Player's legacy inspires book, teammates

By Amy Lester, NEWS 9

A standout baseball player continues to inspire his team six years after his death.

Justin Sullivan died in 2002 when a set of tires broke off a tractor trailer and hit his SUV. The day before the wreck, Sullivan had been named the state's Baseball Player of the Year. Now, his teammates are celebrating his legacy by publishing his journals as a book.

"That day on June 3, 2002, that was the darkest day of my life," said Chris Wall, Sullivan's youth pastor.

Wall learned about a spiritual journal Justin kept for the last eight weeks of his life. 

"Very quickly this kid that I taught became my teacher," he said.

Wall combined Sullivan's words with scripture, sermons and exercises to publish the book.  He called it "A Life Worth Following." The proceeds of the book will benefit Sullivan's former ministry.

"Though he was only 18, he was not one of those people who counted the days of his life, but he made the days of his life count," Wall said.

The baseball team is now trying to raise around $40,000 for a religious mission trip to the Dominican Republic.

"He knew that God gave him the ability to use baseball and he knew that he was going to use that for God and for His glory," player Ryan Williams said. "I think that's the greatest teaching to have."