The only thing which could have been more damning is if he hadn’t spoken about it at all.

Sweeney is basically one of the nicest guys in professional sports and has been his entire career. He’s a devout Christian who really takes the love and kindness message of that religion to heart (and I’m an agnostic). He’s a squeaky clean, good clubhouse guy who even learned Spanish so he could talk to all of his teammates. He’s a genuine good guy who doesn’t deserve any of the shit that some Royals fans randomly and bizarrely throw at him.

And I’m not saying this because I’m some kind of fawning fanboy. Sweeney was never my favorite Royal. He was a good player and a nice guy, that’s it. And then he fell victim to a chronic back injury, which essentially ended his career. He was not a great player. But he’s always been a very good person. I think you cynicism is misplaced here. I’m a cynic too, but my cynicism is usually based in something, not just pulled out of my arse.

Nobody’s that nice. She was working some kind of angle.

Case closed.

who does not believe that Sweeney is a fake.

He’s kind of in a tricky position, though. In general, Catholics are criticized for not evangelizing enough – especially compared to many Protestant groups. But because of Sweeney’s fame, his efforts to evangelize more are taken as “shoving his Catholicism down people’s throats.” If he was just some dude working in a college parish, he’d be seen as a really great, enthusiastic man of fiery faith and conviction. But since he’s a baseball player, those qualities are seen as a bad thing.

Personally, I hope he continues his public ministry after he’s out of baseball. He has had a pretty huge impact on my own faith life, so it hurts a little to see people bashing him all the time.