3:12– Background with the Atlanta Braves
5:50– Early days with the Kansas City Royals
11:51– A piece of advice
19:01– What is one thing about your career that people would be surprised to learn?
24:19– What advice would you give to the 20-year-old you?
26:00– How I came to Christ
27:45– How does that faith and value system anchor you in this high-pressure world?
29:40– A word of encouragement
33:39– How do you win at home, win at church, and win in your walk with Christ?
38:09– The 4:23 Question
Dayton Moore marks his 12th full season with the Kansas City Royals in 2018. A native of Wichita, Kansas, he brought an impressive resume to the Royals in 2006, having previously worked for the Atlanta Braves’ organization during their run of 14-straight division titles. After joining the Royals in 2006, Moore set out to bring a World Championship back to Kansas City, a dream that was brought to fruition in 2015 when the Royals bested the New York Mets in five games to win the franchise’s first World Series championship in 30 years.
A leader in the Kansas City community, Moore is also a regular speaker at numerous community events each year. In 2013, Moore started the “C” You In the Major Leagues Foundation, which provides hope and support to children and families by using youth baseball to develop future character-driven leaders. Following the 2014 season, Moore wrote a book, “More Than a Season” (updated in 2016), with all of the author proceeds going to “C” You In the Major Leagues. Moore and his wife, Marianne, reside in Leawood, Kan., and have two daughters, Ashley and Avery, and a son, Robert.
Full Transcript:
Ray: Well hey everyone this is Ray Hilbert and the host of Bottom Line Faith. We are so grateful that you’ve joined us for today’s program. You know that this is the program where we travel the country and we get the incredible opportunity to interview some of America’s top Christ-followers in business, in leadership, in private enterprise, in sports, in entertainment and even government leadership. So, we are just so glad that you’ve joined us today. We’d like to learn how these Christ-followers, how they lead, how they make decisions and yes how they fail. But most importantly how does their faith guide them on a daily basis in the marketplace. Well, I hope that you can see I have an incredible logo behind me here. We are at the winter, actually spring training home of the Kansas City Royals in Surprise, Arizona. Folks, I am so thrilled to welcome our guest to today’s program, Mr. Dayton Moore, the general manager. Dayton, welcome to Bottom Line Faith.
Dayton: Good to see you.
Ray: You are so kind, thank you for taking the time today.
Dayton: Nice to be here.
Ray: So this really is, it’s not that there isn’t a busy time of year in your world of a general manager of a Major League baseball team, but this has to be among the busiest. Because so many important decisions are being made, about not only this year’s organization but for the future. Why is it that you take some time to be with us on a program called Bottom Line Faith and share with us today?
Dayton: Well, let me say this I appreciate the opportunity to be here with you. I feel that there is anything good in me at all it comes from God, so I’m humbled that you would be here today. But really spring training is the most spectacular time of the year. It is an opportunity for our entire leadership to be together day in and day out often doesn’t occur throughout this season. Everybody, is you know, going here and there throughout the minor leagues in different places, scouting players for the draft. Then we have all of our coaches, all of our instructors, all of our managers, all of our support staff, our medical team, our strength and conditioning coaches. We’re all in this together. So, it is an incredible opportunity to see the vision of the organization. It’s an exciting challenge to come alongside our people and just do life with them, so it’s an incredible time. When you get an opportunity to discuss your faith and give honor to God who is why we exist and why we are here it is, that’s even more special.
Ray: That’s fantastic. So, in preparation for our time together I’ve learned some things. You were hired here in 2006, so your twelfth roughly season here, right within the Royals? Prior to that, and folks I’m a lifelong baseball fan, I played college ball and so forth, and prior to coming here, we’re going to talk about your history here, but you were part of the Atlanta Braves organization. Tell us a little bit about you’re back on there and then something about what the Braves did when you were there that’s never been done before.
