Braden Bishop Learned Who he Was When major league Baseball Wasn't Enough

Former Seattle Mariners outfielder Braden Bishop lived the dream every young baseball player imagines—making it to the Major Leagues.  

Braden  achieved that dream in unforgettable fashion.

His very first Major League game came in Tokyo when he replaced Ichiro Suzuki during the baseball icon's emotional farewell. It's the kind of debut Hollywood would reject for being too unbelievable.

Yet when I asked Braden about the defining moments of his life, he didn't start with baseball.

But as cool as his baseball journey was, it isn't the story that defines him.

In this deeply personal conversation, Braden shares how his faith in Jesus took root during his years at the University of Washington, how his mother's heartbreaking battle with early-onset Alzheimer's reshaped his priorities, and how that tragedy inspired the creation of the 4Mom Foundation, helping families facing the same devastating disease.

Braden also offers rare insight into life after professional sports, the identity struggles many athletes face, why success alone never satisfies, and how discovering his purpose in Christ fulfilled his need for "completeness".

Whether you're a sports fan, caregiver, person of faith, or simply navigating life's unexpected challenges, Braden's honesty, wisdom, and hope will encourage you long after the episode ends. He is a young man destined for even more amazing things! 

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"Amazing Greats"  is a library of interviews with highly successful people who have amazing career and life stories and who share how God has impacted their journey.  Hosted by broadcaster Ric Hansen & produced by Klem Daniels.   Available on Apple,  Spotify, iHeart, Google and our  YouTube Channel. 
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Transcript

A Movie Moment In Tokyo

Ric 0:42

Well, good afternoon to you, sir. How are you today? I'm doing great.

SPEAKER_00 0:47

Thanks for having me.

Ric 0:48

Braden Bishop is with us. For most baseball players, reaching the major leagues is like the realization of a lifetime dream. And for Braden, for you, uh the former University of Washington baseball star, uh, your dream came true in reality on one of the most unforgettable nights in Mariner history. It was March of 2019. Let's go back there. And there are thousands of folks packed the stadium in Tokyo, and we were watching Ichiro playing his final game. And then they pulled him in the eighth inning. So you take it from there.

SPEAKER_00 1:28

Yeah, no, it was it was a movie. I don't know if I would have been able to script a major league debut quite like that one. Um, you know, obviously, so many stars had to align for it to happen like that. And I think the unique part of it for me was the Major League debut is about you. Uh, but that moment was not about me. And I think that's when I think about how unique the moment was, like, yeah, of course I replaced Ichiro, but how many guys can say that their debut was not about them? You know, and it was about something way bigger, uh, and to be able to honor him through that whole uh scene was crazy. And I think a lot of things that people don't know, I've tried to talk about it and describe it, and I've had videos of it that I've posted uh in the past, but what actually happened after the game was something that made it unforgettable. Um, baseball culture in Japan is religion, to be honest. Um and when that game ended, you know, Ichiro talked to the media uh for probably 30 minutes. Uh, you know, did his press conference, hey, I'm retiring. And it was uh in the confines of the Tokyo Dome, and the A's came over, Bob Melvin was in there, um, you know, obviously our whole team was in there, and then we walked back into the clubhouse, and then he talked to our team for probably another 20 minutes. So we're talking about 50 minutes after the game ended, and then you hear the roar of the crowd, so we all go outside in the dugout, and 50,000 people are still there, and and they curtain called him, and he went around the whole field, and you know, there was a barrage of reporters around him with all the flashes of the cameras, and we were standing on the

What Happened After The Final Out

SPEAKER_00 3:25

field, and I just remember thinking in my head, like not only did I just become a major leaguer, but I'm seeing something that is a movie, and that was what made the whole thing so special. You know, I obviously I struck out on three pitches in my first at bat, but it was all it was all worth it, in my opinion.

Ric 3:45

Nobody remembers that, nobody remembers that only me, and you won that game, right? That that that was a win, yep, exactly. Yeah, and so I want to make clear that uh because I don't know if I said it in the introduction here, but that was in fact, and you you alluded to that, but it was in fact your first game in Major League Baseball. I mean, it was amazing, right? So that's very cool. So you did you uh uh and I don't want to make this all about each hero, but did you have a chance to kind of get to know him as a mariner? And uh were you close to him at that point?

SPEAKER_00 4:19

Yeah, well, the interesting part was he had signed late uh in spring training that year, and we had heard rumblings that he was gonna kind of come do his final thing, and the interesting part about Ichiro is he's not a guy to just admit that. You know, like you he would never say, I'm just signing to retire or to do this my way or go out on my turn. Like he had full intention to make that team that year and play the whole year in the major leagues. And he came into the clubhouse, and I'll never forget the energy shift of when he walked in there, you know, it was kind of like a baseball ghost walked in, and none of us really knew him. You know, there was obviously a few, the Felix Hernandez, um, the Kyle Seegers, the D Gordons, like they have either played with him or against him. But for a lot of us, and especially in spring training, you have so many non-roster invites and you know, rookies and guys coming from other teams, that he walked in and it was like I mean, just like a legacy, right? Like everything he accomplished, one of the best hitters ever. And you could hear a pin drop. It was like, oh, royalty's here. And then as I had walked over towards my locker, uh, there was an empty locker next to me, and I was like, Oh, that's weird. And then right next to that one was Ichiro's. And I was like, Oh my god, I'm gonna be right next to this guy for the next three weeks. And uh he was awesome to me, like just what a great human being. And um, his translator, Alan, who's been his translator forever, was actually that empty locker. Oh yeah, so him and I had great conversations, and just to see how he went about his business, and uh he actually had a scale that he would set every single bat on top of every morning.

