Show A major league team built on faith Dave Tom Special to the Los Angeles Times With their out-of- out nowhere win winning ing streak the Colorado are reminding us what sport can be at its best exhilarating uplifting even inspiring The entered the World Series Wednesday night after 21 victories in their last 22 games One might even call such a streak miraculous a description much of the team would happily accept The have become known as the closest thing Major League Baseball has to a faith- faith based club I think character- character wise were we're stronger than anyone in baseball Chief Executive Charlie Monfort told USA Today in May 2006 Many religious baseball fans have embraced this formulation as well I think Gods God's promise promise is that regardless of the outcome he is with you you one supporter said The playoffs triumph is almost enough to make believers out of sporting heathens too But faith and sports are not the match made in heaven some would have us believe You might recall this play Left fielder Matt Holliday slid safely at home plate to score the winning run in the inning of the crucial one-game one playoff with the San Diego Padres that sent his into the postseason The problem as replays made clear was that he never touched home When asked about the call after the game Holliday apparently felt no duty to confess That's in keeping with the values and norms of professional sports where competitors never give an inch even evento evento evento to the truth But Holliday went on to implicate God Godin Godin in the umpires umpire's error by publicly thanking the Lord for the victory and the seasons season's many blessings Recent months have brought forth profile high-profile sports scandals galore New England Patriots Coach Bill Belichick's videotape cheating Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vicks Vick's gambling by an referee not notto notto notto to mention the endless cavalcade of athletes caught using performance- performance enhancing drugs Lets Let's all revel in the story of the Colorado Lets Let's credit them for a remarkable ru run a to the World Series But lets let's not pretend its it's the ultimate expression of or advertisement for Christianity |