Barry Dean
Episode 115
12 APR 2021
The President and Executive Director of the Alabama Baseball Coaches Association for more than 20 years, AND he is the President of the Association of Catholic Coaches and Athletes, which he formed ten years ago. He played, coached, and umpired baseball at the collegiate level and at one point even traveled to England, Germany, Brazil, and Nicaragua as a Major League Baseball International Envoy (Diplomat) Coach to teach and promote baseball. During this interview he also mentions having a brother who is a priest.
Notable guest quotes:
“I remember being a bat boy on St. Bede’s — St. Bede’s Catholic Church where I attend now — I was a bat boy for (my dad’s) team, and my two older brothers played on it. And that was, one of the fondest pictures I have on my wall, is my dad and my two older brothers and myself in our uniforms.”
“I asked… ‘Can we have Mass celebrated, and I’ll get the priest, just get me the room in the hotel’ … They got me the room, I got the priest… and the wheels started spinning of having, forming an association.”
“I’ve woven a lot more ministry into the Alabama Baseball Coaches Association.”
“I’m blessed to live in Sweet Home Alabama. That is more a faith — it’s obviously kind of the center of the Bible belt, kind of the buckle of the Bible belt, as they say.”
“I say… it’s for your future success that I’m more worried about, not as baseball players but as husbands and fathers.”
“I pray before our events. I pray before our board meeting. And I will do other things around the country and I hope and pray that I would not back down if I was getting pushback.”
“It makes you want to go to confession instead of… running from confession.”
“The Holy Spirit was just absolutely working me overtime.”
“It’s not the church… it’s not the priests, it’s the Eucharist, it’s the sacraments, wherever you are, wherever we are, and that’s the blessing we have as Catholics.”
Related link:
Association of Catholic Coaches and Athletes
