not playing on religious holidays: C/D?

i don't think it's a big deal, nor should it be. can you think of one credible source who would actually say that a baseball game is more important or should be more important to a player than his religious faith? having said that, why the hell shouldn't mlb play on the first day of yom kippur? nfl plays on thanksgiving, nba plays on christmas, college football lives for news years day, and mlb already plays on most other secular holidays.

no big thing to me.

Do Catholic athletes play on Easter Sunday?

(sorry i don't know what sports are played in the spring).

also, do you think he will fast?

Unfortunately for Green, Yom Kippur falls on a weekend this year. If the Saturday game had been a night game, then he could have played it since the holiday ends at sundown on Saturday.

Obviously he can do what he wants, but if he doesn't play Saturday, then he shouldn't play Friday, according to Jewish tradition.

I don't think he's particularly religious, but Yom Kippur is the holiest day of the Jewish year so even the most mildly religious Jews will take the day off.

I've never heard a story about Greenberg sitting.

I guess Classic for sticking up for his beliefs, Dud for jackasses who
claim that he should be putting baseball above his family and beliefs.

I was wrong about Greenberg. From a Toronto Star article, printed yesterday:

"Hank Greenberg, a star with the Detroit Tigers, observed Yom Kippur instead of playing in a big game for the Tigers in 1934. He walked into synagogue in Detroit during the middle of a prayer — and received a standing ovation."

Here's a link to the article, entitled
Athletes Keeping the Faith

It'd be one thing for Green to sit if he's observant, but the stories I've read say he's not. Hence I think the "gesture" is a little overrated, tho he's entitled to do what he wants. (Unless you take the Penn Jillette view that any sacrifice is not worth it for the "pernicious nonsense" of any religious dogma.)

The day for Catholic athletes to sit would be Good Friday, and they don't; but I know MLB tries to avoid scheduling day games on it (a pain given the April chill up north).

the recently expired NHL bargaining agreement stipulated no hockey games on christmas eve or christmas day. rip.

Koufax wasn't religious either, but he understood the cultural significance of the holiday and didn't want to offend his family or the Jewish community. I think it's the same with Green.