Kansas City Royals pitcher Edinson Volquez’s father died a few hours before the opening game of the World Series, but the family asked the Kansas City Royals not to give him the sad news until after the game so that he would be able to pitch the game as scheduled. This decision has generated a lot of discussion about whether the family did the right thing, whether the Royals did the right thing, and what the “right” thing to do should have been. What does the Code have to say about this?
The Code teaches us to respect others and to be a positive influence on the relationships on the team. It also says to put team goals ahead of personal goals. One way in which this is tested is when situations arise in which there is more than one “right” answer, when one tenet of the Code seems to be at odds with another. Sandy Koufax famously refused to pitch in the World Series on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, for religious reasons. Many admired him for it; others thought it was the wrong decision because he was letting the team down. The Volquez family thought it was doing the right thing. While differences of opinion are natural, we think that in these cases the decision of the individual – Koufax or the Volquez family – should be respected. To respect the dignity of another is only difficult – and meaningful – when we disagree with decisions he or she makes.