Ric 6:24

Really?

SPEAKER_00 6:25

And if it was an ounce, like you know, 0.01 of an ounce over the uh weight he wanted, he would get rid of it. And so, yeah, just to see that process of like, oh, okay, so this is what it takes to be great, you know, it was awesome. And then he was just he was great to me, and he stayed around even after he retired. He was an advisor, so he would throw us BP, you know, and and he still did basically everything, like he was a player. Uh so he was awesome to everybody, not just me.

Ric 6:56

And he's still with the organization, isn't he? With the Mariners.

SPEAKER_00 6:59

Yeah, he's still. I don't know if he like how much time he spends there, but yeah, he still had all his workout equipment, specialized Japanese workout equipment in the back of the cage, and he did his own thing, but yeah, he's still prepared like a player. It was crazy.

Getting To Know Ichiro Up Close

Ric 7:15

Well, I knew he was he was anxious to to shed light and to give his a bit of his knowledge and background to younger players, huh? Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 7:24

No, he's that's what I'm saying. Like he's just such a great human being, and uh he's he's reserved, like you have to go out of your way to ask him questions, and but when you do, he's an open book. Really? That's so cool.

Ric 7:38

Well, this is a story about about Brayden Bishop, but let's get with that. So, your story is an amazing story. Here you are, um playing at the University of Washington, right? Uh, and I wore my my purple today just just in honor of your your playing there. Uh, and you were a star uh player in college. Uh walk us through just a quick uh resume story here. Uh after the university, first of all, did you play in high school? I'm guessing, right? Yep. You went to Catholic high school in California, St. Francis. Um, and were you a star there? I mean, did you play well?

SPEAKER_00 8:17

So I was a dual sport athlete, football, baseball. Um, and I was I would say I was pretty good. You know, I I never like to speak too highly of myself, but I think the one thing I feel confident enough is saying is I knew from when I was five years old I wanted to be a major league baseball player. So every single action I had at that age aligned to that goal. So I was a little bit different in the sense of like I didn't do the tr things traditionally that um I didn't do the things traditionally that like a high school kid would do. And so I think that reflected in me getting a scholarship to Washington, uh choosing baseball over football, um, because I did have some opportunities to go play both. Um and then I d the crazy part thinking back on it is I committed really early uh when I was in my sophomore summer of high school. Oh, really? And so I just think back of like what I know now. If I wouldn't have rushed that decision, you know, just to say I was committed, you know, where would I have been? But then I also think about like I met my wife at UW, you know, I obviously learned how to be more mature of a man at UW. I found my faith at UW. So like there's so many things, right? That it's like, oh well, it obviously all culminated into the reason I went there.

Ric 9:44

I read somewhere that you uh you visited the University of Washington campus in the summertime, and it was just gorgeous. It got esque mountain and beautiful green, and and then and and then fall came. You didn't we weren't ready necessarily for all that rain that you got.

SPEAKER_00 10:00

Exactly. Exactly. Yeah, the rain uh it snuck up on me. I heard it was gray, but uh when you uh experience it in person, it's a little different.

Ric 10:09

Rick Hanson here with our special guest, former Seattle Mayorners outfielder Braden Bishop, we'll hear how a baseball dream, a family tragedy, and a growing faith journey combined to create a life of purpose beyond the game. So let's uh jump into your just a bit now because you mentioned faith. So what I've read about you, and it's been difficult to find anything on you because it's not a lot of public knowledge about your faith, but it it you very clearly are a Christian. Uh, but you came and it says you came from a uh Jewish heritage. How did where was that from? Is that uh handed down by your parents or yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 10:50

So my dad grew up uh Jewish, and we were never a very religious household. Um, you know, I went to Sunday school as a kid, then we ended up moving to Canada. My mom was always spiritual, like meditating, believed in something bigger, bigger purpose. You know, everything happens for a reason. My dad was a cop for a really long time and saw some really bad things, and I think he kind of lost his faith in any sort of spiritual being. Um, and so that's why it just wasn't like super prominent in our household. Um, but we always had the overarching theme of like, hey, you have a purpose, there's something bigger than yourself, you know. So it was always there. Um, and then once I went away to school, you know, you get around a solid group of people and they kind of help influence you and in good and bad ways, right? Like you just I got lucky and got around a bunch of really solid Christian men. Um, and that's kind of how it blossomed.

Ric 11:59

So is there a is there a conversion story, you know, a a moment in time where you said, you know, this is I'm committing my my life to to this service. Was there a moment or was it a gradual kind of progression?

