Dodgers Interview: Blake Treinen on walkout songs, purpose, and pitching with peace
LOS ANGELES — Blake Treinen has had a rocky patch in his career, but he has a peace inside him, that he shared with us during an exclusive interview prior to Tuesday’s opener with the Cincinnati Reds. And, oddly enough, it starts even before he hits the mound.
“Walkout songs are a peek at our personality and what’s important to us,” Treinen told us. “There’s a lot of music with great beats, but maybe not a great message. God’s given me this incredible platform and gift to play baseball. My job is to pay it back.” He laughed about his early years. “Early in my career I walked out to Eric Church because I’m a country boy. As I’ve gotten older, I want to honor God with the first of everything I do. I want people to know who I play for. He’s the God of my success and my failures. In my weaknesses He’s made strong.”
That is why the song and the small gestures matter to him. “If people see me draw a cross and point up and they hear the walkout song and think, what’s this guy about, now they kind of know,” he said. “There’s a peace that surpasses understanding and it comes from Jesus Christ.”
He notices more faith-forward songs around the clubhouse. “The voice of one can strengthen the spine of many,” Treinen said. “People want a rock to stand on. That rock is Christ. We all need a center focus. The word of God says I’m the vine and you are the branches. Apart from Me you can bear no fruit. I just want to use what I’ve been trusted with to let others know about Christ in my life.”
He made it clear this is not about pressure on anyone else. “Everybody’s going to have their own reason,” he said. “God will get the glory for those songs. Don’t be scared to be a Christian. You don’t have to be a Christian to benefit from the moral compass Christ asks us to live. The fruits of the Spirit are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and self control. Those bless people.”
Treinen said the boldness came with time. “I wasn’t always this bold,” he said. “Christ takes us from glory to glory. I have people that pray for me. God brings people into your life to help pull your boots up and be a bolder version. I don’t want to miss what God has laid out for my life. We get to choose if we walk in His will and accept those blessings and use them.”
He carries a picture in his mind when he talks about that choice. “A pastor said God has a conduit to your life to bless you,” Treinen said. “If we are going to be used by God to bless others, that conduit keeps flowing. Life is short. I want to bless people and not miss the calling God has on my life. Fear not. Be of great courage. The Lord your God goes with you.”
That extends to how he sees the moment. “We’re called to weigh the cost,” he said. “When things come our way, let people know Christ in you. Be the light and the salt. You don’t want the light to go out. You don’t want the salt to lose its saltiness.”
He sees role models around him. “Clayton (Kershaw) has been an example of Christians doing great things,” Treinen said. “Whatever you do, do it for the Lord, not for man. God deserves our best. His work ethic is a testament to giving his best for God.”
The mound is still a job. The message runs through it. “If it’s a song that pumps me up and gives a great message of the salvation and power of God and what Jesus did for us on the cross, I’m going to find it,” he said. “People show up and want to know who we are and what we’re about. I want to honor God with what I do. I want to be a blessing.”
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