Dayton: Well, I was a college coach for five year, and then in 1994 the Braves approached us about being a scout in the Mid-Atlantic States, and I initially turned them down because I felt that my focus was on College coaching and that’s what I wanted to do. But I examined it, and we prayed through it we found those right opportunity, and of course, the Braves were really beginning to- a time in their history were they were solidifying themselves as one of the great organizations in the history of baseball. So we joined the Braves I was going to do it for four years and get back into college coaching and one thing lead to another and opportunities began to present themselves. We move down to Atlanta 1996, Mary Ann and I with our oldest daughter, Ashley was 18-months old at the time, so it was just an incredible journey. I had terrific mentors people that poured into me, people that guided me. I learned from them. Then the opportunity with the Royals presented itself and in May of 2006, the neat thing about it was the Royals with my boyhood team. So, I never really consumed myself with wanting to be a general manager and in fact that a couple of opportunities to be a GM prior to the Royals opening up. But I was committed, you know, to being with the Braves. Our family was thriving in Atlanta, but when the Royals called, I was interested. I met with Mr. Dan Glass, and again this opportunity presented itself and here we are.
Ray: That’s awesome. So while you were with the Braves, the organization won 14 straight division titles.
Dayton: Well, as I said we are fortunate to be a part-
Ray: It’s a dynasty
Dayton: Yeah, we were a part of some traffic people. From Bobby Cox to John Schierholtz, Paul Schneider and Donny Williams I can go on and honest people that were instrumental and building that organization. We had some pretty good players. You know four of them are now in the Hall of Fame and Chipper Jones is being inducted this year. Obviously John Smoltz obviously John Smoltz, Tom Glavine, Greg Maddux, John Schierholtz, Bobby Cox a Hall of Famers but a traffic time in Royals, excuse me Braves history and I was fortunate to be a part of it.
Ray: So when you came here in 06, we were talking prior to coming on camera, there hadn’t been a lot of winning seasons immediately prior to your coming here but you came in with an idea of what you wanted to do in terms of building the culture. Would you speak to those early days? You know first days, the first week on the job as you set out your goals, as you set out your objectives for the organization what were they and how did you go about determining those things?
Dayton: Well, let me say this. If I could have looked into a crystal ball and experienced in some way what the challenges were going to be, the criticism that we would endure, the taxation of what that would do to your family, just the challenges of building an organization from the ground up in professional sports. There is no way I would have taken the job.
Ray: Wow.
Dayton: So, I think God kind of protected this from that and so when we came here most of the baseball world felt that we couldn’t win here in Kansas City.
Ray: Small market, small team, not a lot of history.
Dayton: Yeah, the game had changed. There was a time that the Royals, back in the 70’s and 80’s they were the model organization of baseball. In fact, they had a higher payroll at times that the New York Yankees during that era.
Ray: Oh, wow.
Dayton: But the game had changed. The economics were vastly different when we came here. A lot of people didn’t think we could win. After being here for two or three months, after evaluating every aspect of our organization, all of our players, our processes I became convinced we weren’t going to win either. So what we decided to do was let’s just build an organization where it is a great place to work, where we can represent the game of baseball, where we can represent the Royals in a class way with integrity. Grow the game in our city, be an example of how you’re supposed to lead. So, that’s what we set out to do, let’s just build the culture, build the environment. We’re not going to be so attached to winning a World Series that we are deflated and defeated in the day-to-day processes because there are very few days in the game of baseball where you put your head on the pillow at night and say “My gosh, I just had a perfect day. Everything went great.” it’s just the opposite. I mean you are managing dysfunction truthfully. you’re trying to predict the outcomes between players between the ages of sixteen and twenty-five with freedom and choices of men but honestly the responsibility as boys. Because they are playing this game. So, it’s very challenging but fortunately, we’ve had a great group of people here. We’ve had unbelievable support from the Glass Family unbelievable support from our fans. We just tried to do everything we could have built a culture and build an environment that would represent the Royals and the game of baseball well.