SPEAKER_00 12:16

No, it there was definitely a moment. Uh so I my freshman year not so much at UW. And honestly, that was probably one of the harder years of my life, you know, walking walking away from home for the first time, um, you know, being in the rain, uh, you know, the being in a dorm uh that will is not like the dorms they have today. It was just like a you know a concrete box, basically. Um, you know, I was getting my butt kicked on the field, I was not strong enough to hang with those guys, um, didn't play. So like there were so many things where I'm like, God, I can't do this, you know. And uh what happened was I got hurt, I got to spend my freshman summer at home, uh, which I was gonna be playing in in Cape Cod. But when I came back for my sophomore year, I'll never forget. Uh I was sitting in my parents' hotel room right before the start of fallball, and I was like, I don't want to be here. Like, I want to go home. Like, I I don't want to go through that again. And my dad had this conversation with me basically saying, like, hey, look, like these are the moments in your life, it won't be the last time, where you have to make a really tough choice. Like, you're you either choose to walk through all these emotions you're feeling right now, like the discomfort, the feelings of not being good enough, not knowing if you're going to play, not knowing if it's gonna work out. But he's like, You can take the easy road, go come home, be in c in uh you know, in a comfortable environment, at your own home. You can go to junior college. You know, you could probably dominate junior college, but I don't think that that will set you up for life. And uh, you know, as much as I didn't want to, right, and as much as I didn't want to, I I did, and I ended up you know overcoming so much just by just continuing forward,

Early Dreams And Choosing UW

SPEAKER_00 14:10

and then um there was a church on campus at UW, and it's uh no longer the same church, but at the time it was called City Church. And uh I'm familiar with City Church, yeah. So now they renamed to Church Home, but uh at the time it was City Church, and they would have a Sunday night service.

Ric 14:29

It's Judith Smith, and he's Judah Smith, yeah, yes, exactly.

SPEAKER_00 14:32

And so um they'd have a Sunday night service, which obviously for student athletes, that was like our one free time of the week. So we had a couple guys go and and they're like, hey, you should come. And so I remember going and like just the feeling that I had of like, wow, everything that I feel like I've been searching for, I just found, you know, um, like purpose and foundation, and then uh we'd have a Bible study every Wednesday up in the Omaha room at UW and I would never go. And then I went to church and I felt that and I was like, I want to feel that again. Like maybe I'll go. So I went to the Bible study and it was like more way more intimate, obviously. And I'm like, wait, like I'm gonna like share. So I like start to share in the and then that's kind of how it blossomed. Then uh at the end, you know, every every at the end of every service, you know, whoever's the pastor who's speaking is like, hey, if you feel inclined to give your life to Jesus, like just raise your hand, right now, eyes closed, you know, whatever. And uh there was just one there was one uh message that Judah had preached, and it was essentially about like occupying all streets, and that uh you don't actually need to look for people to complete you because you already are in the eyes of you know the creator. And and for me, it just was like this moment where I was like, wait a minute, I've been looking for things to complete me, baseball and work and family and girlfriend, and and none of it makes me feel like I you know, I and then I think back to that conversation with my dad of like no wonder I felt that way. I had no foundation, you know, like I was just moving in the wind of life, and then so it was that message at the end where he was like, if you feel inclined, you know, just raise your hand. And like I just raised my hand, and then that was you know, that's kind of so that's like that moment for me, and then I ended up getting baptized my junior year at City Church in the basement, you know, where they did their by one of my really close friends who was the at the time the campus pastor of that location, uh Colby Jones. Um, yeah, so that's kind of how it all wow, what a great story, what an amazing, great story.

Ric 16:58

Thank you so much for for sharing that with us. So so uh at this point is Brianna in your in your life at all?

SPEAKER_00 17:05

So uh yeah, so she was, but in a only in a fellow student athlete uh you know space, like because she was a freshman when I was a sophomore, so like we knew each other. But you know, she was playing basketball and I was playing baseball, so there wasn't a ton of crossover, and then it was just kind of you know, it developed over the years. Like, you know, she would go to church too, so I would see her there, and then she's from California, I'm from California, and then you know, you start piecing the puzzle together and then eventually convince her, you know. Yeah, yeah.

Ric 17:46

Uh so did you uh do when you got married after University of Washington?

SPEAKER_00 17:52

Yeah. Yeah, yes. So we were we got married 2019 and met in 2004-13.

Ric 18:00

Okay. So so she just happened to be going to City Church at the same time. Uh and that's and that connection. So she was already a Christian or becoming a Christian or whatever at that point?

SPEAKER_00 18:14

Yeah, pretty much. It's very similar to me, like not a super religious family. Um, but you know, like when you're when you're playing sports, you have those moments where they're just extreme lows, you know, whether it's an injury or performance, you know, or those decisions that you know you're not playing, and you're in those spaces where you're like, okay, nothing's anybody saying to me is making me feel better. So like maybe there's something more. And I think she was kind of in that space as well, like coming off ACL surgery and you know, struggling a little bit, you know, and trying to figure out the you know, the same things we all try to figure out.

Ric 18:52

You're listening to Amazing Greats with Rick Hansen. Today, Braden Bishop shares how his mother's battle with Alzheimer's inspired a mission that continues to impact families. Let's move into more of the difficult things that you've already mentioned several difficult things, but the most difficult thing uh in your years at the University of Washington was uh the reality that uh back home mom was uh having some serious health issues. Uh tell us a little bit about I gotta tell you, and just for um full uh uh visibility here, I I met you through Substack, which is a you know a social media kind of thing where it allows you to write and record and do all kinds of things uh to a community of folks. And so that's where I found you. And uh on Substack, you just wrote something that was just amazing. Great writing, um, came right from the heart and so um touching uh that I just if you could kind of uh you know review that a little bit. It was about your mom's struggle and how you were feeling how as this was all coming down.

