Examining the Christian Rockies
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by user Awrigh01
Today USA Today ran an article about how the Colorado Rockies are "quietly . . . becoming an organization guided by Christianity — open to other religious beliefs but embracing a Christian-based code of conduct they believe will bring them focus and success." The article goes on to state: "No copies of Playboy or Penthouse are in the clubhouse of baseball's Colorado Rockies. There's not even a Maxim. The only reading materials are daily newspapers, sports and car magazines and the Bible." All of the Rockies, from ownership down, use Christian values to shape their organization.
Now, this is not simply a decision by a couple of players to pray before a game. Just listen to the words of Rockies chairman and CEO Charlie Monfort: "We started to go after character six or seven years ago, but we didn't follow that like we should have," he says. "I don't want to offend anyone, but I think character-wise we're stronger than anyone in baseball. Christians, and what they've endured, are some of the strongest people in baseball. I believe God sends signs, and we're seeing those."
The Rockies can proclaim that they don't want to offend anyone, but in my mind mixing religion and baseball will erode away at one of the game's beautiful characteristics--egalitarianism. Baseball represent an area of American society where people from different cultures, religions, and countries get together on an field to play a game. When building a team the primary factor should be a player's ability to play the game not a player's "Christian Character." Baseball, in this sense, is similar to the military where people work together for a common goal, differences aside. By creating an egalitarian platform, baseball also allows fans to put aside their personal biases to root for certain players and be exposed to new cultures and religions. This helps foster a diverse and stable American society.
Beyond eroding away at the egalitarian principles of baseball, mixing baseball and religion is a bad long-term decision for the Rockies. Why? It discourages quality ball-players from wanting to play for the Rockies, especially if they do not share the same beliefs as other Rockie players. This will, in turn, hurt the value of the franchise and the franchise's long term performance. Moreover, because of this Christian "group think" the Rockies will also forgo quality baseball players, because they lack "Christian Character." Unless the Rockies have a very flexible definition of this character, which I doubt due to the comments of their CEO Monfort, they will forgo many quality ballplayers.
The Rockies ownership, therefore, will fail to fulfill their responsibility to their fans--fielding the best team possible. Beyond that, if other teams follow suit, the Rockies will destroy one of the fundamental benefits of baseball. While I understand the hope that religion can provide to individuals, history has taught that developing religious based organizations can lead to disasterous problems. Hopefully, the Rockies will realize this before this interpretation of "character" destroys baseball.
Date
Thu 06/01/06, 1:46 pm EST
