Religious Compromise Upsets Ranger Pitcher

Texas Rangers pitcher Edwin Correa says his desire to stay with the team may waver if he is not allowed to observe his religion’s Sabbath.

Ranger Manager Bobby Valentine excused Correa, a devout Seventh Day Adventist, from 5 p.m. Friday to 5 p.m. Saturday last season in respect for the pitcher’s religious beliefs.

But Valentine may ask Correa to agree to a compromise in the arrangement during the 1988 season, his third in professional baseball. Valentine would like Correa to be available at least for the six Friday nights and Saturdays that he is scheduled to start, the Dallas Times Herald reported.

Correa said he is distressed by the idea.

“That’s not negotiable,” Correa said. “It’s something they gave me, and it would look awful if they took it away from me. That’s not money. You can’t take 20% off. It’s in me.”

“I have never veered in my respect and belief in Edwin’s convictions,” Valentine said. “No one has. I am no less aware of his beliefs this year than I was last year. But (the situation) is less comfortable than I thought it would be.”

Ranger General Manager Tom Grieve said options have been discussed, but that any change in Correa’s schedule would come from Valentine.

“It seems premature to talk about it when Eddie and I haven’t discussed it,” Valentine told the Associated Press. “I don’t even think it’s much of a concern other than four or five dates a year.”

Valentine was occasionally forced to juggle the pitching lineup to accommodate Correa, before a stress fracture shoulder injury ended his 1987 season in July after 15 starts.

Correa was 3-5 with a 7.59 ERA last year.

Correa’s religion calls for strict observance of the Ten Commandments, including the third, which involves honoring the Sabbath with rest, not work.

Correa, 21, said he worries that some people, including his teammates, might view his Saturday absences as a way to get out of work.

“Probably, people think because I ask for the Sabbath all I do is go home and go to sleep,” Correa said. “We have to get this clear. All I do is for the church.”

This winter, while doing the necessary rehabilitation for his shoulder, Correa has been working for his church. He organized a choral group to help raise funds for the construction of a sanctuary and will travel next week to California to speak to other young Adventists.