SPEAKER_00 20:08

Yeah. No, it's so yeah, so she my junior year got diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's, which was a surprise, but was not at the same time, just by when I looked back at the years prior, it was like, oh, okay, it all makes sense, you know, all those actions or inactions, they all make sense now. Um and so you know, SoapStack is has been a great outlet for me for some emotions and stuff like that. Um, I think

A Hard Freshman Year Turning Point

SPEAKER_00 20:45

when you are able to like get your thoughts out on paper, it helps a lot. And I think that what you know, I've been doing this for 12 years now, from the you know, when she was diagnosed to present day, and you know, so much has happened, right? Like she got diagnosed and it was like boom, just hit our family. What do we do? What's next? Um, dad caregiving, and then creating a foundation, you know, the work we've done there, you know, surviving a global pandemic and the event and nonprofit industry, uh, you know, developing this grant program in her name where we can affect caregivers. But um, like this article specifically, I wanted to kind of paint the picture of like who she was prior, you know, because I think so many times, and not just her, but anytime, you know, especially in Alzheimer's, where it's taking your cognitive abilities, like you have this person there before, and then they change over time, and we always tell that story. Um, and then obviously at the end, uh, and like let's honor her. Uh so that was kind of my goal is like, okay, I want you to view her how she was before, you know, the role she played in my life. You know, like I said, that moment with my dad. Um, you know, in their hotel room, like she was just as much a part of it. Um, but you know, like that type of thing, and then through the midst of the the storm, you know, of how many times my dad wanted to give up, you know, how you how you had to be the strength there for them, you know, emotionally and mentally and financially. And then uh, you know, we lost her in 2019, and which I also said in articles like obviously it's like people say, Oh, I'm so sorry, but like for us, it was like honestly, we needed that to happen because like she it was unfair, you know, like we were being the you know, we were selfish in a way to want to hold her here physically when she just wasn't here anymore. Yeah, um, and it wasn't again, it was just as much a weight on my dad, who's the caregiver. Um, yeah, so it was, I mean, obviously crazy, like navigating, being away. Well, she's sick, you know, trying to chase this dream in the major leagues and make it before she, you know, let's let's paint a little, I want to paint a little picture about your mom just so our uh our listeners know.

Ric 23:04

So she was a very active, involved, and intention intentional person. Uh during her uh she was a track star at UCLA. Uh she went into film and worked on very uh high energy projects. Uh, she was very noted in the industry as being uh an incredible filmmaker. I think she worked on Law and Order and all kinds of uh amazing things. So this is the kind of person that you knew. Um, and then what were some of the little clues, the giveaways that things weren't then when you looked back on it, that things weren't, you know, normal?

SPEAKER_00 23:40

Yeah. I I don't think I understood the complexity of the brain enough to really notice like that like certain things she might say or the things she might do, but I can remember the embarrassment I kind of felt of having her around because I was like, okay, she's gonna come around and then kind of be aloof, or we're gonna be at the airport and she's not gonna know where the security line is, or uh, you know, we're gonna be talking as these other parents and she's not gonna really follow along in the conversation. You know, um, we're gonna be driving and she's gonna take the wrong turn. So it's like those are the small things that I could feel. I didn't necessarily notice because I didn't know what I was looking for. Um, but that was really it. Like I can always remember just like I don't really want my friends to come over. You know, I don't really want her to come to these big events uh because I didn't I it was embarrassing for me at the time. And like I said in the in the sub stack, like looking back, it's like, damn, like I do feel very guilty, you know, that I felt that way um after the fact, obviously.

Ric 24:47

But we I think we all would go through that, you know. It's like you, you know, you're you're always a little protective and wondering maybe what's going on. And what I can totally get that, and I can see where that feeling would come from for sure. Uh, but then it was the the the ongoing problem, and then your dad became the caregiver. Um, and that was a a hardship on him as well. So he was he was working hard at doing that. You said it aged him during that period of time as well, right?

SPEAKER_00 25:14

Oof. It it was arguably uh just as hard, if not harder, on him, uh because of what he had to assume. And we again, it's not just him alone, like the caregiving problem, especially for this dynamic of like 45 through 65 year olds that get the on early onset, because usually after 65, you know, retirement's in order. You the the other, you know, husband or wife might be at home full-time, they're able to caregive, uh, the resources in terms like insurance, social security, all that stuff is so much easier or accessible. Um, and so he assumed this burden, picked up two jobs, and like was just bleeding financially. And I can remember there was again, like looking back, oh god, we the all these forks in the road. If something just happened different, who knows where we would be? But I can remember this one time I was uh it was the offseason and I was uh had just got done doing some field work, you know, like fly balls, ground balls at this high local high school, and he had drove over to just kind of say hi to the coach because he was one of my high school coaches back in the day. And uh I remember sitting in the parking lot with him after, and we're both I'm leaning up against my car, he's leaning up against his car, and like at this point, he was like in the midst of it, and he's overweight and just stressed out of his mind, not sleeping. And he he just said, like, I don't know if I could do this anymore. And I just told him, like, hey, this will end at some point, you know. I don't want you to look back and be like, Man, I gave up.

Ric 26:57

You're giving him the same story he gave you years ago, right? Exactly.