Ray: Well that to me sounds like a slow build. That sounds to me like patience and integrity and character, right, and so ultimately though you did experience the ultimate pentacle of success, reaching the World Series two years in a row losing back in 14 after losing a heartbreaking seven-game loss, right, to the Giants. But coming back the next year and winning in five to become the 2015 World Series champions. Everybody loves those, like, rags to riches stories. But in that journey Dayton, what was most rewarding? What was the most fulfilling to you from those early days to the pentacle?
Dayton: Well, looking back in what you said, what you mentioned is obviously what world celebrates. You know we’ve had more Gold Glove winners than any team in baseball from 2011 to 2017. We’ve had more All-Stars than any team in the American League from 2013 to 2017. The first small-market team to win a World Series in the modern era let alone go back to back world championships.
Ray: Right. Right.
Dayton: The attendance we drawn to television ratings a record in our market and so we’re very proud of that. But when you reflect back on our journey but we’re most proud of is that we had a group of people come together at a time in their lives where personally and professionally it was moving very very fast. Young fathers, young husbands with the responsibilities of what you have to do to raise your children and then the high pressure of professional sports. So, when we went to World Series what I reflected back on was, you know it’s pretty cool to all of our family stay together. The marriages stayed strong; their kids are thriving. One of the things that we always emphasize is look don’t miss birthdays, don’t miss anniversaries, don’t miss special occasions. you aren’t getting that time back, in fact, figure out how much time in your life that it takes you to be a great husband, to be a great father, and then give the Royals everything else once that is completed. That has been the message that we have tried to portray to all of our players from my days in Atlanta when I was overseeing scout and player development. We would tell players “Look, you’re genetically gifted, you’re special, you are a professional athlete. But you need to focus on being a great son, being a great brother, being a great teammate and then one day grow up to be a great husband and a great father one day.” That’s the mission, that’s the goal. I mean this is bigger than baseball we are simply just trying to be an example of what manhood should look like.
Ray: That’s so refreshing. We are going to get to some questions specifically about your faith and integrating and how you live that out. But professional sports, sports in general, it’s all about performance. That’s all it is right? But what I just heard was the importance of understanding that we are talking about human beings here.
Dayton: No doubt, yeah.
Ray: And so our audience here at Bottom Line Faith are generally business leaders, ministry leaders in that sort of thing. So what would you say to someone whose, we are going back to your 2006 days. You’re coming into the organization, you’re going to establish a culture, you’re going to establish a way of doing things that you are going to build upon, and let the results take care of themselves, right? What advice would you have for maybe the entrepreneur, that business owner whose just came into an organization, maybe a new offering, a new whatever, right, a business entity and they’re just determining how they’re going to go about their business what would you say to encourage them?
Dayton: Well you know we were faced that as well because it doesn’t matter how much success you’ve had, who your mentors were, until you’ve sat in that chair as the general manager you’re not really prepared to do it, and it starts to go very, very quickly. We had a higher just in enormous mountain people. People that we’re going to shape our culture because leaders are the ones shaping our culture. so there were three characteristics that we felt really, really important. 1. Our leaders needed to be able to apply moral principles in their life, so important. Secondly, they need to be able to embrace diversity, yes different races, different culture, different economic backgrounds, different educational backgrounds. The wisdom and experience of the old, if you will, and the passion, the fire of the new of the young blended together. you got to be able to embrace diversity. The third thing is you’ve got to be able to compete and you got to do it the right way. it’s easy to say you’re going to go out and compete, but if we are just going to focus on competing as men, we are going to jack it up a lot. As often time we get caught up in self, we want to win for self, and our pride gets in the way. So, you’ve got to compete for one another. So we talked about the importance of competing for each other. So moral principles in your life, embrace diversity, compete for one another, and those were character traits that we wanted in our leaders. Leaders ship our coulter. Now, I don’t believe that we can grow it. I believe it’s up to the players; they’re the ones growing the environment, growing the coulter. We put the seeds in here hopefully the ground is fertile, we continue to water and pour into it, and hopefully, it grows. But the leaders are the one simply doing that; we are shaping culture the, so that’s so important. If you want your players to reflect values that you’re going to be proud of in your community with your fanbase the leaders have to be the one setting the example.
