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September 21, 2001
Sports- Shawn Green doesn't play on Yom Kippur
Green's Jewish homer (Sports)
All-star baseball player will not play on Yom Kippur.
KYLE BERGER REPORTER
Shawn Green is a mentsh. Mark it down as a victory for all the
Jews in the Diaspora who struggle to explain the importance of their
traditions to their non-Jewish friends.
Just a few weeks before the most holy day of the Jewish calendar,
Green, an all-star outfielder for the Los Angeles Dodgers, announced
to his team and the rest of the world that he would not be catching
any fly balls or hitting any home runs on Yom Kippur.
With his team in the thick of a fight to make the playoffs for
the first time since 1988, Green's decision has attracted a lot
of attention across North America.
Green, who is having a career year as far as statistics are concerned,
will be missing the Dodgers' final home game and the third last
game of the season in order to ask God for forgiveness. Several
articles about Green's decision were published in the Los Angeles
Times, and even Vancouver's Province newspaper mentioned
it.
Internationally acclaimed sports analyst Jim Rome, who has a network
radio show called The Jungle and a nationally televised show
called The Last Word, discussed Green's decision on both
of his programs.
While Rome supported and respected Green's decision, he did suggest
that some people may not feel the same. After all, the baseball
star recently signed an $84 million contract and, for some fans,
sports is their religion.
However, in interviews published around the world, Green said his
passion for Judaism was more important than his passion for baseball.
"It's something I feel is an important thing to do, partly
as a representative of the Jewish community," Green said in
the Los Angeles Times. "There aren't too many Jewish
players, and to go out there and play would be disrespectful. It's
kind of ironic that it happens when we're in the middle of the pennant
race."
As of press time, Green had hit more than 40 home runs and held
a batting average of close to .300.
He is also the current iron man of Major League baseball, as his
400-plus consecutive-games-played streak is longer than any other
active player can boast. That streak will obviously end when the
sun goes down on erev Yom Kippur.
Dodgers team manager Jim Tracy said he respects Green's decision
because there are more important things in life than a baseball
game.
"This is about a guy's beliefs and his religion, and I'm not
one to stand in the way of something like that," he told the
Times.
"If this, in any way shape or form, would even be perceived
as selfish in nature, I would be very disappointed in that."
The last time a Major League Jewish athlete made headlines for
missing a game for religious reasons was when legendary pitcher
Sandy Koufax missed Game 1 of the 1967 World Series, also for Yom
Kippur. He also played for the Dodgers.
That story has since become a big part of Koufax's legend. Although
the team did lose that first game, the Dodgers ended up winning
the World Series that year.
Considered to be one of the Dogers' best players, Green could be
jeopardizing his team's chance to make the playoffs. This is almost
never done by millionaire athletes who are looked up to by thousands
of young fans.
So it doesn't matter if Green is just doing what millions of Diaspora
Jews will be doing Sept. 26. It doesn't matter if people think no
one person should be commended just for attending Yom Kippur services.
Shawn Green is a well-known, well-liked, all-star Major League baseball
player who has announced to the world that he is Jewish and that
that is more important than $84 million.
Shawn Green is a mentsh!
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