Ron Jackson practically came to attention when new White Sox manager Jerry Manuel stood before a wall of television cameras and praised the Lord for giving him his latest opportunity. It was a message he was thirsty to receive.
“When he said that, I thought, `He’s the man,’ ” said Jackson, who returns as the Sox’s hitting coach. “I like to hear that he’s a religious-type guy, that he’s willing to talk about values and loving each other. I believe in that. I think that was lacking around here a little bit.”
In Jackson’s three years with the organization, religion always had been the most private of pursuits. For better or worse, that has changed with the hiring of Manuel.
“Jerry’s faith is extremely strong,” said Florida Marlins General Manager Dave Dombrowski. “The best way to be successful is to be yourself, whatever that is. There’s no point in not being sincere. That’s how you get in trouble. What you see is Jerry Manuel.”
Religion in the workplace has quietly become a hot-button issue behind the scenes of baseball. Reliever John Wetteland, then with the Yankees, pointed to the sky after getting the last out in the 1996 World Series, declaring, “Jesus Christ is my point man.”‘ The Texas Rangers’ Johnny Oates was the American League’s Manager of the Year that same season. Two years earlier, an ejection from a game had prompted him to fall to his knees in prayer in the dugout tunnel at Yankee Stadium.
Born-again Christians appreciate sincere displays of faith by teammates and managers. But there is a danger that religion could become a divisive issue on a team.
The hell-raising Minnesota Twins were rocked by third baseman Gary Gaetti’s religious conversion the year after they won the 1987 World Series. Many old-school players, even those who worship in private, become nervous about open displays of spirituality.
Rangers first baseman Will Clark, an observant Catholic, epitomized that end of the spectrum with his reaction after a San Francisco Giants pitcher attributed a home run he had given up to “God’s will.”
“Hey, I congratulate you on doing something for your life, but this is about baseball,” Clark reportedly said. “And you’d better get out there and do it for yourself. The Lord didn’t hang that slider.”
Manuel believes that Christians run the risk of diminishing their beliefs by associating them with the little victories that come through athletics.
“Sometimes we as Christians use that too loosely,” Manuel said. “We use it in a sense that it’s the right thing to do. But I believe that if you live it and it’s your lifestyle, that speaks volumes. I would prefer that I would never have to force my beliefs on anybody. I would rather they come to me and say, `There’s something different about you, something unique about you.’ That gives me a chance to discuss it.”
White Sox GM Ron Schueler is a churchgoer who believes religion is best practiced privately.
“I think religion is up to the individual’s beliefs,” Schueler said. “I go to church on Sunday, but I’m not going to go out and recruit and get people to go. I don’t think (Manuel) will, either.”
Schueler did not discuss clubhouse religion when he interviewed Manuel. “I was concerned with his ability to run a baseball team,” Schueler said. “I don’t think we will have any problems.”
Both Dombrowski and former Cubs right-hander Kent Bottenfield, who played for Manuel in the minor leagues, say Manuel does a good job letting players know he is there to support them without proselytizing.
“He has a very strong faith,” Bottenfield said. “I’m a Christian myself, and I felt it was something I liked. But with Jerry it is not an in-your-face kind of thing. He makes it clear what he believes, and if people want to talk about it, he’s very willing. He doesn’t beat people over the head. He just lives what he believes.”
Manuel believes Christians are better judged by their actions, not their words.
“My lifestyle is (going) to be a witness for the kingdom of God or against the kingdom of God,” Manuel said. “I pray that it’s a witness for the kingdom of God. It’s such a difficult road to travel, straight and very narrow. There are so many times I fall short. I refuse to go out and preach one thing and then let one person find it to be hypocritical.”
Manuel believes Christianity is often misunderstood in an athletic context. He said his Bible-based beliefs to do not prevent him from endorsing a hard slide into second base, a brushback pitch or even physical retaliation if a fight breaks out.
“The Christian lifestyle I pursue is competitiveness to the utmost,” Manuel said. “I can’t be small in the game because of my beliefs. Your beliefs cause you to be bigger. . . . Once the game starts, I feel I must be the most competitive warrior there, because I’m representing something I think is higher than what someone else is bringing into battle. . . . There could be bloodshed. There’s bloodshed in the Bible.”
Manuel expects to be watched closely during his tenure as the White Sox manager. He prays that he will give a strong account of himself both as a Christian and a baseball man.
“A lot of people will be coming against (me),” Manuel said. “It’s a lot of exposure. Sometimes a lot of exposure is not good for you. It blinds you. Too much light at one time is not good for you. I hope and pray that I stay the same as I am right now, that I can speak and talk to people. I pray that my ego doesn’t get involved. I pray that it gets smaller and the other stuff gets larger.”
