Texas Rangers' third baseman Jake Burger has taken his faith boldly out onto the baseball field. According to the World Baseball Network, “after hitting a two-run double in an 8-3 win over Colorado last week, Jake Burger gave a papal wave and made the Sign of the Cross in the direction of the Rangers’ dugout.”
A Fox Sports reel captured the moment that came after Burger shared his thoughts about Pope Leo XIV with the Dallas Morning News: "He's a Midwestern guy like me. I was proud. And since he's been elected pope, we've been rather hot."
The Dallas Morning News followed up with a teasing question: “Are you claiming a little extra help?”
Burger, who previously played for the Chicago White Sox, replied: “I think it would be a disservice to him, not to give [Pope Leo XIV] some credit. He’s a White Sox fan. I’d like to think he didn’t like the trade, and maybe he put in a little blessing for me. So, I told the guys, if I get to second, my new double sign is going to be the wave.”
Burger did not disappoint.
But the baseball field is not the only place where this Catholic athlete, husband, and father has been hitting home runs. After his newborn daughter Penelope was diagnosed with Down syndrome last year, Burger and his wife Ashlyn formed The Burger Family Foundation, whose mission is to "empower families with disabilities through direct support and transformative community programs."
In honor of his daughter, Burger changed his jersey number to 21 to represent the extra copy of the 21st chromosome that people with Down syndrome carry, making this bold baseball player easy to spot and one to certainly keep in your prayers.
