“It’s an honor to make the big leagues and I’m very blessed,” Kratz said in fall 2012, reflecting on his season as a part-time starting catch for the Philadelphia Phillies. 鈥淚鈥檓 very blessed.鈥�

Kratz was a relative unknown to Phillies fans even in early 2012 – sometimes taking pictures for them when asked as they posed with more recognizable players. But after catchers Carlos Ruiz and Brian Schneider suffered injuries, Kratz moved into the starting role in early August and ended the season hitting .270 with five home runs and 12 RBI, including a game-winning home run off all-star closer Craig Kimbrel of the Atlanta Braves.

Thanks to his heroics, Kratz was the center of attention during a subsequent charity event sponsored by a Phillies teammate with fans clamoring to see their new-found star, according to a Philly.com report.

“I’m just blessed and honored to be playing the game I love,” said Kratz, who towers above most people at 6-foot 4-inches, 255 pounds.

A native of Telford, Pennsylvania, Kratz received praise from teammates during his time as a starting catcher.

鈥淗e did a great job [in 2012],鈥� Roy Halladay said to MLB.com, who picked up a win with Kratz behind the plate. 鈥淲e鈥檙e fortunate. Carlos [Ruiz]聽is irreplaceable, but Kratz is very intelligent. He does a great job calling a game.”

“He’s Thor,” added Kevin Frandsen in comparing his teammate to a hammer-wielding god of Norse mythology.

Charlie Manuel, who manages the Phillies, added that Kratz has proven his value “as a backup catcher – at the last – in the big leagues” during a press conference before the Phillies last series of the season.

“He’s strong, he’s durable, he definitely showed he can call the game, he definitely showed that he can throw. He’s shown he can hit a home run. I look at him and I say, we got better if Kratz becomes our backup catcher,” said Manuel.

Called to the Hall

EMU inducted Kratz into its Athletics Hall of Honor on Oct. 13 during its Homecoming and Family Weekend. During the ceremony 颅- where he shared the spotlight with EMU鈥檚 1980 field hockey team, also entering the Hall of Honor – Kratz said it was 鈥渃ool鈥� to return to EMU.

“It means the world to me to have my friends, coaches and those that are the most important to me here. The stories and memories we have, from being on bus trips to Florida or being in class, they’re just special to me.”

At EMU, Kratz was the Old Dominion Athletic Conference Player of the Year in 2001 and 2002, claiming an NCAA record for career doubles with 77. During his senior season, he set single-season school records with 72 hits, 48 runs, 25 doubles, 14 home runs, 59 RBIs and a .507 batting average.

He graduated as the school鈥檚 all-time leader in career hits (220), home runs (33), doubles (77), RBIs (159), runs (147), batting average (.415), slugging percentage (.762) and total bases (404). In addition, Kratz was behind the plate for each pitch during his four-year EMU career.

Kratz thanked his wife, Sarah, a 2001 EMU graduate and mother to his two sons and newborn daughter, for her support during his 11-year minor league career.

“I thank the Lord every day for my family, friends and the chance to play a game. The Internet will always keep my stats, but I’ll forever keep my friends and family.”

Read more about Erik Kratz

It鈥檚 been a whirlwind of holy adventures and surprising engagements. While these aren鈥檛 everyday classroom contexts, I found Mennonite education at its best in some of its most missional聽practices.

At the , students live together for a semester or two while engaging the city. They gather on Wednesday nights to discuss vocation, the city and service led by associate program director (and former MWR assistant editor) . I prepared a conversation as a guest lecturer about career and聽calling.

I wasn鈥檛 prepared for what emerged around the ping-pong table. Students talked about the messy situations that offered a glimpse of their own vocational聽call.

I wasn鈥檛 prepared for the diversity of experiences. They grew up in places like Pennsylvania鈥檚 Big Valley, big American cities and Asian countries. They were documented and undocumented; black, white, Latino, Asian; many the first college students in their families. They wept when talking about glimpsing their calls. They lamented. They聽dreamed.

They wondered how their own identities would shape their future. They celebrate their parents鈥� gifts and struggle with family dysfunction. They were at EMU for different reasons, in D.C. for different purposes, but the institution had created space for them, hopefully to flourish as they stumble toward vocation, career, calling and聽conversation.

My next assignment was helping to lead a continuing education event with (SMC), a collaborative arrangement between SMC, , EMU and . There were 70 students set to engage on issues of leadership in Christian聽communities.

