Florida won the Little League World Series on Sunday in extra innings after a faith-based speech by coach Jonathan Anderson. The speech, which referenced Christian values, divided sports fans on social media.
“One of the first days that we got here, I came down here, a man prayed over me. OK, he saw my dad later, he said, ‘It’s already been written.’ We are already the champs,” Anderson said, as captured on the ESPN broadcast. “The Lord put it in his book. We are just going to finish the story right here, right now.”
The prediction came true as the Lake Mary, Florida, squad defeated Taiwan in extra innings.
But Anderson’s speech, which has been viewed more than 500,000 times on social media, drew mixed reviews from viewers.
“Ah yes because all sports outcomes are determined by prayer,” one X user sarcastically posted.
Others appreciated the religious tone of the coach’s speech.
“Awesome speech Coach! Our country needs faith in Jesus Christ and God, now more than ever,” X user Tom Tucker posted.
“What a wonderful experience watching the game. And to win from a bunt and then an error. The Lord loves baseball,” another fan posted on social media.
Anderson spoke to ESPN about his message after the championship-winning walk-off.
“All we had to do is just believe,” he said. “Do everything we were created to do, what we built ourselves to do, what we practiced to do, and here we are.”
• Liam Griffin can be reached at lgriffin@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.