Phillies share phaith

Phillies catchers Chris Coste and Carlos Ruiz may have been the big-name draws to the event sponsored by the Fellowship of Christian Athletes in Action Sunday night, but Penn security guard Carl Wilson stole the show.

Wilson won the night's raffle - a basket full of Phillies paraphernalia including two tickets to a game against the Mets - and then quickly gave it away.

When the Penn employee accepted his prize, he said he would donate the basket to the Children's Hospital of Pennsylvania.

"I used to go to CHOP to deliver flowers to that oncology department," Wilson said. "I always remember those kids over there."

The story didn't start there, though. Wilson's lone raffle ticket was purchased by Todd Roth, Penn baseball's staff ace and active member of the Fellowship. Along with Jill Taylor, defense on the women's lacrosse team, Roth organized the event that brought Coste and Ruiz, as well as former NFL running back Keith Elias, to speak to students from Penn, Drexel, Temple, Delaware and residents of the surrounding areas about their relationships with God.

Roth bought the raffle ticket because Wilson was unable to afford it - he donated his last dollar to his church that morning.

The Fellowship of Christian Athletes in Action is a group of Penn athletes who come together weekly to celebrate and share their Christianity.

Attendees at Sunday's event learned that catchers Chris Coste and Carlos Ruiz are not only 2008 World Series Champions, but they are devout Christians as well.

"We planned in the beginning of the semester [that] we would have one outreach event," Taylor said of the idea behind the event, "something geared towards non-Christians or people who are questioning Christianity or are kind of on the edge."

Roth asked the chaplain of the Phillies ball club, Rich Starling, for help with the event.

"Rich has challenged his guys at chapel, asking does anyone want to give a straight testimony," Roth said. "And these two guys stepped up to it."

Ruiz - who caught the pitch from Brad Lidge that sealed Philadelphia's World Series victory in Game Five- says he committed his life to God only two years ago. Sunday night was his first time giving a testimony of his experience.

Although he understands and speaks English well, Ruiz was more comfortable speaking on the subject in his native tongue, so Starling translated the Panama native's words from Spanish.

"I was a very aggressive person," Ruiz said through his translator, "and now, because I have Christ in my life, God has given me more patience and I can treat people in a loving way."

The 36-year-old Coste spoke of his roundabout trip to the major leagues. Coste played AAA baseball for 12 years before joining the Phillies roster in May 2006. He said his time in the minor leagues, surrounded by Christian teammates, was what helped him form a connection with God after his baptism at the age of 17.

"There were some tough times but there was never any question that God put me on this path from the day I was born," Coste said. "I never doubted the path."

Although they spoke of a very serious topic, both players maintained light-hearted attitudes. When the event was opened up to audience questions, a young boy asked Coste what he thought of New York Mets third baseman, Jose Reyes.

"I'll be honest with you, he is a phenomenal player," Coste said. "I would never trade him for Jimmy Rollins."

When someone in the audience shouted "Could you throw him out?" Coste was quick to respond, saying, with a smile, that he already had - three times.

The event wasn't only for the light-hearted Phillies fans, though; many Penn athletes came out to hear how their professional counterparts incorporated religion into their careers.

Sophomore 157-pound wrestler Gabriel Burak, a member of the Fellowship, definitely felt divine inspiration Sunday night.

"You don't just get Phillies players to come to your campus," Burak said. "That is just the Lord working it out."

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