Baseball as a Road to God: Seeing Beyond the Game
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Musial, Stan “the Man,” 184
music and baseball, 30, 166–71
Mussina, Mike, 119
mysterium tremendum et fascinans, 9–10, 16, 35, 92, 121, 125
mysticism, 32, 125
The Myth of the Eternal Return (Eliade), 30–31, 103–5, 200–201
mythology, 3, 14, 31, 34, 99, 104–5
Nagel, Thomas, 3–4
Namath, Joe, 50
National Football League (NFL), 50
The Natural (Malamud), 147, 159, 160–62
Negro Leagues, 95, 136, 158
Nevi’im, 146
New Bethel Baptist Church, 210
New Testament, 90
New York City, 69
New York Giants
1914 season, 117
1951 playoffs, 14
1954 World Series, 106–9
and Brother Jasper, 167
and Havana Heat, 156–57
and Mathewson, 154
and miracles of baseball, 100–103, 106–9
and Robinson, 84
and saints and sinners of baseball, 149
and Updike’s writings, 20
New York Herald Tribune, 103
New York Highlanders, 152, 230
New York Jets, 50
New York Knights, 161
New York magazine, 79–81
New York Mets
1968 season, 54–55
1969 World Series, 46–47, 74–75
1986 World Series, 135
1988 playoffs, 39
and blown calls, 62
and conversion experiences, 85
and faith, 36–37, 44–45, 129
and saints and sinners of baseball, 149
and the seventh-inning stretch, 171
New York Times
on 1914 Boston Braves, 116–17
and Mathewson’s death, 154
and Murray’s op-ed piece, 172
on probability issues, 99–100
on Red Sox fans, 137
and Robinson’s glove gift, 59
and Ruth’s nickname, 96
New York Times Magazine, 127
New York Yankees
1952 World Series, 131–32
1955 World Series, 1–2, 15–16, 73, 109–10
1956 World Series, 110–12
1957 World Series, 74
1960 World Series, 26–27
1963 World Series, 88
1966 season, 53
1978 playoffs, 214
1996 World Series, 191–92
1999 World Series, 126–27
2001 World Series, 119–23
2003 playoffs, 38–39
2003 World Series, 24
2004 playoffs, 12–14
and Boston’s curse, 133
and communal elements of baseball, 189–92
and conversion experiences, 48–49, 77, 79–81
and doubt, 57–58
and faith, 44, 46, 52
and fan attendance, 184
ill will toward, 89
and miracles of baseball, 106
and MVP Awards, 43
and nostalgic elements of baseball, 197, 198, 208
and sacred time, 33
The New Yorker, 17, 141, 205
Newcombe, Don, 100–101, 207
Newhouser, Hal, 43
Nixon, Richard, 193
no-hitters, 110–12, 117–18
Norworth, Jack, 168
Novak, Michael, 178
numinous, 92
Oakland Athletics, 31–32, 37, 39–40, 119
“OK Blue Jays,” 170
Old Testament, 66
Old Timers’ Days, 197
Oliphant, Tom, 83, 86, 97
O’Malley, Walter, 48, 84, 96
O’Neill, Paul, 121, 192
Onodera, Toshiki, 119
Opening Day, 14, 28–30, 34, 53–54
optimism, 54–55. See also faith
Oriole Park, 32
Ortiz, David, 13
Osteen, Claude, 78
Otto, Rudolph, 9, 16, 35, 92, 125
Otto the Great, 144–45
“Over There,” 168
Pafko, Andy, 101
Pagliarulo, Mike, 114
Paige, Satchel, 194
Palmeiro, Rafael, 163
papal succession, 144
Paris, Memo (fictional), 161
Passover Seders, 201, 216
