Faith, not fame, defines life for Toronto Blue Jays first-base coach

(OSV News) -- When Toronto Blue Jays first-base coach Mark Budzinski stepped onto the field during this year's riveting World Series, he did so as a man who knows that faith, not fame, defines his life.

A devout Catholic, Budzinski, 52, has long said that his relationship with God sustains him through every inning -- from the joy of victory to the pain of loss. The native of Severna Park, Maryland, has relied on his faith during every stage of his life's journey.

A graduate of the University of Richmond, Virginia, he was drafted by the Cleveland Indians in 1995, reached the majors with the Cincinnati Reds in 2003, and eventually began coaching.

When the Toronto Blue Jays hired him in 2018, he brought to the team not just baseball acumen but also a quiet spiritual steadiness.

"There are good men and great men," former manager Charlie Montoyo once said to Canadian sports network Sportsnet of Budzinski, "He is a great man."

This season -- with Toronto now entrenched in a tight battle against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series -- is supposed to be the pinnacle of Budzinski's professional life. But his true witness began long before October baseball.

On July 2, 2022, Budzinski was coaching during a home doubleheader against the visiting Tampa Bay Rays when his world collapsed. He received the heartbreaking news that his 17-year-old daughter, Julia, had been killed in a boating accident on Virginia's James River.

Julia was a rising high school senior, a three-sport athlete, and -- as her father later said -- a "fierce competitor" with "a very strong faith." She was known for her kindness, her humor and her unfiltered honesty.

"She had this sarcastic wit," Budzinski said with a bittersweet smile.

Her mother, Monica, recalled her final hours with grace that only faith can inspire. "It was a very happy, fun last day on earth for her," she said at a candlelight vigil. "She was laughing, having a good time -- and that's how I'll remember her."

After Julia's death, Budzinski stepped away from the team to mourn and to pray. The Blue Jays held a moment of silence, and players wept openly. Montoyo later revealed that Budzinski had written a note to the team even in his grief -- a gesture reflecting his humility and sense of communion.

When he spoke publicly weeks later, Budzinski didn't hide his anguish -- but he also bore witness to the power of belief.

"I'm Catholic. I've been a Christian my whole life," said Budzinski, a member of Catholic Athletes for Christ and the Knights of Columbus.

"That's the only way this makes sense to me -- to know that there's something greater for her, that God needed her at this time. As difficult as it is for us to understand, that faith, and the support of the people around us, is how we keep going."

His words revealed a profoundly Catholic vision of suffering -- one rooted in the mystery of the Cross and the hope of resurrection. Like Mary standing beneath the cross of her Son, Budzinski and his wife endured their agony with trust that God was somehow still present.

"You hear about all the negativity in the world sometimes," Budzinski reflected. "But what hit home for us was how many good people there are -- people who showed up, who prayed, who supported us."

After weeks away, Budzinski returned to coaching following the All-Star break. Baseball, once simply his career, became a form of healing -- a daily act of faith and focus. He began to notice little signs of Julia's presence.

In an interview with Sportsnet this June, Budzinski reiterated his steadfast belief in God's goodness. "There's more than what we understand here," he said. "I believe there's more beyond this. There was a greater need for Julia elsewhere."

On his first game back after Julia's death -- July 22, 2022 -- the Blue Jays made history by scoring 28 runs on 29 hits (both franchise records) in a 28–5 rout of the Red Sox at Fenway Park.

Manager John Schneider, who had just taken over the team in an interim role and still remains, approached Budzinski afterward and said quietly, "I think Julia was looking out for us."

It was a moment of grace -- not proof, but presence. A reminder that life and love are not extinguished by death.

As the Blue Jays now play on the game's biggest stage, Budzinski continues to be an example of calm faith in the midst of pressure. He and Monica have two other children, and together they live their Catholic faith not as a shield against suffering, but as a daily invitation to love and gratitude.

"Julia wouldn't want people crying over her," Monica once said. She'd tell us to "laugh and go have fun." That perspective -- joyful, resilient, unpretentious -- is exactly what her husband now brings to his players.

In a sport built on failure and endurance, Budzinski has become a living parable of Christian perseverance -- someone who shows that real victory comes from fidelity, not final scores.

To his teammates and peers over the past three years, Budzinski has been lauded for being more than a coach. He's a quiet witness to hope -- the kind that doesn't deny pain but transforms it. His story reflects the Catholic truth that through faith and love, even the deepest wounds can become places where grace takes root.

For those who know him, Budzinski's daily presence on the field is a homily without words. It's the Gospel lived out -- an ongoing reminder that faith is not something kept for Sunday, but something carried to the base paths, the clubhouse, and the heart.