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Part of the year, Brian Sweeney wakes his daughters in his Clifton Park home, ferries them to Sacred Heart School in Troy and tutors them in the afternoon.

The rest of the time, he wakes alone - greeting the skylines of places like Seattle, Cleveland and Minnesota.

A relief pitcher, Mr. Sweeney was recently promoted by the Seattle Mariners, the team that launched his major league career seven years ago and his minor league career 14 years ago.

The return to Seattle came after stints in San Diego, Tampa Bay, the Dominican Republic and, for three years, Hokkaido, Japan. He says the changes are all part of God's plan, and his Catholic faith guides him through games and homesickness.

"Once you give in to the plan God has for you, then you can be at peace," Mr. Sweeney told The Evangelist. "God has led me on a path around the world, and hopefully someday, I'll figure out the reason for that."

It was always written that Mr. Sweeney would play ball. At three years old, he impressed others with his skills - namely, his two older sisters during a game of Wiffle ball in his native Yonkers.

"They didn't want to play with me anymore because I hit it too far," Mr. Sweeney recalled.

He joined Little League, Catholic school teams in Yonkers and White Plains and the team at Mercy College in Dobbs Ferry. In college, he studied biology, figuring that if he didn't play for a major league team, he would teach biology and coach baseball.

"It's the only thing I've ever wanted to do," he said of the sport, adding that he dreamed of being a shortstop for the Yankees.

At 36, Mr. Sweeney has resigned himself to being a right-handed pitcher and is satisfied with the path God chose for him. Preceding his current run with the Mariners, he posted a 2-1 record in 15 relief appearances for the minor league Tacoma Rainiers. His ERA was 2.51. His major league average ERA is 3.54.

It hasn't always come easily. He recalled a period when his ERA was above 5 when he pitched for the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters (named for a meatpacking company). At the same time, his wife, Connie, and daughters were preparing to return to the U.S. so the children could start school.

Mr. Sweeney's faith helped him catch his breath.

"I knew I could always go to Him," Mr. Sweeney explained. Faith has "probably been one of the most important things that's helped me in my career."

His beliefs also proved crucial in 2000, when his mother's death put Mr. Sweeney on his team's disabled list for more than a month.

"If I wasn't a Christian, my time would have been much darker than it was," he said. God "put people in my life to help me heal."

The fellowship of Christian teammates helps both Mr. and Mrs. Sweeney. "We have a wonderful thing called Baseball Chapel," she explained. An international ministry recognized by 210 major and minor league teams, Baseball Chapel invites thousands of players, coaches, managers and staff to weekly Bible studies and Sunday morning meetings. The wives meet separately.

Players typically can't make it to services on Sundays. Though the Sweeneys find a Catholic church when they can, the ministry gives them "spiritual fuel" for the week.

Nearly half of the Mariners' 25 players attend, Mr. Sweeney said, adding that it encourages players to hold one another accountable to live good, Christian lives.

Fans learn from watching the character of players, Mr. Sweeney noted. Instead of throwing temper tantrums or cursing on the field if he makes a mistake, he stays calm.

"Baseball doesn't define me," he said. "No matter how good or bad I do, it's my job. I'm going to do it for the Lord."

When Mr. Sweeney is on the road or his family is back in Clifton Park, Mrs. Sweeney videotapes landmarks in their daughters' lives.

"It can get difficult, but we always know that in a few more days, we'll see him again," Mrs. Sweeney said.

In Japan, she and the girls once went two months without seeing him. In the U.S., they visit on long weekends and school breaks.

The girls - Ava, 11, and Mia, six - are less excited about their dad's fame than about chances to see him. They get special treatment at stadiums, but it doesn't go to their heads.

"I don't think they really care," Mr. Sweeney said. "They're just going with the flow."

In Japan, Ava picked up impressive amounts of Japanese, her parents said. She went to international school for a while, but Mrs. Sweeney homeschooled the girls for most of their time abroad.

Japan challenged the family in some ways. Few of Mr. Sweeney's teammates were Christian; they bowed to the ball field in reverence and performed Buddhist rituals at funerals. The Baseball Chapel there proved imperative for the Sweeneys.

Though his interpreter was helpful, Mr. Sweeney also sometimes guessed at food choices. He often ate raw horse or chicken.

Mrs. Sweeney used the pictures on the menu as a guide. "I let him be the guinea pig," she said. "I stuck with noodles."

Ava and Mia once tried - and liked - cow's tongue. The girls loved visiting temples and parks in Japan, as well as seeing their father play.

Mrs. Sweeney said the respect Japanese fans show players was refreshing. They never booed, and they let Mr. Sweeney finish his meal if they spotted him in a restaurant.

"I loved it," she said. "It was such a wonderful opportunity for us."

In September, the Sweeney women will return to the Albany Diocese as Ava and Mia go back to school. But the family is open to any future home - maybe Russia, Mr. Sweeney mused.

For now, he's comfortable with their 1970s-era Seattle rental home: "It feels like I'm in a time machine," he said of returning to the Mariners. "Going back to the team that brought me up is really special."

Though the Mariners are struggling this season, Mr. Sweeney said he doesn't pray for success; he prays for the health of his teammates and that they'll give their best for God.

The pregame ritual for the man in the number 37 jersey consists of listening to music, throwing warmup pitches and reciting Philippians 4:13 ("I have the strength to face all conditions by the power that Christ gives me").

Then, he said, "I get the ball and get on the mound and try to do my job."

(08/12/10) [[In-content Ad]]

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