SPEAKER_00 27:01

And so that was kind of looking back on it now, like we refer back to kind of those moments where it's just like you feel lost, but like really the only way forward is you know, like what what's the definition of faith? You have no idea what's ahead, no idea what it looks like, but you gotta believe in it. Yeah, and so that was kind of that moment for him.

Ric 27:23

Did your did your dad start leaning on faith at that point or not so much?

SPEAKER_00 27:27

I I tried so hard, uh, you know, through the years to like just share some you know, tidbits, the

Faith During Family Crisis

SPEAKER_00 27:35

light. Um, and it was you know, it's always the the same kind of questions, which I I get, you know, it's like, oh well, if there's a God that exists, why do bad things happen? You know, why would they take your mom? Stuff like that. And then I started pulling on the the you know his Jewish heritage of like, hey, you know, the old test testament is the Torah, you know, and and then this is where the change happens between Judaism and Christianity. There's a lot of crossover. Um, and so that's kind of and yeah, you know, Jesus was Jewish, like you know, like all these things, you know, to try to get them, and to be honest, like I don't know, you know, I I obvious don't know for a fact that he's a believer, but he believes much more now, uh, as he found himself through some of these moments in life and then getting remarried to like one of the greatest people ever, um, you know, who knew my mom and like some of the things that led to that happening. You know, I think he he definitely has more faith, let's say.

Ric 28:42

Okay. Well, that's good. And you did your part as as I've kind of read into the Bible, it's it's our job is to open the gate, and it's it's it's Jesus' job to to to take it from there. Exactly. So he he may yet, right? Who knows? So that's very cool. Um what would be the most difficult I and I'm I'm assuming a part of this, but the most difficult challenge uh and um questions you had about your faith during that whole period of time that your mom was very ill and losing it. Did you have any um second thoughts or doubts or any of that going on in your head?

SPEAKER_00 29:24

As weird as it sounds, I feel like it was kind of like my solace in the in uh more ways than one. Um, you know, I didn't know it at the time, but you know, you pray for things like, you know, please let me use this in a way where I can serve others, like please let me be present for the people in my life that need it the most. You know, please use me as a vessel uh for you know light and the darkness. Uh and that's I think what helped me through it all more than anything. And uh uh, you know, I didn't know it at the time, but you know, you like build and plant generously in faith, and the next thing you know, you know, our charity's growing and the more we're affecting more families and we're uh a resource for families, and so like the vessel in the darkness wasn't necessarily my situation, it was for others, and so like I think more than anything, it was just fulfilling, you know, it's like hey, it's so easy in those times where things are bad, right? You're you're down, you know, like I said earlier, an injury, bad performance. If you're on the sports side, and obviously in life, sickness, disease, breakups, heartbreak, like so easy to cast the blame, right? Um but you know, I think that in those moments when you can actually like turn to your faith instead of turning away from it, like that's what's actually gets you through, you know, where you're a stronger person on the other side.

Ric 30:59

Yeah, yeah, and maybe that's when um God came to you because uh he knew that you were gonna need you were gonna need him in a period of time for sure. Uh so let's talk about the four mom foundation. Um, I saw it on your arm as you lifted it up in a permanent tattoo there.

SPEAKER_00 31:18

Yeah, yeah, we got it uh 2019. Yeah. Yeah.

Ric 31:25

At one point while you were playing, you were just putting it on with a felt pen, right?

SPEAKER_00 31:29

Yeah, I was doing it with a Sharpie and it started making me sick, so I had to explain that's probably bad putting it in the bloodstream.

Ric 31:36

But yeah. Okay, so um now, in addition to your family, so let's talk about the foundation first. So the foundation, as I understand it, it's it's kind of uh mutated from where it was originally to something kind of more specific and and um tell tell us about that transition.

Early Onset Alzheimer’s At Home

Ric 31:55

So you you initially were just raising funds and kind of wrote checks to the Alzheimer's organization, right? But that changed. So tell us how it goes now.

SPEAKER_00 32:04

So the the biggest thing for us was we wanted to impact families directly, and the biggest question that we would get was, hey, where is our money going? And we had no answer past hey, just to the Alzheimer's Association. And so for me, I wanted somebody to say, Hey, where's my money going? And I could tell them exactly where it was going. Or when I was fundraising, I could say, Every dollar that you donate, or every dollar we raise is going here. And so once we got our own 501c3 in 2019, we were we were able to basically break up our budget where a certain percentage could go directly to families impacted um for their overarching Alzheimer's costs, which is majority caregiving. So we could pay for assisted living home, medical bills, doctor visits, kids' school, groceries, little league, I mean you name it, any costs that would go towards that family's uh caregiving intake, we could pay for.

Ric 33:17

And it's in the form of a grant. So at the at each year you find the family that think you think is most in need, and you grant the money to them so you so you know who it is, and you can even become friendly with that family if you choose to, uh, and r maintain some kind of rapport with them. Is that happen as well?

SPEAKER_00 33:35

Yep, exactly right. And uh at this point, we're still even though we're 12 years in, it's hard to operate in that boutique nonprofit space because there are you know big, big organizations, you know, that are built nationally and that you know have walks in every city and you know, big galas and fundraisers, and um, you know, they're getting the corporate dollars. Uh, so we've only given three grants to this point of pr roughly 200,000, which in my opinion, like we're scratching the surface. And so uh in the next five years, uh, we have some plans to grow a bit more, and hopefully by year five, we can be in 250 families homes. Um, I don't think that's far-fetched at all. Um, but we just obviously have to execute to make that happen.

