Look, there are plenty of instances of real racism, without going this route:
The underlying question in the reaction to these incidents—and several similar other ones this year involving Latino players, including Puig—seemed to be why these players couldn't simply behave like they are supposed to? Why couldn't these guys play the game the "right way"?
The framing of the incidents in this manner is ignorant and prejudicial. What exactly is the "right way" to play the game? Who decides what the "right way" is? And why can't bat flips and celebrations be considered the "right way"?
In the Dodgers-Cards series, Yasiel Puig got attention for being a jerk, and standing around home plate celebrating a ball that didn't even go out. And he's a rookie. Rookies don't act that way. It's not about race, it's about status. You don't act like you are all that until you are all that. And THEN you don't act that way, because it's not baseball.
A case in point: David Ortiz (that's Dav-EED Or-TEES, for you keeping score of Latinos). On Wednesday night, he hit a single, and because his bat touched the Cards' catcher on the follow-through David looked back ON HIS WAY TO FIRST BASE and pointed, saying, "Sorry, man." That's class.
And then Ortiz hit a home run on Thursday night. In a scoreless game. With his team behind. In the WORLD SERIES. And he dropped his bat, and ran to first. No celebration, no "I'm a badass" stuff. Just did his job. Watch the video. Now, you can see that Ortiz wasn't sure it would go out, but it did go out. Puig was sure it would go out, and IT DIDN'T.
If one of the greatest hitters, regular and post-season, in baseball history can act that way, surely the youngsters can, too. This is not a racial matter. It's a question of keeping your mouth shut and earning respect. David Ortiz is a paragon of how the game should be played. So is Carlos Beltran. The problem is youth. The problem is Bryce Harper and Yasiel Puig. Not Carlos and David.
The underlying question in the reaction to these incidents—and several similar other ones this year involving Latino players, including Puig—seemed to be why these players couldn't simply behave like they are supposed to? Why couldn't these guys play the game the "right way"?
The framing of the incidents in this manner is ignorant and prejudicial. What exactly is the "right way" to play the game? Who decides what the "right way" is? And why can't bat flips and celebrations be considered the "right way"?
In the Dodgers-Cards series, Yasiel Puig got attention for being a jerk, and standing around home plate celebrating a ball that didn't even go out. And he's a rookie. Rookies don't act that way. It's not about race, it's about status. You don't act like you are all that until you are all that. And THEN you don't act that way, because it's not baseball.
A case in point: David Ortiz (that's Dav-EED Or-TEES, for you keeping score of Latinos). On Wednesday night, he hit a single, and because his bat touched the Cards' catcher on the follow-through David looked back ON HIS WAY TO FIRST BASE and pointed, saying, "Sorry, man." That's class.
And then Ortiz hit a home run on Thursday night. In a scoreless game. With his team behind. In the WORLD SERIES. And he dropped his bat, and ran to first. No celebration, no "I'm a badass" stuff. Just did his job. Watch the video. Now, you can see that Ortiz wasn't sure it would go out, but it did go out. Puig was sure it would go out, and IT DIDN'T.
If one of the greatest hitters, regular and post-season, in baseball history can act that way, surely the youngsters can, too. This is not a racial matter. It's a question of keeping your mouth shut and earning respect. David Ortiz is a paragon of how the game should be played. So is Carlos Beltran. The problem is youth. The problem is Bryce Harper and Yasiel Puig. Not Carlos and David.
4 comments:
Joe Morgan and Carlton Fisk, on Deion Sanders;
http://www.joemorganshow.com/the-joe-morgan-show-podcast/joe-morgan-show-preview-carlton-fisk-on-deion-sanders
Here's the complete version of the Deion Moment;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3kDWSzrCkD0
You forgot the biggest of the three problems with youth: Mike Trout. But snarkiness aside... if another team has a problem with Puig, have some pitcher* dot him.
*Said pitcher should not be to attached to his face.
I'm not quite sure of the game, but does anyone remember the tirade that Ortiz went off on in the dugout, when he went all Mr. October on the water cooler and phone? He almost hit Pedroia in the head with the bat. All because he was pissed about an umpire showing HIM up. Shouldn't it be the other way around? Anyway, after I saw and heard Ortiz's response fromt that game, he lost respect from me.
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