Ray: A lot of similarities then between leading a professional sports organization, really it’s a business, right? At its core and running in the other company and so let’s say there’s a business owner leader watching this or listing to this right now and they are evaluating potential talent. To bring into the organization and they’ve got two studs. They’ve got an option “A” that looks like a great option and an option “B” looks like a great option with two people. What do you and your organization look for when you got two players that are both as you said genetically gifted, great talents, how do you decide which one is going to be a fit?
Dayton: Ray evaluating talent is not that difficult, in fact, we have so much information out there now it is the most over evaluated generation of baseball players ever, and I would go on to say it is the same in any profession we have so much information out there. So what it comes down to is who can get their heart, their mind, and passion to line up. To make good decisions on a daily basis, it’s not easy to do we haven’t seen these players fail a lot. So when they do begin to fail and have setbacks, then their true character will often reveal itself. So that’s the challenge it really is. But you know when you’re trying to decide that, and you sit down with a player, and I get that opportunity quite frequently I want to know who their mentors are, I want to know, and I hope like heck these young men say their father, but we know that’s not always the case. But what male role model had the most influence on them and why? Who were the players that they model themselves after, and why? What about people’s characters do you admire? And where have those people made their mistakes? Where the accountable for there mistakes? And how did they respond in times of trouble? I mean those are the type of things you want to try to predict if you can, and you have to ask questions. Just sit down one on one and try to value or decide that. So, it’s not easy, and we make mistakes. When we do make mistakes with players, we try to come alongside them and help them grow from their mistakes. It’s easy to just cast the players off and get another guy. The challenge is, and the important charge of it all is, the mandate that we try to have is how can we help grow these guys? We got to understand we need to put programs in place character and reader programs in place if we’re going to help nurture them and help them to grow into the men we want them to be. So, we try to stay with them when they do fail.
Ray: Yeah. So as you mentioned there is a constant stream of new evaluations, new players and so forth. So, obviously, well it shouldn’t say obviously, but it would seem to me one of the most difficult parts of your job is sitting across the table and tell him, at least pursuing his dream here may be at an end at least for the time being. what advice would you have for a business leader, they’re having to have a similar conversation? They are sitting across the table from someone, and they’re having to say “Look, it’s just not a fit. It’s not working out.” how does that work?
Dayton: Well, one of the things and this is where my faith comes in. Okay, so I’ll spend time in prayer about players that are potentially going to join our organization. I’ll spend time in prayer about somebody we’re going to have to let go, and those are the difficult ones of course. But when you come to peace about that, I mean, I am very direct with the individual and try to explain to them why we’re making this decision. I had to sit down as a player last week and tell him that we were moving on and we were bringing in another player, and you just explain it very honest and upfront way. That’s the best way to do don’t sugar-coat anything you want to do a certain that the players best interest in mind and I find is when you are dealing with professional athletes, again they are highly competitive. They’ve been very successful; they are used to overcoming adversity. That’s truly why they are where they are they’ve adapted in life and I try to encourage them that it’s a springboard of potential on to something else take the experience that you have gained here, they things that you’ve learned, the things that you haven’t liked and go apply them in a different field. We wish them the best, and you just have to be very upfront and very direct with the players, and I find that’s the best way.
Ray: It’s best for them and for you.
Dayton: It is.
Ray: Right so one of the things that I like to ask our guests is what’s one thing about your job or career that you think people would be surprised to find out?
Dayton: Well I think one of the questions that gets asked of me a lot is “Do you think the fans really want you to put a lot of time and energy into the character and leadership aspect of it instead of just developing them as athletes, developing them as talents. Don’t get caught up into how they are managing their personal lives.” so that is one of the questions that I get asked a lot and how I respond is very simple. one if you can get the players to make good choices off the field it’s going to free them up for their natural talent to just take over when they’re on the field when the Umpire says play ball. Baseball is a game that requires so much concentration, so much focus. There is thirteen to eighteen minutes of actual activity in a nine ending baseball games.
