Throughout his life, Burke Masters had one dream: to play Major League Baseball.
The Joliet, Illinois native was a standout player from an early age, spending countless hours on baseball fields chasing the goal of one day reaching the big leagues. That dream carried him through Little League, high school and eventually to Mississippi State, where he earned a baseball scholarship and played for the Bulldogs from 1986 to 1990.
But while baseball was shaping his future, another journey was quietly taking place.
Just days before graduating from Providence Catholic High School, Masters was baptized into the Catholic faith on May 26, 1985. At the time, it seemed like an important personal milestone, but one that existed separately from his baseball ambitions.
Five years later, to the exact day, May 26, 1990, would become one of the most memorable dates in Mississippi State baseball history.
The Bulldogs were hosting top-ranked Florida State at Dudy Noble Field with a trip to Omaha hanging in the balance. Mississippi State found itself down to its final out. With two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning and the bases loaded, Burke Masters stepped into the batter’s box.
What happened next became part of Bulldog baseball lore.
(340) A Grand Slam for Masters – YouTube
Masters launched a walk-off grand slam into the famed Left Field Lounge, sending Mississippi State to Omaha and sending the home crowd into a frenzy. For a young man with dreams of professional baseball, it felt like one of many great moments that still lay ahead.
What he didn’t know at the time was that God had a different path planned for his life.
The grand slam that made him a Mississippi State hero would not be the stepping stone to a Major League career. Instead, it would become a reminder that life’s greatest purpose sometimes lies beyond the dreams we create for ourselves.
Burke Masters never reached the major leagues. Instead, he discovered a calling far greater than anything he could have imagined as a college baseball player. The man who once stood at home plate with Omaha on the line would eventually stand at the altar as a Catholic priest, dedicating his life to serving others.
Looking back, that swing on May 26, 1990 wasn’t just a grand slam that sent Mississippi State to the College World Series.
It was the beginning of a journey that would ultimately lead Burke Masters exactly where he was meant to be.
To the priesthood.
Grand Slam to God is much more than a baseball memoir. It is an honest and deeply personal account of Burke Masters’ journey from college baseball star to Catholic priest, filled with moments of joy, heartbreak, self-discovery and faith.
Throughout the book, Masters takes readers behind the scenes of his life, sharing personal tragedies, humorous stories, professional disappointments and unexpected triumphs. While faith ultimately becomes the centerpiece of the story, baseball remains woven throughout every chapter.
For Mississippi State fans, some of the most entertaining sections focus on Masters’ years in Starkville. Growing up in the Chicago area, he experienced significant culture shock upon arriving in Mississippi. He openly discusses the homesickness he battled during his early years with the Bulldogs, adjusting to life hundreds of miles from home in a place that felt completely different from anything he had known.
Ironically, it was while living in the heart of Mississippi’s Bible Belt that Masters began to deepen his relationship with the Catholic faith. Readers get an intimate look at how his spiritual life evolved alongside his baseball career, often in ways he never expected.
The book also doesn’t shy away from disappointment. Masters reflects candidly on his struggles in professional baseball and the difficult realization that his dream of reaching the major leagues might never become reality. Rather than glossing over those setbacks, he uses them to show how failure often became the catalyst for growth in his life.
One of the more unexpected and entertaining stories involves Masters’ appearance as an extra in the 1992 baseball film The Babe. He shares behind-the-scenes experiences from the production and even offers a few memorable stories involving actor John Goodman, who portrayed Babe Ruth in the movie.
After his playing days ended, Masters pursued a Master’s Degree in Sports Administration at Ohio University before beginning a career in professional baseball. He spent three years working in ticket sales for the Kane County Cougars, giving readers an inside look at another side of the game, the business operations that keep minor league baseball running.
These experiences add another layer to the memoir. Readers don’t just see Masters as a player; they follow him through nearly every corner of the baseball world, from college athlete to minor leaguer, movie extra, front office employee and eventually a man searching for a greater purpose.
