The education of Brad Lidge

"There were times this year when I was absolutely flabbergasted that the results weren't coming around," he said.

Still, he revisited Scripture roughly three times each week, attended Sunday services and Wednesday Bible study with his teammates - and worked hard in pursuit of an online degree.

Shorty after he was traded to the Phillies, Lidge enrolled in online courses at Regis University, an institution run by Jesuit priests in Denver. Lidge finds his faith enhanced by the study of religious archaeology, specifically artifacts of the late Roman Empire, and the period when Christianity spread across Europe.

Brad and Lindsay have a daughter, Avery, 5, and a son Rowan, 10 months. But, as was the case with his days in Kissimmee, Lidge was bored on road trips, so he began using the time to develop his intellect and faith.

"There is so much downtime on the road," he said. "At home, we're super busy with kids, but on the road, I was just wasting time. I wanted to be doing something toward when baseball is over, and that's why I started taking the classes."

Lidge expects to finish his undergraduate degree within a few years. He plans to pursue a master's, and hopefully a career excavating religious artifacts in Europe, after retiring from baseball.

"I don't ever want to stop learning," he said. "You should never be satisfied with where you are in your personal quest."

Contact staff writer Andy Martino at 215-854-4874 or amartino@phillynews.com.