Paul (biblical), 90, 91, 132, 153
Peale, Norman Vincent, 90
Pearl Harbor, 182
Pena, Alejandro, 116
Pennock, Herb, 118, 134
Pepitone, Joe, 128–29
“A Perfect Game” (Hart), 212–13
perfect games, 62, 97, 110–12, 125
performance-enhancing drugs, 162–63
perspective in baseball, 219
Pesky, Johnny, 197
Peterson, Fritz, 46
petitionary prayers, xi–xii, 99, 129
Philadelphia Athletics, 43, 87, 118
Philadelphia Phillies
1914 season, 117
1977 playoffs, 79
and Allen, 131–32
and championship droughts, 142
and conversion experiences, 87
and Dutch Ulrich, 149
and historic baseballs, 173
and MVP Awards, 43
and nostalgic elements of baseball, 208
and sign stealing, 103
Phillippe, Charles Louis “Deacon,” 194
physical grace, 174
Pierzynski, A. J., 149
Pinelli, Babe, 112
Pittsburgh Pirates, 24–27, 115, 155
Plank, Eddie, 118
Podres, Johnny, 2, 11, 15, 73, 97, 109, 125, 215–16
Point Omega, 146
Poisson distributions, 65
Polo Grounds, 20, 101, 106
polytheism, 147
Posada, Jorge, 119–21, 192, 205, 211
prayers of petition, 99, 129, 132
Praying for Gil Hodges (Oliphant), 83
predictions, 50, 71
probability, 64–67, 99–100
prophets and prophecy, 50, 146
Proverbs, 12
Puckett, Kirby, 115, 116, 207, 209
Puerto Rico, 183
QuesTec system, 63
race issues in baseball, 135–37, 158, 180, 189, 194
Radbourne, Charlie “Old Hoss,” 194
radio broadcasting, 184–85, 187–88
Ramadan, 28
Raymo, Chet, 45, 65, 72–73, 124–25
Reagan, Ronald, 141, 188, 206
Red Sox Nation, 83, 96–97, 135, 137–38
Redmond, Herbert, 132
Rees, “Pee Wee,” xiii, 2, 87, 110–11
relics, 61, 147
Remy, Jerry, 85
resurrection, 61
revelation, 148
Revolutionary War, 101
Reyes, Jose, 142
Rhodes, James Lamar “Dusty,” 108–9
Rice, Grantland, 151
Rickey, Branch, 136, 158, 194
Ripken, Cal, Jr., 32–33
rituals of baseball, 28–30, 181–82. See also seventh-inning stretch
Rivera, Mariano, 12–14, 38, 122–23, 127–28, 148, 192
Rixey, Eppa, 193
Rizzuto, Phil, 15, 16
Roberts, Dave, 13
Roberts, Robin, 87
Robinson, Jackie
1956 World Series, 111
and Blackmun’s list of baseball legends, 194
and communal elements of baseball, xiii, 188–89
and conversion experiences, 78, 85
glove of, 59–60, 74
and Hall of Fame voting, 148
and nostalgic elements of baseball, 198
and race barrier in baseball, 136, 158, 180
retirement, 84
and St. Louis fans, 184
veneration of, 158
Robinson, Phil Alden, 186
Robinson, Rachel, 60
Rockaways, 217
–18
Rodriguez, Alex, 62, 192
Rogalski, Stan (fictional), 202
Roosevelt, Franklin Delano, 182
Roosevelt, Theodore, 203
Root, Charlie, 24
Rose, Pete, 151, 160, 163
Rosen, Al, 106
Rosh Hashanah, 180
Roth, Alice, 173
Rothstein, Arnold, 175–76
Rucker, George “Nap,” 150
Rudolph, Richard “Baldy,” 117
Runge, Ed, 112
Runyon, Damon, 67, 175
Ruppert, Jake, 189
Ruth, Babe
1932 World Series, 24
and Blackmun’s list of baseball legends, 193
and conversion experiences, 95–96
and the Curse of the Bambino, 132–38
