 2000, but a shoulder injury soon ended his athletic career. Bottenfield, a lifelong Christian, then turned to music ministry at a church in Indiana, and began working behind the scenes with independent artists in the studio. He eventually made his own solo CD, Take Me Back (on Bottenfield's own IBB Records), an AC praise-oriented project produced by his Grammy-winning friend Michael Omartian. The pitcher-turned-singer recently sat down at Nashville's Hilton Hotel to talk about his time under the stadium spotlight, switching gears—and how he almost didn't live to see the release of this CD.

When did your initial interest in music begin?

Kent Bottenfield: It really started with my older brother and sister singing in a church group that traveled around. I memorized all the songs they were singing. During that time, one of the guys in the group taught me how to play some songs on piano and I learned the notes and then started to add words to the chords.

How did that translate to adulthood and your recent re-entry into the music arena?

Bottenfield: A couple of people in our church own a recording studio and another has a singing ministry. People kept saying I should talk with them. We got together one day at the studio and decided we should write a song and see how it went. It went pretty well, and we started writing songs for the church—accompaniment tracks used during various services. We also came up with an idea to make a praise-and-worship CD for local schools to sell as a fundraiser. It sure beat selling popcorn, candy and cookies, and there was also an eternal message behind it all.

At what point did you decide to record your own project?

Bottenfield: It scared me and I didn't want to do it at all at first. I loved being in the studio creating, but I never did like being out in front of people, even as a player. Plus, I'd seen so many indie artists going through the process of creating an album and then all of a sudden they realize, "Oh, we have to work to get it out there." Then they have 5,000 CDs sitting in their closet that they give away to family members. I wasn't opposed to working hard at it, but I knew that hard work would take some time away from my family. But my wife also felt like I was being called to do it, and when she gave me the nudge, I was more comfortable because I knew I had the freedom to go out there and do it. I didn't have to think, Oh man, I'm on the road but my wife really wants me at home!

Has your pro baseball background helped raise awareness for your music?

Bottenfield: It cuts both ways. In one sense it's a whole other industry, and a lot of people aren't ready to overcome the idea of a professional athlete coming out with a CD. I just can't expect people to show up everywhere because I used to be that and now I'm this. However, some people will come simply because of that, and hopefully they'll hear the true meat of the message, which they might not have otherwise been exposed to.

How are pursuing full-time artistry and athletics similar?

Bottenfield: Well there are two ways. One of them is dedication; in order to succeed at anything, you have to be dedicated. There's also the business side, which is essential in professional sports, music or ministry. That side doesn't just fall into place. I've had to understand the process of getting into the major leagues just like I have when it comes to getting my CD into 600 book stores right now.

In what ways were you able to witness on the playing field?

Bottenfield: One of the things I've learned is that you can't force anybody to believe anything. I remember asking other Christian players how did they did it, and they said that on the road, your teammates see you each and every moment. You can't be fake because they see you in every situation—on the buses, on the planes, in the clubhouses, on the field. They see you when you're succeeding and when you are being booed. The advice they gave me was to simply be real, be who you are and sincerely care about your teammates. I always wanted to share the gospel, but I also cared very much about their family and their work. It was never about putting another notch in my belt or hitting someone over the head with the gospel. My ultimate goal was to have them see Christ, but know that I really did care, that I wanted to talk about their marriage and what they were going through in the game, which most guys sensed and really respected.

What was the All-Star game experience like for you?

Bottenfield: I was floored that I made the team. Players are selected by the fan vote and pitchers are selected by their actual manager. I knew I'd earned some respect with what I'd done the first half of that season, so I knew there was a pretty good chance. As it got closer and I finally got the announcement, it was very overwhelming. There were three days of it in Boston and it all went so fast. Here I am standing on game day with some of the greatest players in the game, along with legends of yesteryear like Ted Williams, during the introductions. It was a great accomplishment, but it meant nothing without God and my family.

How did the shoulder injury shortly thereafter affect your overall attitude?

Bottenfield: My biggest concern was that I was getting paid even though I wasn't playing. There were always some players that we wondered about when they sat out for injury, and I sure didn't want people to think I just didn't feel like pitching. I felt like I was letting people down, especially in my final seasons, and I had to refocus my life's direction after that all ended, which turned to music.

You've had a more recent health issue. Tell me about that.

Bottenfield: I was out of town with my family around the holidays last year, and all I remember was my heart beating incredibly fast and having problems getting that under control one night. The next thing I remember was being on an emergency room table and then landing in intensive care. When I finally regained consciousness, I learned there was a 99 percent blockage in my main artery and I literally only had hours or minutes left to live, had they not caught it. The doctor came in after I regained some strength, and after he found out what I did, he encouraged me to press on. He said "I have confidence that God has got you where he wants you." At that moment, I thought about all the ways God could use this situation to take the music and reach more people. I can't tell you how many people have come up now that I've been performing and said they've had that exact same surgery. I point to the Scriptures and how to deal with the struggles life can throw at you. I share all I've gone through, including this most recent situation, and that's really when I can drive the message home.

When you go on tour, what's a typical gig look like?

Bottenfield: I speak more than an average artist, and I know some people are coming specifically to hear baseball stuff. Sometimes people will show up asking me to sign a jersey or a baseball card, and it's my responsibility to share that. But there's also a lot of uplifting worship music that will hopefully be introduced to people who may never step foot in the church. I can't make anyone believe anything. What I sing about isn't coming from Kent's word. It's inspired from Scripture, and if you have a problem with that, you're big enough and mature enough to make a decision on your own. I'm never going to shy away from the chance to share my testimony, but I'm not results-oriented. I do what I'm called to do and that's it. It's in God's hands from there.

Visit www.kbott.com to learn more about Kent Bottenfield's music, ministry, and testimony.

© Andy Argyrakis, subject to licensing agreement with Christianity Today International. All rights reserved. Click for reprint information.

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