The Catholic Church, and the Yankees

 

According to Greg Kendra, before leaving the field for the final time at Yankee stadium,

as the crowd roared, Jeter walked to his spot where he played shortstop, crouched down, bowed his head, and made the sign of the cross.
Derek Jeter wanted to pray. For a moment, that great cathedral of baseball, Yankee Stadium, became a small chapel, a place for a private devotion.
Later, he told a reporter:
“I say a little prayer before every game and I basically just said thank you.”
This grandson of a Catholic school custodian remembered where it all began.
In a moment that was both very public and very personal, he reminded us all of what matters.
Now, I’m not going to canonize Derek Jeter this morning. But I think what he did showed grace, and class, and humility, the kind Paul wrote about in his letter to the Philippians. In our secular age, it was an act of faith. And it served, too, as a kind of challenge to a cynical world

I hadn't watched the game, or the endless ENDOFANERA coverage since. It hadn't occurred to me before that Jeter was probably Catholic.

Himself who had the misfortune to grow up anything other than a Yankee fan a Cubs fan, nonetheless likes the Yankees, and is a big fan of Jeter's. He was watching all the sports shows yesterday, and was put off by some of the snarking, and, frankly, hating that was being giving voice.

Why do so many people hate the Yankees? he mused.

Easy, I said, For the same reason that idiot publicity hounds with frat-boy mentalities never announce to the world that they are going to hold a "Satanic Black Methodist Service."