What makes the book so compelling is that Masters never presents himself as a hero with all the answers. Instead, he comes across as a relatable person trying to navigate life’s successes, failures and uncertainties while gradually discovering where he was truly meant to be.
While baseball had always been the driving force in Burke Masters’ life, a weekend Cursillo retreat in 1994 would ultimately change the course of his future.
Masters describes the retreat as a turning point in his spiritual journey. What began as a weekend experience soon developed into a deeper commitment to his faith. After returning home, he began attending Mass daily and became increasingly involved in the Catholic Church. Slowly but surely, the dream that had defined most of his life—playing Major League Baseball—began to give way to a different calling.
In 1997, Masters entered the seminary, beginning a new chapter that would prove every bit as challenging and rewarding as his years on the baseball field.
As the story progresses, the book transitions from tales of dugouts, road trips and walk-off home runs to the deeply personal experiences that shaped his vocation. Masters writes openly about some of the most difficult moments of his life, including the loss of his mother and the emotional challenges surrounding a serious romantic relationship. These chapters are among the book’s most heartfelt, offering readers an honest look at the sacrifices and struggles that accompanied his decision to pursue the priesthood.
One of the book’s greatest strengths is the behind-the-scenes look it provides into a process that many people know very little about. Masters takes readers step-by-step through the formation of a Catholic priest, explaining the years of study, prayer and discernment required before ordination.
From his years in the seminary to his time living and serving in Mexico, readers gain a firsthand perspective on the experiences that prepared him for ministry. He details the challenges, growth and moments of doubt that accompanied the journey, making the process feel both relatable and deeply human.
The memoir culminates with Masters’ ordination to the priesthood on June 1, 2002—a moment that serves as the emotional payoff to the entire story. The same man who once dreamed of hearing his name announced in a Major League stadium ultimately discovered that his true calling was found elsewhere.
By the time readers reach the final chapters, it becomes clear that Grand Slam to God is not simply a book about baseball or faith. It is a story about purpose, perseverance and the unexpected paths life sometimes takes when our plans give way to something greater.
Ironically, the World Series moment Burke Masters spent his entire life chasing eventually arrived—but not in the way he had imagined.
In 2013, Father Burke was named the team chaplain for the Chicago Cubs, one of baseball’s most historic franchises. The role allowed him to remain connected to the game he loved while serving players, coaches and staff through prayer services, guest speaking engagements and pregame chapel sessions. He regularly attended Cubs home games at Wrigley Field, ministering to players while providing spiritual guidance throughout the long Major League season.
Then came 2016.
For generations, Cubs fans had waited for a championship. The franchise had not won a World Series since 1908, and the championship drought had become one of the most famous stories in all of sports. That October, Father Burke found himself witnessing history from within the organization as the Cubs battled the Cleveland Indians in a dramatic seven-game World Series.
When the Cubs finally captured its first World Series title in 108 years, Father Burke was there, and received a World Series ring in recognition of his role as the team’s official chaplain.
For a man whose childhood dream was to reach Major League Baseball and win a World Series, the moment carried a special significance.
Throughout much of the book, Masters wrestles with questions many readers can relate to. Why didn’t he make it to the major leagues? Why didn’t certain career opportunities work out? Why did relationships he hoped would last come to an end? Why did doors he desperately wanted opened remain closed?
Again and again, he found himself questioning why God seemed to be taking away the very things he wanted most.
Instead, Masters gradually comes to realize that many of the disappointments he once viewed as setbacks were actually guiding him toward a life he never could have designed for himself.
By the book’s conclusion, readers see how many of the dreams Burke thought he had lost eventually returned in unexpected ways. He never played in the major leagues, yet he found himself standing alongside Major League players. He never won a World Series as a player, yet he earned a World Series ring. He never followed the exact path he envisioned as a young baseball star, but he discovered a purpose and fulfillment far greater than he could have imagined.
In many ways, that realization serves as the central message of the entire memoir.
The grand slam that sent Mississippi State to Omaha was never the end of Burke Masters’ story. It was simply the beginning of a journey that ultimately led him exactly where he was meant to be.
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