The Sox, the Nats, and the Chaplains [or] Locker Room Access at What Price?

I read two constrasting stories over the past two days about evangelical Christianity in Major League Baseball. The Sox article is interesting and maybe even encouraging; the Nats article is disappointing but hardly surprising.

I found this section from the Sox article most interesting:

"I'm learning through Christ that I can become the kind of person I want to become," [Bill] Mueller, who also won the 2003 AL batting title, said on the DVD. "That's more fulfilling to me than any batting title or World Series."

[Trot] Nixon said in an intervew that he felt a brief sense of emptiness the day after winning the World Series because he had placed such a high priority on the achievement.

"I knew I had to put God on that pedestal [instead]," Nixon said.

Day, who also serves as chaplain for the Patriots, has seen a common theme among professional athletes who turn to God.

"Some of these guys get everything they think they always wanted in life at a young age and then find that it still leaves them a bit empty," he said. "They become more open to spiritual things and it can lead to a personal relationship with God."

Concerning the Nats article, the growing trend of punishing chaplains who affirm the exclusivity of Christ is just further evidence that the only thing American culture forbids Christians to believe is that what they believe is actually true. I wonder how many chaplains in athletics or any other venue exchange the gospel for ongoing access.