Hall of Fame induction, 26, 157
home-run record, 190
and nostalgic elements of baseball, 197–200, 205–6
signed to Red Sox, 118
and Updike’s writings, 21
veneration of, 149
and Yankees’ tradition, 39, 47
Rutherford, Damon, 145
Ryan, Nolan, 148
sabermetrics, 64, 65
saints and sinners, 144–63
and the Black Sox scandal, 158–60
and Christy Mathewson, 145, 153–57, 159, 162, 216
and communal elements of baseball, 216
and Dummy Taylor, 156–57
and gambling, 162–63
and the Hall of Fame, 145–46, 148–49, 157–58, 162
and miracles of baseball, 144–47
and The Natural, 160–62
and steroid use, 163
and Ty Cobb, 150–54
and veneration of heroes, 146–50, 157
Salinger, J. D., 186
San Francisco Giants, 84, 183–84
Santana, Johan, 62
Santeria, 156
Santo, Ron, 140
Santos, Lucia, 50
Saul of Tarsus, 90. See also Paul (biblical)
Schalk, Ray, 150
Schilling, Curt, 13, 122, 180
Schmidt, Mike, 43
Schultz, “Germany” Joe, 180
science and scientific worldview, 3–4, 72–73, 76, 217–18
Scioscia, Mike, 41
scoreboards, 22
scouting, 41
Scully, Vin, xii, 42, 78, 88, 112, 187
Seattle Mariners, 182–83
Seaver, Tom, 36, 75, 148, 206
secularism, 76. See also civil religion
segregation of baseball, 135–36, 158, 180
Selig, Bud, 62, 170
September 11 terrorist attacks, 69, 119, 170–71
seventh-inning stretch, 23, 164–74
Sexton, Jed, 45–49, 64, 78
Sexton, John, xi
Shanley, John Patrick, 58–59
Shaughnessy, Dan, 135
Shea Stadium, 140
Sheckard, Jimmy, 70–71
Shelby, John “T-Bone,” 41
Shibe Park, 87
“Shine On, Harvest Moon,” 168
Shot Heard ’Round the World, 101
Shroud of Turin, 61
Sianis, Billy, 139, 140
Sierra, Reuben, 38–39
signal stealing, 103, 162
signs and wonders, 123
Simchat Torah, 138
Simpson, Harry Leon “Suitcase,” 95
sin. See saints and sinners
Sisler, George, 193
skepticism, 76. See also doubt
SkyDome, 31
Slaughter, Enos “Country,” 184
slumps, 31, 131–32. See also blessings and curses
Smith, Red, 103, 106
Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, 182
Smoltz, John, 115
Snider, Duke, xiii, 85, 87
Snow, C. P., 34
Soriano, Alfonso, 120, 121
Sosa, Sammy, 163
South Side, Chicago, 168
Spahn, Warren, 193
Spencer, Shane, 120
spiking, 152
spitballs, 117–18, 194
Sports Illustrated, 127
St. Brendan’s High School, 98
St. Francis College, 47, 49
St. Louis Browns, 142
St. Louis Cardinals
1966 World Series, 54
1968 World Series, 49–50
1985 World Series, 63
2011 World Series, 185, 207
and Boston’s Curse, 134–36
and communal elements of baseball, 183–85
and nostalgic elements of baseball, 198
and World War II, 182
Stallings, George, 116–17
statistics, 64–67, 77, 99–100, 141–42
Steinbrenner, George, 79, 191
Stengel, Casey, 67, 95, 110–11
steroid abuse, 162–63
Stevenson, Adlai, 90
Stiff, William (fictional), 204
Stock, Milt, 131
stolen base records, 151–52, 194
Stottlemyre, Mel, 68
strike zones, 61–63
sublime experiences, 120
substance abuse, 162–63
