Source of strength

IRVINE — Tim Salmon had a tough final at-bat in the major leagues — and he used his faith to help him get through it.

Salmon, the Angels’ all-time home run leader and a Newport Beach homeowner, came to the plate for the last time at the end of the 2006 season.

He had clubbed 299 homers in his career and had the perfect setting for No. 300: eighth inning, Angels trailing by one, runners on second and third.

The pitcher hurled a fastball, and Salmon belted it high in the air; but instead of soaring over the fence, it landed in the shortstop’s glove.

Still, the Anaheim fans, who had cheered Salmon since 1992, gave their hero a standing ovation. As he sighed and doffed his cap, he figured there was a lesson in there.

“The fans were bestowing on me the same grace God does to us,” Salmon said Tuesday morning at the 44th annual Orange Coast Mayors Prayer Breakfast at the Hyatt Regency Irvine.

Salmon, a longtime Christian, served as the featured speaker at the annual event, in which mayors from around Orange County share personal stories and join in group prayers. Newport Beach Mayor Ed Selich and Costa Mesa City Councilwoman Wendy Leece represented their cities, while Newport Beach City Councilman Keith Curry, one of the event’s main sponsors, introduced Salmon.

More than 25 churches participate every year in the prayer breakfast, which began in 1964. The event, put on by Orange Coast Christian Outreach, is intended to mirror the National Prayer Breakfast that takes place every February in Washington, D.C.

Curry’s wife, Pamela, the chairwoman of the Orange Coast Christian Outreach committee, said the prayer breakfast was meant to stress the role faith plays in everyday life.

“I’m a cancer survivor. I’ve battled cancer for nine years, and my belief in Jesus Christ is what gets me through,” she said after the breakfast. “That’s the key. God gives you the strength where you do not have it.”

Selich told the crowd that belief in God is often central to his job.

“As mayor of Newport Beach, I can tell you having faith in religion is very important,” he said. “It helps us get through the times we face, the decisions we make.”

Leece presented a proclamation to the event’s organizers and said afterward that she was honored to do so.

“It was an honor for me to read the proclamation and join with other city leaders in Orange County to acknowledge the importance prayer plays in our roles as elected officials,” she said in an e-mail.

“Tim Salmon’s personal story about his Christian faith as a professional baseball player encouraged and strengthened my faith in Jesus Christ as well.”

MICHAEL MILLER may be reached at (714) 966-4617 or at [email protected].