Why Haven’t I Seen You at Church?

This weekend we celebrated the most important holiday of the Christian Church, Easter.  Many of us dressed up, attended church, visited with family and friends and watch kids uncover hidden eggs filled with money and candy.  Typically, youth sports tends not to have games on such an important day, however, there are sporting events that take place, especially at the collegiate and pro levels.  When I umpired in the Minor Leagues, there was an organization, Baseball Chapel, that did a phenomenal job of providing church services every Sunday, to both MiLB & MLB teams & umpires throughout the country.  Baseball Chapel was created in the mid 1970’s and has been a thriving organization ever since, providing a much needed service to those who have to work on Sundays.

As a travel ball dad pulled in many directions every day of the week and weekend, sometimes it’s all I and my wife can do to just make sure we have the resources aligned so our kids are where they need to be on a given day.  On Sundays, typically, there are early games and you play until you lose, so the possibility of attending church diminishes significantly.  I realize if there is a will, there’s a way and in no way do I feel sports trumps religion, but the reality is we do what we can and make the services within our power.  I’m a big believer that if you are a religious person, regardless of denomination, as long as you’re doing good things and have your God in your thoughts, that’s what is important.  I do believe if a chapel type of entity existed for the youth sports, it would be received positively, if nothing else but to have a quick message and say a prayer.

In the movie Bull Duhram, the main character Crash Davis was quoted as saying, this about MLB ballparks, “… the ballparks were like cathedrals.”  In the same movie, the scorned a few too many times, Annie Savoy, indicated she was a follower of the ,”Church of Baseball.”  Even though a baseball has 108 stitches and there are 108 beads in a Rosary, that’s about as close a connection to religion I believe baseball can go.  Enjoy your Sundays at the yard and make church when you can and want to.  The big guy up stairs knows you’re thinking about him and if all you can do is say a prayer to keep those playing the game we love safe, that’s much needed as well.

Play Ball!