Nestor Ceja - MLB umpire on keeping Jesus as his foundation

Sports Spectrum Podcast

Sports Spectrum

Sports

5 • 661 Ratings

🗓️ 18 March 2025

⏱️ 32 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Nestor Ceja is a Major League Baseball umpire. After going through the MLB Training Academy, he worked his way through the minor leagues before making his MLB debut in August of 2020 during the shortened COVID season. In 2024, Ceja was one of seven umpires to be a part of the MLB All-Star Game. He also called his first postseason game in the NL Wild Card series between San Diego and Atlanta.

Today on the podcast, Nestor Ceja discusses his upbringing in a Catholic family, his path to becoming an umpire, and the pivotal moments that led him to accept Christ. He reflects on the challenges of being an umpire, the importance of maintaining his faith amidst the pressures of the job, and the providence of God in his life. Nestor also shares his experiences in Cuba, where he was baptized, and how he stays connected to his faith during the long MLB season.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	This is the Sports Spectrum podcast.
0:04.0	Matt Forte at the 15 to the 20.
0:06.0	Splits defenders crossing midfield, a first down to run, a 42-yard run.
0:11.0	Where Sports and Faith Connect.
0:13.0	Forte, diving catch, touchdown!
0:17.0	Forte, who gets the call, he'll slice his way in for the touchdown.
0:21.4	And now here's your host, former NFL Pro Bowl running back, Matt Forte.
0:29.0	Welcome to another episode of Sports Spectrum.
0:31.6	I'm your host, Matt Forte, with my man Jason Romano, Jay Nice.
0:35.7	And I have a great guest on here. I got got Nestor Sayha, MLB umpire,
0:41.2	hailing from Mexico, actually is second ever MLB umpire to be born in Mexico. I mean,
0:46.7	that's a big accomplishment. Nestor, welcome to the podcast. How you doing? I'm doing well. Thank you
0:51.6	guys for having me. Yes, sir. I appreciate the opportunity to be here.
0:54.5	Thank you for your time. And so let's get right to it whenever I'm on a podcast and it's someone who I've never talked to before. I really want to hear their Jesus story.
1:03.4	You know, we here at Sports Spectrum, we intersect faith in sports and we know why, you know, you're on here as well.
1:09.8	So let's let us hear the details of a
1:13.1	of your jesus story and and why it means so much to you sure um yeah so for me i i grew up a
1:20.5	catholicism is big in mexico my parents are catholic so growing up uh i was born in Mexico. My parents moved to the United States when I was one.
1:30.3	So I grew up most of my life here in the States, in Los Angeles.
1:36.3	And growing up Catholic, we'd go to church to Mass, you know, once a week, every other week maybe.
1:46.5	And then I have two little brothers as we got older, more activities got in the way and scheduling.
1:54.0	So we probably go to church a little less often.
	...

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