Jun 01 2006
As Robert the Llama Butcher will remind you, today is indeed the 212th anniversary of the Battle of the Glorious First of June, know by some as the Battle of Ushant. Admiral Lord Howe served out the mangeurs de grenouille. Raise your glass to the Hearts of Oak!
Jun 01 2006
USA Today published an overblown piece on my Colorado Rockies, making it appear that the Rock’s clubhouse was some kind of Christians-only monastery. Most of the piece was fluff and the Rocky Mountain News pretty well takes it apart in this article. First baseman Todd Helton puts it in perspective:
“I don’t try to be a Christian to be a better baseball player,” he said. “I try to be a Christian to be a better person and father. I struggle with it every day, like everyone else in the world. I want to be a better person, like everybody else.”The story was overblown. I’m not sure what the guy was trying to do. We have good guys who show up every day to play hard and win.
“We’re dirtbags, like 99 percent of the world. Maybe worse, because we are baseball players. Some guys are Christians and some guys aren’t.”
Manager Clint Hurdle tells the same story, but makes no bones about the importance of Christianity in his life.
“Hurdle said the fact that he, [GM Dan] O’Dowd and team president Kelli McGregor have strong Christian beliefs makes for good working conditions. He does not, however, believe religion is an issue in player decisions.’First and foremost, we talk about character, accountability and responsibility,’ he said. ‘There are a lot of men in the game with great character and accountability who are not Christians. There are good players who don’t have the character, aren’t accountable and aren’t responsible, but they are great players. I fell into that area at one time. I just was not a great player.’
As a teenager, he adorned the cover of Sports Illustrated, proclaimed the top phenom in baseball, but he never reached the stardom predicted when he signed with Kansas City as a first-round draft choice.
Hurdle was considered a free spirit during his playing days, and he admits his lifestyle was a problem.
Thirteen years ago, he said, he became a Christian, but ‘I was a wandering Christian for some time. (It changed eight years ago,) about the time I stopped drinking. Those were two big steps for me.’
He talks freely about his faith, but does not force the issue on others, particularly his players. ‘I don’t worry about what other people think of the stance I took,’ he said. ‘I don’t flaunt my beliefs on a lot of things. If I am asked, I will give an answer. I stand up for my relationship with Christ.’
I knew I liked these guys for a reason. Now if they’d only start winning again…