Ric 34:27

And you say we, who's all in who's all involved in the the foundation at this point?

SPEAKER_00 34:32

It's a family operation for sure. Um, you know, my dad's obviously very involved. Um Bree is very involved. Uh my aunt, uh my mom's sister, sits on the board. Um, you know, we have a family friend who is a bit, you know, big in tech uh in San Francisco, like early stages. So he has a lot of like very corporate relationships. He sits on the board, and then we're actually currently crazy enough uh in the process of hiring a new executive director. Uh, because like I said, we kind of reached that point where it's like, okay, we've ex, you know, extinguished our fundraising relationships, our corporate relationships. Like we need, you know, bigger and better and you know, better guidance. So hopefully in the next two weeks, we'll actually have a new uh executive director.

Ric 35:25

Oh, that's great. Uh, you know, uh I I work with um the Tim Tebow Foundation. Uh, and I'm not I'm not if you're familiar with what he does, but uh that started out as kind of a little boutique thing that he was just trying to help out local uh folks with local churches with um what they call night to shine. And then it is over the last 25 years, it's exploded and it's now you know a uh it's a big deal. And and they do, you know, 700 events in in 80 countries around the world, and it's like big. And you know, when you have a cause and it and and there's some real heart in it, I think that's what happens. I think what happens is it's it's uh organically grows and it grows as fast as God uh wants it to, right? Yeah, yeah, on his timing. So so uh what uh so the foundation is uh so just a quick little so to to give to the foundation, assuming our listeners would love to do that, uh, and I would love to do that. Uh is there a place to go to do that specifically?

SPEAKER_00 36:29

Yes, the so it's for momomfoundation.com. And the four is a number four, right? Yeah, number four moundation.com. Okay. And there's a spot right on there that says donate here and yeah, it'll pop right up uh right on the front uh that you could donate, and then we currently have two events per year. Oh, you do? Okay. So we do a golf tournament in the fall, and then we do this Christmas uh mixer uh kind of thank you party for all of our supporters because we are pretty regional, um, you know, to Northern California or the West Coast. Um so a lot. And we have very we have like a group of 50 people that are like die hard, like they're coming to every event no matter where it is. Um, you know, they're the majority of you know our fundraising dollars per year. Um, and so it was kind of it's kind of a thank you to them. But in 2027, the goal is to you know grow a bit more, maybe have four-ish five uh events, and then shoot, love to get to 700 worldwide,

Caregiving Pressure And Dad’s Burden

SPEAKER_00 37:40

but good target to shoot for. Yeah.

Ric 37:44

Um, and so at this point, you're not you're not on you're not on a salary for that with that organization, right? It's just all free gratis for you and the family, right?

SPEAKER_00 37:54

Yep, yep. Never, I have never taken one dollar. Uh my dad's never taken a dollar. We've paid uh, you know, obviously we the money we pay is vendors, uh, and then the the we've had two executive directors in the past, uh, and then this will be the third. So that's kind of staffing-wise.

Ric 38:14

Okay, and now uh there's a new member to the family, uh semi-new. I mean, he's been around a little bit, but Boston, your son. Yep. Uh, how old is Boston now? He's five now. Five, yeah. Getting to that age where he's very fun. Oh, yeah, exactly.

SPEAKER_00 38:29

Yeah, he doesn't stop. Does not stop.

Ric 38:32

Yeah, yeah. And you guys live in Northern California, and so you got nice sunny weather most of the time, and you're out of the Seattle rain. Yep. What part of Seattle did you live in when you were here?

SPEAKER_00 38:42

So we shoot, we were all over the place. Uh, you know, when I was in uh bouncing between Tacoma and Seattle, we were in Renton. Okay. Uh spent some time in Pewlet and then uh Northgate a little bit. Um, and then obviously University District. Um, but yeah, I mean I would love to have been to like Bellevue or Mercer Island, but uh when you're bouncing between Tacoma and Seattle, you you most of the time want to be closer to Tacoma.

Ric 39:16

Rick Hansen here on Amazing Greats coming up. Braden Bishop reflects on life after professional baseball, the lessons he's learned through loss, and why family and faith mean more to him today than ever before. Buddy of mine, lifelong friend of mine, uh uh I had a chat with him, and he is the uh stadium announcer for the Mariners. So you probably have heard his voice many times over the loudspeaker. His name's Tom Hutler. Yeah. Uh, and he was excited that you were gonna be on, and he's excited to hear your story. And so he'll be the he'll be the first to tune in, I'm sure. Uh let's talk about the um uh the the identity change. And this is kind of something that you feel strongly about because when you're a ball player, uh specifically in the in the area of athletes, but I guess it's in all industries, maybe if it's you're a musician or whatever, when you are uh an athlete, uh your life is uh you are that's your identity. Uh you are um so ingrained in everything baseball that it becomes who you are. And so the question is, how do you change your identity? And have you changed your identity?

