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' Champions ' knocks it right out of the ballpark (July 15, 2007)
By Robert P. Lockwood - OUR SUNDAY VISITOR
New film featuring Catholic baseball players offers powerful witnesses and is a must-view for fans
Two names I never expected in the same sentence: St. Therese of Lisieux and the Florida Marlins.
St. Therese is the cloistered late- 19th-century Carmelite nun whose autobiography, "The Story of a Soul," remains one of the most widely read spiritual biographies of all time. Canonized in 1925, she was declared a doctor of the Church in 1997 by Pope John Paul II.
The Florida Marlins, on the other hand, were a sub-.500 baseball team in mid-May of 2003 when 72-year-old Jack McKeon came out of retirement to coach them into the playoffs. In the National League championship series, the Marlins came back from a three-games-to-one deficit to beat the Chicago Cubs and went on to defeat the New York Yankees in the World Series.
On the new DVD "Champions of Faith," McKeon speaks with the gravelly voice you would expect from a 50-year baseball veteran. He explains that when he was out of work as a manager, some "guy in church recommended a novena to St. Therese."
To see if "the Lord would give me one more chance," McKeon made the novena and out of nowhere was hired by the Florida Marlins in a season ownership might have considered over. But under McKeon ' s guidance, a championship run began.
This is just one story contained in "Champions of Faith," which should be in every Catholic home and school in the country. There also shouldn ' t be a Catholic men ' s group that doesn ' t have this coming in by the gross.
No curve balls
The people who put together "Champions of Faith," and the players and coaches they interviewed, have a deep understanding of what it means to be Catholic in today ' s world. Graced with a rich sacramental understanding, these guys know the faith and know that it does not hit a curve ball. A good ballplayer does. But they also know that a life lived faithfully is what truly defines our humanity.
The list of guys who proudly discuss their Catholic faith and what it means to them include the likes of future Hall of Famers Mike Piazza, Tom Glavine, Craig Biggio and Ivan Rodriquez. A virtual contemporary Catholic all-star team is interviewed: Juan Pierre, Sean Casey, Mike Sweeney, Jeff Suppan, David Eckstein, Carlos Beltran and Lance Berkman.
These are Catholic ballplayers who do not pretend that God makes them better hitters, pitchers or fielders. Instead, baseball provides only the backdrop for their faith. It is their Catholic faith that keeps them connected with what matters in life.
They make clear that it is their Catholic faith found in Scripture and Tradition, sustained by prayer and the sacraments, that defines them. Baseball is what they do. The faith is who they are.
Steeped in faith
These guys are the new evangelizers that Pope John Paul II called us to be so eloquently. They know the faith, they love the faith and they are willing to talk about it openly and proudly.
The section on the vital role of the Eucharist in their lives provides a superb catechesis, as well as a moving witness.
McKeon might be the old- school guy in "Champions of Faith," lighting a cigar as he talks about how St. Therese of Lisieux pushed some buttons to give him the chance to make a little baseball history.
But every one of these guys -- including all those involved in putting the film together -- gives a witness that will resonate with anyone. "[Jesus] is the catalyst," says Darrell Miller, who retired from a career in the minor leagues and a few years in the bigs with the California Angels. "And he works through you."
' Champions of Faith '
Featuring: David Eckstein, Jack McKeon, Mike Piazza, Jeff Suppan and Mike Sweeney
Running time: 65 minutes
Cost: $19.95
Robert P. Lockwood writes from Pennsylvania .
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