Ray: That’s crazy.
Dayton: If you exclude the picture in the catcher. So, there’s a lot that goes through these guys’ minds. So usually when you trace it back to why a player is struggling, assuming they are healthy, it’s usually something that they’re dealing with in their personal life. So we spent a lot of time trying to help them manage that and come along them. Based has on an individual as a person we don’t evaluate them on how they are performing as a baseball player again we care about them as a person. I’ll tell you one of the things we just spent two days with here earlier at camp is a harmful effects of pornography.
Ray: Wow.
Dayton: So we are addressing that with our young players so. I know as a player myself we saw pornography in our 20s, and these kids are now seeing it when they are thirteen-fourteen years old and it is having a major factor in all the scientific information now of what it’s doing to rewire their brains. We know what it does to relationships. We know the casualties that are in our community and the family that have been destroyed because of it. We understand it rather the world wants to admit it or not. So, we want to tackle those tough issues.
Ray: Wow.
Dayton: This is a platform. This is simply a platform to help these guys become, you know, great husbands and great fathers. Well, I don’t know if we’re going to keep this in the interview or not because I have a reputation that I need to protect. I may need to replace my red Cincinnati hat as a, as a lifelong Red’s fan, I’m going to put on a KC blue. But here you talk about what you are addressing and you’re emotional about this.
Dayton: I’m very intense about this. I’m intense about this and I’ll tell you why. Okay, I’ve been doing this- is my 25th year in professional baseball. Okay, I’ve been dealing with sixteen-year-olds to twenty-five-year-olds my entire professional life. Okay, this is what I’ve done. The number one issue that we have is when players are struggling in their personal life, it deals with relationships. When they really mess up, and you ask them why you sit down with them, it’s all the same message. I could write the script. They talk about pornography, and we’ve had issues just in camp with guys. When you sit down with them and talk to them about, they’ll tell you, they trace it back, and it is a major thing that we’re going to need to deal with. For us to look the other way, I would rather, like I told our guys, I would rather 0 and 1 62 as an organization then see any of our players or any of our staff or coaches or managers or front office personnel fail because of pornography and relationships, I mean, but I know what the end game it too. I know that if we can help come alongside with our players and our people, again are genetically gifted are going to be freed up and do fine on the field. That’s what they do, that’s what they’ve been doing since they were little boys. It’s not work for them. They can hardly ever call it a day in their life where they haven’t thought of dreamt about the game of baseball. That’s the easy part for them. It’s the other things that come alongside it.
Ray: And it is definitely the part where the majority of their life is going to be. Because it is all going to come to an end now matter. I saw George Brent, Hall of Famer, walking around the compound just a few moments ago. He’ll have a far longer life outside of a player than inside, right? So that’s what you’re talking about.
Dayton: No doubt. If they are really, really good players, they’re done at thirty-five, and they’ve got fifty to sixty years left. So, you know.
Ray: Yeah. I’m so encouraged by this. So, you’ve been in professional sports, baseball, how long did you say?
Dayton: This is my twenty-fifth year.
Ray: You’re still a young, you’re still a young guy, right? Got a lot of tread left on those tires.
Dayton: I hope so.
Ray: I’d like you to think back, and you’re dealing with these sixteen to twenty-five-year-olds. That’s pretty bold to put your career in the hands of those types of folks, right? I get that, and that’s part of coaching Athletics. What advice would you give to the twenty-year-old Dayton Moore? Looking back what advice would you give to twenty-year-old Dayton?
Dayton: Oh, don’t compare yourself to other people.
Ray: Yeah.