SPEAKER_00 40:32

Yeah, I mean, I think being a believer is such a big piece of that, you know, where one of those college teammates I had that kind of led me, you know, he was a senior when I was fifth year senior when I was a sophomore, his name's Brian Wolfe, Washington, uh native. Uh, you know, I remember he asked me this question. He said, Hey, if your girlfriend got taken from you, your family got taken from you, your sport got taken from you, would you be okay? And I was like, No, absolutely not. And he said, No, like think on it. Don't don't just answer. And and I don't think he meant it literally, right? Like, hey, if they're gone, are you gonna be okay? Because obviously with human emotions, like, no, you wouldn't. But uh, I think the crux of the idea being if you have nothing, you know, who are you? And I think that the whole answer is rooted in your faith and what you believe in. And uh the older I've gotten, the more I've realized how much like your internal work actually dictates your external reality, you know, how you speak and what you consume and how you treat people and uh you know, just how you carry yourself, you know, that energy, right? It radiates, and the the older I get, the more important I think that is. And so when I think back to my baseball career, I did a really bad job of thinking that I play forever. You know, you just never think about the end uh when you're a baseball player because you get so caught up in the monotony of the cycle of off season. I train, I get better, I get ready. Spring training, I get ready, I build up the season, I just grind it out, grind it out, grind it out, and then it's over, and then I do it over again. And it's just like year after year after year, and then all of a sudden you realize you stop doing things quite the way that you used to, and then the uh business side becomes a reality. Uh, where in the early stages of your career, you don't see it. Yeah, the only business you see in the early stages of your professional baseball career is up and down transactions, and maybe some guys getting released, but for the most part, you're climbing. And then once you get to that spot where the big leagues is a thing, now all of a sudden you see the business, guys with families, and they're

For Mom Foundation And Direct Grants

SPEAKER_00 43:05

getting designated for assignment and they're gone, and then their locker is cleaned out, and then you see a guy signing for a hundred million dollars and his life changes, and yeah, uh, you know, you see all that, and so I wish I would have done a better job now after the fact of just putting some time in of like, hey, what what would be next for me? You know, what are things that I'm passionate about? What are things that I have interest in where I can start building those skills now? And I think networking is enormous for baseball players because you have the ability, right? Like you play for the Yankees, the people who come to your games, you know, are A list celebrities, Dodgers, same thing. And you have the ability to start creating these relationships because, as bad as it sounds, if you're an athlete, people care. You know, if you're a celebrity, people care. You could Agree with it or disagree with it, but that's just the reality of the world. You could take advantage of that to build those relationships. So when you walk away, it's more than just a you know surface-level interaction. Like you've took this person out to coffee, you've you know went to dinner with this person, you went to that person's charity event, you supported, they see you as more than an athlete or celebrity or whatever. And so if I could go back, I wish I would have done that stuff. The last thing I'll say is I had a friend who played baseball at Stanford, he's a pitcher, and he didn't play Pro Bowl, but he was having the same identity issues, he was living in Palo Alto, and he would wake up 4 45, go to the gym every morning. Soup, I mean, he's super smart guy, obviously, Stanford. Uh, but he would see Tim Cook, the CEO from Apple in the gym every morning.

Ric 44:55

Really?

SPEAKER_00 44:56

And he created this relay, he cultivated this relationship with them just at the gym, like in passing, nothing serious, but there was only so many people there, 445. And so he had asked Tim Cook, like, hey, can I just take you to coffee? And he was like, Yeah, for sure. They still have a relationship to this day. Like he's actually been a mentor to him. Wow. And so that's what I'm talking about. Is like, as an athlete, you have every ability to do that while you're still playing, and you're gonna find yourself in those circles with the people of that caliber. Take advantage of it.

Ric 45:29

Yeah, and that's the that's a God-given platform that you've been given. Totally. And you and expect the expectation is that you should take advantage of that. You're listening to Amazing Greats with Rick Hansen. Today, Braden Bishop shares how his mother's battle with Alzheimer's inspired a mission that continues to impact families. What are you doing now? I mean, are you where are you went to work at a a talent agency, a sports agency for a period of time, but that wasn't for very long. Uh, and it seemed like that would be a natural for you because you're an inspirational guy and you're young and you have uh a heart for people. Uh but that didn't work. What what what happened?

SPEAKER_00 46:10

Yeah, no, it was uh it did. I mean, it was perfect. Um, you know, I was really, really good at it, you know, honestly way better at that than playing baseball. Um because you're, you know, when you play baseball, you're doing it for yourself. And when you're an agent or an advisor, you're not doing it for yourself because your success depends on the success of the people you represent. And so it's so much more than just especially the role I was in. Like, I wasn't in a negotiating role, I was in a role of like, I'm serving you and I'm tied to your success. So, like, I'm gonna go to the ends of the earth to make sure you have the resources. We act on things really quickly. I'm present, you know, mentally, we're locked in, and uh, you know, you're you're trusted with the development of 18 to 21 year olds, yeah. You know, sometimes a little bit younger, 15, 16, even though I hate that, but that's just the way that industry is.

Ric 47:13

Um and you got to become an advocate for those people. I mean, that's in essence what you were was you were on their side doing all the things that you do for them.

