I Don’t Want to Know What You Think
Okay, I’m not happy about the Milledge trade, but of course I don’t know any of the things that may be known by the people who made it. To me, Milledge was cool. He was young, bright, interesting, and brash. I thought he looked as if he could develop into a great hitter. He was what we used to call colorful, a bit unpredictable. He had imperfections that made him an interesting story to pay attention to. Not enough modern ballplayers are like that. He was fun. But what do I know?
So we trade him for Schneider, who is supposed to be a really good defensive catcher. That could be interesting to watch. It’s been awhile. And we also get Ryan Church, whom I was beginning to get excited about. A double every ten times up? There were some reasons to feel hopeful when you looked at his stats.
But then I’m reading my blogs yesterday and I run across this item on Faith and Fear in Flushing and The Ed Kranepool Society. Apparently Church subscribes to some traditional teachings of the Christian religion that most modern forms of Christianity have moved away from and that several modern forms of Christianity have not. He believes that if you don’t accept Christ as your Savior, you’re damned. Apparently Church was compassionate enough to worry about what this was going to mean for his Jewish ex-girlfriend (with whom I am sure he engaged only in activities sanctioned by the traditional teachings of the church). Apparently, Church was stupid enough to share such fears with a Washington Post reporter investigating a Pennsylvania evangelical group providing unpaid chaplains to baseball teams.
Now I have to tell you that if you gave me a choice to root for someone who danced in celebration of a home run before he got into the dugout and someone who sincerely believed that no one could possibly go to heaven unless they believed in Christ, I would unhesitatingly choose the former.
But I don’t like having to make that choice. I know this sounds harsh. But I really don’t want to know what baseball players think.
Why not? They’re people. They have a right to their ideas. Haven’t I been pleased at points to learn that Mets like Tom Seaver, Tug McGraw, and Carlos Delgado agreed with certain political beliefs I myself had. Yes, but I am willing to forego the pleasure of this to avoid the pain of learning that a ballplayer I will forever love to the bottom of my heart can possibly compare the execrable fool and demagogue Rush Limbaugh to George Washington.
I don’t want to know what they think. I don’t want to take the risk. I need to have some control over what these players are to me, in my head. It’s different with artists, writers, etc. because what they believe is an important part of what they create. With baseball players it’s different. It’s not that I have any trouble with baseball players being religious. I deeply and sincerely respect their religious beliefs. I have no problem with the devotion of someone like Pedro Martinez. So, yeah, it’s okay for them to express themselves. As long as what they say isn’t divisive.
Look, I’m a decent enough guy. Yeah, I have a Jewish heritage, and yeah I’m an agnostic (I don’t know if there’s a God, but I kind of believe that if there is one, he’s not going to take the trouble to want to torture me for eternity because of my sincere and even respectful doubt). How do the people who still believe in this ancient understanding of salvation and damnation think it makes me feel for someone to say that a giant concentration camp awaits me after my death because of who I was and what I believed? I know that Anne Coulter doesn’t care about how I feel. But if someone is going to get my love and my cheers and play right field for me, I want him to care how I feel.
Oh, but why should he? There are millions who still believe this and they don’t care. Still I want baseball to be different, an island of possible unity in a sea of harsh division. I root for a team that was also loved by Richard Nixon and is now loved by Bill O’Reilly. I want the Mets to be a place where I can share a beer with these men. I want to stand around with them and Tim Robbins, and Susan Sarandon, and Jon Stewart and have us all talk about the ’86 Mets. Baseball is like a truce, but in order for the truce to work, there have to be ground rules. Guys, think what you will, but watch what you say. Keep it unifying, even if that means keeping it innocuous.
So now I’m stuck with this Church guy. He comes with this baggage. You think Milledge has baggage? This is baggage. Part of me feels that I should give him a chance to win me over.
Maybe he will. But don’t hold your breath.
December 2nd, 2007 at 5:25 pm
Interesting post, Dana. I had no idea about Church’s religious beliefs. I’m wondering if he has disturbed clubhouses in the past with that stuff.
Re: the Milledge trade, I have to think that this was slightly more about getting rid of Milledge, because the numbers just don’t add up. I’m sure Schneider is a fine defensive catcher, but his offensive numbers simply stink. Church will make a decent #8 hitter, but I have to believe Milledge had far greater potential to surpass numbers like what Church has been putting up.
You’re right that Milledge was colorful and interesting, but he was also immature and stupid much of the time, and he didn’t do us any favors with his antics during the final weekend of the season.
In any event, Omar needs to make a big move before the season starts. If the best thing that comes out of this off-season, after the historic collapse, is that we got rid of Mota (which, mind you, is great; I would have traded Mota for a Fudruckers cheeseburger. We actually got a real baseball player in return for him), Mets fans have a right to be pissed.
Hope you’re doing well, Dana.
December 3rd, 2007 at 5:38 am
I agree with you Dana, I don’t know what to believe about Church. I am willing to reserve judgment until I see what he does on the field and with his teammates. Remember everyone was worried about how Pedro Martinez would fit in, and he was fine. If they traded Milledge just because they felt he was trouble, that is a stupid reason. I hope it doesn’t come back to bite them. I have to trust that Omar knows what he’s doing, because if he messes up and the Mets don’t show an improvement, then he will be gone. These moves certainly don’t inspirt confidence, though,
December 5th, 2007 at 5:50 pm
I can’t say I was thrilled when I read Church’s comments, however he did apologize for them and from everything I’ve read it was a sincere apology. There are no small number of evangelical professional athletes, and needless to say I don’t plan to survey them on whether or not they believe Jewish people have a place in the world to come. Start with the premise that tens of millions of people read the evangelical and apocalyptic “Left Behind” Christian sci fi books (which portend dire consequences for Jews like myself who don’t convert) and extrapolate from there to any subset of the population, including pro athletes. Not filling me with glee, but on the other hand so long as it doesn’t result in pogroms or discrimination I’ll let some higher power sort it out at a future date, rather than throw down on a theological debate. I certainly have no idea how Lastings Milledge feels about those of us from the Hebraic faith - - for all I know he celebrates a home run at night by singing Hava Nagila…or insteads picks up a copy of the Protocols of the Elders of Zion. Who knows. (If he does the latter, I’m happy about the trade).
I tend to have agnostic tendencies myself, best summed up as Woody Allen put it “There may or may not be an afterlife but I’m bringing a change of underwear regardless.” Or, as Woody also put it “If it turns out that there is a God, I don’t think that he’s evil. But the worst that you can say about him is that basically He’s an underachiever.”
Time will tell on Lastings. I wasn’t impressed with him. When he got sent back down to the minors in 2006 he didn’t do well, and was widely considered to have an attitude issue. At the end of the day, I don’t care if someone has enthusaism or steely reserve as far as their demeanor goes, as long as they get the stats. James Bond and John McLane are equally appealing.
I do think Church has big upside though. His RBI and 2B numbers were good at RFK and the Mets in theory should have more ducks on the pond that may allow him to goose up the RBI numbers. I don’t see this as Kazmir for Zambrano redux yet. (And Schneider is a material defensive improvement at C.)
December 5th, 2007 at 6:27 pm
What’s wrong with being divisive?
December 5th, 2007 at 6:36 pm
All you should want is for the Met’s to win.
Woody Allen molested and married his own adopted daughter, so you would probably be better off referencing the wisdom of Moses, King David, or perhaps Einstein. No agnostics among them, all Jews whom I believe are in Heaven along with Jesus who was himself an Orthodox Jew.
Sadly, regardless of any religious viewpoint from Atheist to Theist, the Mets will likely not win in 2008.