Dayton: You know, I’ve learned that comparison is the killer of contentment, it is the killer of joy, it’s the killer harmony, its the killer of unity, it’s the killer of peace. Those are everything we want in relationships. That is what we want in our family. We want joy; we want peace, we want harmony. We want our team to be successful, our organization, our committee. Whatever you are on you need peace, harmony, togetherness. You start getting in a world of comparison it will beat you up, I mean, you can’t slay originality. We are all unique, we’ve been made unique by our Creator. God has a plan for each and every one of us, and He is going to use us all. I’ve learned that a 2.2 GPA in high school, I wasn’t a very good student. Education was never really stressed in my family. I come from a blue-collar family that I’m very, very proud of and a hard-working family, a loving family. I know that I’m sitting here because of God and God uses the people that are willing, not the smartest, not the prettiest. Doesn’t matter what family you come from, He wants to use us all. Just surrender, and go do it, let Him use you.
Ray: Fantastic. I think it’s a great time to transition. Let’s talk about the real reason that I wanted to come. We wanted to learn the background the philosophy of leadership but the real reason we wanted to come talk with you Dayton, is because of your faith. That’s what we’re all about here at Bottom Line Faith. Is how are we applying our faith to the bottom line, right? Tell us about that how did you come to faith in Christ? Tell us about that Journey.
Dayton: Well, my mother and father, we didn’t grow up in a family that I would say was really committed the way it needs to be committed. But my parents made sure their children were in Sunday School and around people that would help grow us in our faith. I remember I gave my life to Christ when I was in the third grade, but it didn’t really come real to me until I went away to college. When I was nineteen, I was away from home for the first. Life was starting to move fast I had freedom if you well. I made some mistakes that I’m not proud of answer that’s when my faith started to become more real to me. With an understanding that without that faith and without people around me that are going to help me be accountable I’ve got a chance to really do some damage. So, that’s when it really became real to me.
Ray: Was there a moment, was there a crisis, was there something where if just really clicked or more just a process for you?
Dayton: More of a process more than anything else truthfully and I still am. Obviously, I’m very outspoken about my faith and always have been. Tim Cash one of my mentors told me early on he said “It’s better to be prosecuted for who you are then praised for something you’re not.” so I’d rather just deal with whatever people are thinking about me, but like I said anything good in me I know where it comes from.
Ray: Yeah. So how does that faith and value system, I mean anchor you in this high-pressure glass house world? You talked about if you knew early on all the demands and how it would stress and hurt your family, how has your faith anchored you through all that?
Dayton: You know, I love to lead I’m passionate about leadership. I’m committed to leadership. I realize that leadership begins and ends with putting others first. So, Philippians 2:3 has always been an important verse for me and leadership Jesus came here to serve. In fact on my shoes today I have Mark 10:45. It reminds me that I’m here to serve, like Jesus was, He was here to serve. My faith reminds me I have to forgive every single day. Because there is always someone saying something or writing something. I don’t ever want to become bitter. I don’t want to get frustrated. I don’t want to fill that burnout. When I do feel that, which I do sometimes I can always trace it back to the forgiveness piece when there’s something in my life that I need to deal with, a relationship that I need to mend, a dispute that needs to be settled. But my faith is so important I’m reminded that the disciples walked with Jesus for three years. They had broke bread with Him they had meals with Him. They saw the miracles they touched Him. What did they do they betrayed him? And what did Jesus do he forgave them. So, as a leader, I know that our leadership team, our entire organization they’re going to second-guess me sometimes and, in fact, they may do some things that I simply don’t appreciate. Some things that are hurtful. But I’ve learned that I have to forgive each and every day and be able to move on. I know that Jesus is taking care of all the noise.
Ray: That is so encouraging and so on that note again let’s assume that somebody is listing right now a business leader, a ministry leader and they’re dealing with something right now, a big decision and maybe there’s something holding them back. Some anger, some disappointment, heartbreak. Just give them a word of encouragement, would you?