SPEAKER_00 47:23

Yep, and it's decisions that as wild as it is, everything and a lot of parents would tell me this like, hey, I was shocked that every decision we thought we should have made and you told us to do the opposite didn't seem right. But it turned out to be right because it's just every though it's just so counterintuitive the way the industry works when you're climbing the ladder where it's like, oh, we should do that because everybody else is, and then you just kind of get stuck in that same, you know, cycle and you don't really separate yourself. And so that was really my job. That's why I think I was really good at it. Uh, you know, I think I s I nothing in the game didn't happen to me, good and bad. You know, it I did there was nothing that was like, wow, I've never seen that before. Um, so that obviously provided a huge benefit. The industry in general, my soul was not cut out for it. Um it's yeah, it's a it's a very um self-serving industry as a whole. Um now most companies were not set up like the company I was with. Like I said, I didn't do the negotiating, so like I had the luxury to kind of just like go serve my clients, and then once it got to the business side of things, I was you know just in the room but not actively, and then uh just like with baseball, you get to a certain point, and then you're like, hey, I gotta support my family here, you know? And I'm if I'm executing at a very high level, that I I just want to see a plan. What does this look like? You know, who where am I in 10 years? And I just didn't feel like the explanations

Life After Baseball And Identity

SPEAKER_00 49:10

I was getting were adequate enough for me to sacrifice, you know, and and continue down the road and keep I mean you travel a lot as an agent, and so you know, doing those things to build success and bring value to a company. And to be honest, I don't think that they thought I was gonna bring as much value to them as quickly as I did, and and I don't think that it's necessarily happened that way there before. Um so I think that they're presented with something where they were just like, Well, we've never done this for anybody, like, why would we do it for you? And I'm like, You don't have to do anything for me, but I'm just telling you, like, I'm somebody that needs a long-term vision, and like if my long-term vision doesn't match with your long-term vision, I'm gonna make the decision for my family first. Yeah, yeah. And I think the last thing I'll say is if you look at a lot of sports agents in general, the divorce rate's pretty high. Yeah. And that's because you sacrifice so much for your clients that the people closest to you usually always suffer.

Ric 50:19

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 50:20

And if you don't sacrifice for those clients, you're probably getting fired. So that's why it happens. And I just to be honest with you, I just wasn't willing to make that sacrifice.

Ric 50:31

You are such a a bright young man to uh be able to walk through that and to be sensible enough to figure that out, right? That's that's uh and it's it's a tough decision because you're kind of probably walking away from a nice little paycheck and all that. So are you kind of between things now? Are you doing something? What's happening currently in your yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 50:53

No, I uh I think it I would say I'm between something, but uh I had a college teammate that works for this company called Hestons, which is a Swedish company. Uh they're the oldest bedmakers in the world, but they have a very high commitment to sleep performance. And as an athlete, you know, sleep was obviously a big part of my routines. You know, I called it my legal performance enhancer. Um, but it was also a really big reason why my mom was diagnosed with Alzheimer's. And so some people are like, why are you out of baseball? Well, uh like I said, the industry that I was in makes it really, really tough to jump around because the way that you're recruited against or like attacked is by, oh well, he's jumping around companies, so you know he's obviously only in it for himself, which I agree to in a in a sense, right? Um because like how do you sell, like, hey, we have the best services for you as a player, but I've been at four different companies, so is it true, you know? Um, and so this just kind of gave me an opportunity to get out of the game for a minute. I've been in it since I was, like I said, five years old. Um I was burnt out, you know, the travel and you know, just the whole deal. But at the same time, when it's all you know and you're really good at it, like you probably find your way back to it at some point. Um, but I'm just honestly living in the moment. Like I have this opportunity, it keeps me at home. Uh, you know, I'm passionate about helping people and their health and you know, sleeping better and we're still working with athletes just in a different capacity. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Ric 52:45

Well, cool. So now I'm just noticing that we've been talking almost an hour near so it's getting uh and we try to keep these like to 40 minutes, uh, but you have been you've got so much information for a 32-year-old guy. I mean, you got a lot of story to tell. So it's been just a pleasure uh being with you and and sharing the story. And I'll be watching you on Substack and I I'll I'll put a um note in the notes uh of for this podcast to how to find you there and also how to donate to Foremom. And um man, God bless you. Thank you so much for your story. Thank you so much for your time and being such a a bright, intelligent, inspiring young man.

SPEAKER_00 53:28

Well, I appreciate it. I always appreciate having the opportunity to talk and tell my story because you know, if we you know, like with faith, if you can just impact one person, you know, over the course of your life at compound. So I I you know obviously appreciate you telling people stories and giving me the opportunity to tell mine.

Ric 53:47

Yeah, like the butterfly effect, right? That's right. Going to the butterfly. Exactly. Draft up. So cool. Have a great day. God bless you. Good luck to you and uh Bree and Boston. And are you gonna have any more babies?

SPEAKER_00 54:00

Uh yeah, yeah, we gotta get Boston a partner here.

Ric 54:03

So I'll watch for that on substance.

SPEAKER_00 54:07

Thanks for your time, I appreciate it. Yes, like button, thank you.

Ric 54:10

Hey Braden, thanks for sharing your remarkable story with us. It's incredible. Your journey reminds us that while accomplishments may fade, a life lives with purpose, faith, and commitment to serving others, it leaves a legacy that will live forever. Thanks for listening to amazing great. If today's conversation encouraged you, be sure to share it with a friend. We'll see you next time on another inspiring story of faith, perseverance, and God's amazing work in people's lives.