There was a time, before the NFL rose to prominence, when Major League Baseball was America’s sport. Not just our national pastime, but the very fabric of the American experience. “Whoever wants to know the heart and mind of America,” said historian Jacques Barzun, “had better learn baseball.”

No more. Not even today’s woke NFL need fear the Big Leagues. Baseball has alienated much of its fan base for a variety of reasons over the years — from free agency run amok to the cost of a bleacher seat to the interminable length of the games themselves — and the Los Angeles Dodgers appear hell-bent on alienating many of those who remain.

Earlier this month, the Dodgers announced that they’d “honor” the local chapter of the hard-left, anti-Catholic hate group known as The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence with their annual Community Hero Award. These vile “Sisters” purport to be nuns and take on names such as Sister T'aint A Virgin, Sister Porn Again, and Sister Holly Lewya. The award was to be presented sometime in June, the calendar month that has been hijacked by the Rainbow Mafia as “Pride Month.”

Sanity, though, seemed to prevail, as the outrage grew and the Dodgers rescinded their invitation via Twitter: “We are now aware that our inclusion of one group in particular — The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence — in this year’s Pride Night has been the source of some controversy. Given the strong feelings of people who have been offended by the sisters’ inclusion in our evening, and in an effort not to distract from the great benefits that we have seen over the years of Pride Night, we are deciding to remove them from this year’s group of honorees.”

All’s well, right? Wrong. Sadly, pathetically, after having gotten an earful from some outsized leftist pressure groups, the team flip-flopped on Monday: “After much thoughtful feedback from our diverse communities, honest conversations within the Los Angeles Dodgers organization and generous discussions with the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, the Los Angeles Dodgers would like to offer our sincerest apologies to the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, members of the LGBTQ+ community and their friends and families.”

One wonders what Jackie Robinson would think if he knew that his quiet, dignified, noble fight to break baseball’s color barrier 76 years ago would lead to this grotesque misappropriation.

“Super curious what devout Catholics on your team think of this,” said one Matt Whitlock. “Did you explain to Julio Urias that you just had to invite the group that openly and grotesquely mocks his faith because liberal interest groups like the ACLU got mad at you?”

The Archdiocese of Los Angeles also weighed in to denounce the twisted Sisters’ blasphemy with a statement that read, in part:

The decision to honor a group that clearly mocks the Catholic faith and makes light of the sincere and holy vocations of our women religious who are an integral part of our Church is what has caused disappointment, concern, anger, and dismay from our Catholic community. The ministries and vocations of our religious women should be honored and celebrated through genuine acts of appreciation, reverence, and respect for their sacred vows, and for all the good works of our nuns and sisters in service of the mission of the Catholic Church. From providing a quality education for inner city students, to serving the sick, the homeless, the hungry and so many others in need, to caring for the souls of our faithful through prayer, our women religious have dedicated their lives to the Catholic faith and mission, sharing God’s loving grace with others. The Archdiocese stands against any actions that would disparage and diminish our Christian faith and those who dedicate their lives to Christ.

National Review’s Dan McLaughlin happens to be the nephew of Vin Scully, the iconic “Voice of the Dodgers” for more than six decades and a devout Catholic until his death last August. Said McLaughlin Monday night: “I cannot overstate what a betrayal it is for the Dodgers, of all organizations, to give a home to an anti-Catholic hate group.”

Here, the Dodgers would do well to be mindful of their audience and their fan base. Los Angeles, after all, is 40% Hispanic, and 43% of that group identify as Catholics.

The folks at PragerU have seen and heard enough, and they’ve organized accordingly. If you’re inclined, you can add your name to their open letter, which reads: “We want to watch baseball with our families. We don’t want to see anti-Catholic drag queens honored at Dodger Stadium. America’s pastime should unite and entertain people of all ages, not divide us. Keep radical agendas out of our sports.”

Let’s hope Dodgers fans give their team the Bud Light treatment.

It’s possible, though, that the team has already begun to feel the heat. As the irrepressible Babylon Bee quips, the Bums have summoned Satan himself to throw out the first pitch on Pride Night.

POSTSCRIPT: Claremont fellow Megan Basham tweeted this observation about two of the Dodgers’ most integral parts: “Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw has Col. 3:23 in his bio: "Whatever you do, work at it w/ all your heart as working for the Lord.” Manager Dave Roberts has said, “My relationship w/ Christ is the most important thing in my life.” Will they be silent as @Dodgers honor this group?“