Dayton: Absolutely. There are often times that I stay wounded at times, you know? Something doesn’t go right, a decision that we make, a player that we bring in, a person that you promote and feel that they are the absolute right person and then they disappoint you. So, then sort of the next time you have to make that decision you get a little gun shy if you will, fearful that you’re going to make the same mistake. But I learned you can’t say wounded you have to move on from some of those poor decisions and poor choices. You know we had a situation the other day, I have a rule in our weight room where I don’t care what music you play, I don’t care what music you play, I don’t care how loud you play it. But I don’t want to hear vulgarity, I don’t want to hear words that don’t honor women, and so in that occurred I reacted instead of responding. In fact, I use language that I wouldn’t permit anybody to use, okay. So, it was embarrassing to me, so the next day I got the entire group together and I apologized. I told them that I need to do a better job of learning to respond instead of react. It’s one of the things that I need to be held accountable with and you got to be transparent, you got to be vulnerable and I think without that I think that your leadership isn’t going to be as authentic as it needs to be and you aren’t going to develop those trusting relationships.
Ray: That’s a great principal to rather respond than react. As Jesus said, it’s okay to be angry but don’t sin in that anger.
Dayton: I sinned in it.
Ray: Oh, I understand and believe me I do that way too often. But, what I love about that and thank you for sharing that because that is showing authenticity, that showing humility as a leader not only in this interview but in front of your organization and that’s just got to go a long way right? Now that you are trying to prove something, but you are just trying to model something. That is the authentic self.
Dayton: I think so, and in professional sports and baseball 162 games a year, it is every single day. You know, somedays we don’t get enough sleep, sometimes we aren’t eating right, there are different challenges throughout the day. But I’ve learned the importance of preparation and making sure that you get your sleep, get time away to think, to pray, to read. Make sure you have people around you to that you can confide in and they’re going to speak truth and honesty into your life. One thing that I do every Spring Training I bring our pastor, Christian Newsom, to spring training he spends three days with me he sets on every one of my calls on every one of my meetings and I am who I am and he’ll give me honest feedback of what he would do differently maybe some potential blind spots or some areas that I might get tripped up and we talk about it.
Ray: So what’s been the toughest thing he’s said to you, that’s really caused some great change for you?
Dayton: You know what I probably need to do more listening at times. My pride will get in the way where I think my opinion is the most important one. I’m a little too opinionated at times, and that is a pride thing that I have to deal with.
Ray: Dayton we are getting near the end, and you’ve been so gracious. Just maybe two or three more questions here. But we’d be remiss if we didn’t learn from you how you win at home, win at church and win at your walk with Christ. High demand, high exposure environment obviously in this role. But how do you go about winning at home, winning your walk with Christ? Help us understand that.
Dayton: Well, my team is at home. My most important responsibility is to be a husband and to be a father. To love Mary Anne the way Christ loved the church. That means I have to be willing to die for my family. I’m committed to my faith walk prayer is a big important part of what we do. Staying in scripture is an important part of what we do. Christian music is an important part; praise music is a part of what we do on a daily basis. Those are the things that I need, sometimes Mary Ann will say- Maybe we are having a tough time because I’m trying to integrate back into the family’s life, and her day to day activities, where I’m gone and I come home. If something happens, she’ll say to me, “Dayton, just go to your office and turn on your Christian music.” and I tell her “You know what if I didn’t have that you know how bad I would really be?” If I didn’t have those types of influences, But everything that you put into your mind and everything that you put into your body is who and what you’re going to become. It’s going to be how you view life, and so I find how crucial that is, make sure that I’m reading the right things, looking at the right things, studying the right things.
Ray: Yeah.
Dayton: Having the right people around me. Again they are going to speak truth and honesty into your life. So, it’s so important.
Ray: I love it. So Dayton thank you again just for your generosity today, and there is really just two more questions that I would like to ask. So, this one’s a little quirky, so if you’ll give me a little grace, I’ll appreciate it. But if you were sitting in my chair interviewing you what would be one question that you would ask you that you haven’t asked?