I was team teaching with Franconia colleagues Angela Moyer and Ertell Whigham. All three of us are from urban Mennonite congregations where Spanish is part of the regular worship experience. In our initial conversations, Floridian leaders wanted to make sure we understood our differences in context. We had more in common than we expected, despite the distance between Sarasota and Pennsylvania. What it means to be Mennonite leaders in both places has changed and is聽changing.

This group of SMC leaders incarnated the future and present church. There were only four Euro-American leaders. The conversation switched quickly between Spanish and English. We sang a cappella from Mennonite hymnbooks and fluently in Spanish with words projected on the wall. We were from far-flung places 鈥� Chicago, Michigan, El Salvador, Honduras, Colombia, Mexico, Haiti 鈥� all now worshiping in congregations that make up .

This week a group of students is here in Philadelphia for spring break. As part of helping orient them to the city, I agreed to go along with a dozen students for dinner at one of the four sushi restaurants owned by members of my own Mennonite church, .

The group鈥檚 leaders are an Indonesian nursing student from my congregation and a young woman who grew up somewhere between India, Virginia and Thailand. These students weren鈥檛 who I had聽expected.

Everyone was bicultural. While the majority were Latino, the other three grew up outside the U.S. Conversations moved around the table in English, Spanish, Thai and Indonesian while we ate sushi together. I felt both challenged and聽hopeful.

While these are EMU-rooted stories, changes are happening at every Mennonite higher education institution. There鈥檚 an invitation in these changes to come closer to the contexts of Mennonite congregations and learn about new聽realities.

On our campuses, we have new opportunities to be hospitable Anabaptists teaching bright and challenging students who reflect our demographic changes. While the time is difficult to navigate, our opportunities 鈥� if we are open to being transformed too 鈥� may draw closer to God鈥檚 dream for all of聽us.

[Editor’s Note: This article appeared in MennoWorld Review, March 18, 2013 issue. Stephen Kriss ’94, is associate director of pastoral studies at EMU Lancaster and director of communication and leadership cultivation at Franconia Mennonite Conference. He is a teacher, writer, pastor, student and follower of Jesus living in聽Philadelphia.]

Kratz has filled in for starting catcher Carlos Ruiz and went 3-for-6 with a double and his fourth home run of the season over the weekend (Aug. 4-5). With Ruiz out as much as six weeks, Kratz could see increased playing time.

“I’ve just been fortunate some balls have been falling in, and I’ve been able to put a couple over the fence, too,” Kratz told MLB.com after Sunday’s game against Arizona. “I’m getting pitches and not swinging at a pitcher’s pitch.”

As of Aug. 7, Kratz was hitting .379 with four doubles, four home runs and nine RBIs.

“He’s been good for us,” said Phillies manager Charlie Manuel to MLB.com. “Kratz has improved his hitting at least 100 percent since I saw him two years ago. He’s definitely done a lot of work.”

“He did a great job,” added Roy Halladay, who picked up a win with Kratz behind the plate. “We’re fortunate. Carlos [Ruiz]聽is irreplaceable, but Kratz is very intelligent. He does a great job calling a game. We’re fortunate to have guys like him and Brian Schneider to step in with Carlos missing time.”

At EMU, Kratz was the Old Dominion Athletic Conference Player of the Year in 2001 and 2002, claiming an NCAA record for career doubles with 77. During his senior season, he set single-season school records with 72 hits, 48 runs, 25 doubles, 14 home runs, 59 RBIs and a .507 batting average.

He is school鈥檚 all-time leader in career hits (220), home runs (33), doubles (77), RBIs (159), runs (147), batting average (.415), slugging percentage (.762) and total bases (404). In addition, Kratz was behind the plate for each pitch during his four-year EMU career.

Kratz is scheduled to be inducted into the EMU Athletic Hall of Honor during .聽 He will be featured at the Hall of Honor Breakfast on Saturday morning, October 13. To register for the breakfast, visit the .

Kratz and his wife Sarah, a 2001 EMU grad, have two sons.

Links to other articles on Kratz

On June 20, 2007, a seven-alarm fire consumed an abandoned warehouse (pictured above) in Philadelphia’s Kensington neighborhood. The Simple Way Community Center was destroyed as well as at least eight nearby homes. (Information from The Simple Way web site: http://www.thesimpleway.org/.)

We grieve the losses this community is experiencing as a result of this devastating fire.

See details and opportunities to offer support here in a letter from EMU President Loren Swartzendruber.

For the first time in recent memory, EMU held a fundraiser for its