Super Bowl III, 50
supernatural events, 124–25
Suzuki, Ichiro, 182–83
swamis, 147–48
Swan, Sarah (fictional), 203
Swirsky, Seth, 172–73
Swoboda, Ron, 54–55, 75
symbolic power of baseball, 210–11
Taft, William Howard, 167
“Take Me Out to the Ball Game,” 168–70
Talese, Gay, 141
Tammany Hall, 116
Tanay, Emanuel, 51–52
“Tao in the Yankee Stadium Bleachers” (Updike), 18, 89
Taoism, 18, 211
Tatis, Fernando, 70, 76
Taylor, Luther “Dummy,” 155–56
technology in baseball, 62
Teilhard de Chardin, Pierre, 96, 145–46
television broadcasting, 185, 208
Teresa of Calcutta, 57, 149
Terry, Ralph, 27, 208
Texas Rangers, 185, 207
“Thank God I’m a Country Boy,” 170
theophany, 211–12
Thomas (apostle), 57
Thompson, Bobby, 14, 101, 103, 105, 131
Thompson, Hank, 108
Thoreau, Henry David, 35
Three Rivers Stadium, 26
“Throwback Night,” 196–97
throwback uniforms, 198
Tillich, Paul
on conversion experiences, 93–94
on definition of God, 10–11
on doubt, 56
on faith, 51, 83, 86, 219
on religious ecstasy, 102
Tilzer, Albert von, 168
Tin Pan Alley, 166
Tolkien, J. R. R., 92
Toonerville Trolley, 95
Toronto Blue Jays, 31–32, 114, 169–70, 208
Torre, Joe, 13, 62, 68, 122, 191–92, 200
transcendence, 21, 27–28, 91–92, 94
transcendentalism, 35
transubstantiation, 201
Traub, James, 127
Triple Crown records, 152
tsunami of 2011, 118–19
Turley, Bob, 111
Twain, Mark, 179
The Two Cultures (Snow), 34
Tyler, George “Lefty,” 117
Ulrich, Dutch, 145
Ulrich, George, 145
Ulrich of Augsburg (Saint Ulrich), 144–45
Ulysses (Joyce), 212
umpires, 62–63, 74
Underworld (DeLillo), 101–2
The Universal Baseball Association, Inc., J. Henry Waugh, Prop. (Coover), 65–67
Updike, John, 17–18, 20–21, 89, 205
US Supreme Court, 192–95
Valentine, Bobby, 137
Veeck, Bill, 22
Veeck, Bill, Jr., 22, 168
veneration of heroes, 146–50,
157
Vietnam War, 59
Villa La Pietra, 5
Wagner, Honus “Hans,” 17, 24–26, 157, 180
Wait Till Next Year (Goodwin), 83
Waitkus, Eddie, 161
Wakefield, Tim, 38–39, 44
walk-off home runs, 135, 207–8
Wall Street Journal, 103
Wambold, Walter “the Whammer” (fictional), 160–61
Washington, George, 157
Washington, Ron, 119–20
Washington Nationals, 171
Washington Senators, 25, 155, 164
Watts, Alan, 211
Weaver, Buck, 159–60
Wells, David, 199–200
Wertz, Vic, 106, 108
Westrum, Wes, 106
When God Is Gone Everything Is Holy (Raymo), 124–25
Whitman, Walt, 215
Whiz Kids, 161
Why Time Begins on Opening Day (Boswell), 30
Wiggen, Henry, 145
Wilde, Oscar, 130
Wilhelm, Hoyt, 68
Will, George, 141
Williams, Bernie, 192, 205
Williams, Davey, 107
Williams, Dick, 53–54
Williams, Marvin, 136
Williams, Ted, 134, 148, 182, 205
Wilpon, Fred, 68
Wilson, Mookie, 135
Winans, Charlie, 5–6
WMCA-AM, 101–2
WMOX, 184–85
Womack, Tony, 122
Wonderboy, 147
World Series. See specific teams and players
World War I, 155, 206
World War II, 182
Wright, David, 62
Wright, George, 166–67
Wright, Harry, 166–67