Dayton: Oh my gosh, that’s why you’re a journalist, and I’m not. You know I would that, what’s your legacy, you know, what would you want your legacy to be. Again one thing that I’m reminded about is our faith- life is just a vapor. You aren’t guaranteed tomorrow. I don’t want to stay wounded in the past. I don’t want to dwell on the mistakes that I made I know that Jesus has those mistakes covered. I’m going to learn from them. I’m going to move on from them in a way that I think is more productive, going forward as a leader. I’m not going to get caught up in what tomorrow will be, and I’ve learned the importance of just being in delighted of where you are. So like, the most important thing in the world to me right now is you, and so that’s where I want to me. I believe that is how you can ultimately influence for the Kingdom. But we don’t know what tomorrow is going to bring, you know, on my wall here is a picture of Yordano Ventura our young, talented pitcher who lost his life in a car accident a little over a year ago. So it’s a constant reminder that you’ve got to get it done today there is no need to save anything for tomorrow. If you’re leading in a relentless and focused way at the end of the day, you’re exhausted. You’re tired, and you sleep well at night, and the beauty of that is you wake up the next morning refreshed, energized, with that fire to pursue leadership all over again. So, the days that I don’t sleep are the days that I know I’ve kind of cheated a little bit, as far as in my leadership I’ve cut corners. So I think of the legacy piece is so important, I mean none of us are guaranteed tomorrow. Get it done today, don’t save anything for tomorrow. I’m not saving any bullets got for it today.
Ray: Leave it all on the field.
Dayton: Exactly.
Ray: fantastic, fantastic. Well, Dayton, the last question that I like to ask in every one of my interviews, so it’s the same one. So the folks are regular listeners to the program or views, they know that we are at the end now because- This is what I like to call our 4:23 question it’s based out of Proverbs chapter 4, verse 23 where Solomon rights “Above all else guard your heart for from it flows all of life.” right? So there are some biblical Scholars that believe that those may have been some of his last words. He may have gathered his family, his loved ones around and said “I know I’ve written all of these other things, other principles, and truths but I want you to remember this one thing above all else guard your heart. So, Dayton, let’s say that you have a chance towards the tail-end of life and this side of eternity and you have a chance to gather your family, your friends, your loved ones, those who have been most precious to you on this journey on Earth and you have a chance to pass on one piece of advice. So, fill in the blank for us if you would. Above all else…
Dayton: I want to be faithful to my wife and so my goal, my personal goal on this Earth is to glorify God with all the gifts that I have been given. Again anything good in me comes from God, but I want to able to look Mary Ann in the eye rather I’m taking my last breath, and she’s taking her last breath and that she knows that I have been faithful to her form the very beginning and that’s important to me. If you’re building teams and your building legacies in your family trust, loyalty and commitment is crucial. I don’t think it’s possible without a faith walk. I don’t think it’s possible without being gut-level honest with Jesus about what you’re experiencing as a man and to be able to serve your family and to be able to serve your wife and that’s why I exist. I mean, leadership begins and ends with putting others first. If you can do that with the help of Jesus on a daily basis, you’ve got a chance to accomplish that.
Ray: Dayton, thank you for your time today.
Dayton: Thanks, Ray.
Ray: What an honor.
Dayton: Thank you.
Ray: Folks we’ve had the incredible privilege of having some time at the Kansas City Royals complex at spring training in Arizona. We have been meeting and talking with Dayton Moore the general manager of the Kansas City Royals and I think you know why we were so excited to come have this conversation with a man who is leading with faith and that’s what’s most important, and that’s what’s most important here at Bottom Line Faith. check out our other interviews at our website bottomlinefaith.Org. You can scroll down to the bottom of the page and become a regular subscriber of the program there, and you know that we have interviewed dozens and dozens of amazing leaders from around the country from all walks of life and all areas of specialty. It’s the one programmed that will help you grow in your faith and in your leadership so until next time I am your host Ray Hilbert saying God bless and we will see you soon.