African-American baseball player Gary Sheffield thinks he knows why the percentage of African-Americans in Major League Baseball is falling:
From here.
Well, I have a theory, too: You’re a racist idiot. And I have lots more support for my theory than you do for yours.
That’s quite honestly the dumbest thing I’ve read in at least a week.
What makes his claim racist, particularly? It is pretty much identical to the claims made by organized labor in the early 1900s (just before we slammed the door on immigration), with white workers complining about white immigrant workers: management prefers immigrant labor that will do the same work for less money and will, (due to their immigrant status and a feeling of displacement and being out of their own world), be more compliant to the desires and demands of management.
Now, I have no idea how accurate that claim may be, (then or now); I have no idea whether Caribbean basin ballplayers are actually any more likely to bow down to management than anyone else, (particularly after they have been here for one or two seasons). However, the claim, right, wrong, or containing a mixture of truth and error is hardly a clear cut case of racism.
Damn, tom, you’re just too reasonable sometimes. A good accusation of racism is just more satisfying than saying in effect, “I’m not so sure of that.” What’s your problem, man?
On topic: I agree with tom on this. Not to say that the esteemed Gary Sheffield is not a racist, but I don’t see any reason to make the accusation from his statement.
He sure seems to be nudging up to, if not directly, at least by implication.
*"Where I’m from, you can’t control us. You might get a guy to do it that way for a while because he wants to benefit, but in the end, he is going to go back to being who he is. And that’s a person that you’re going to talk to with respect, you’re going to talk to like a man.
“These are the things my race demands. So, if you’re equally good as this Latin player, guess who’s going to get sent home? I know a lot of players that are home now can outplay a lot of these guys.”*
Clearly, in his eyes, his race is more “manly” and deserving of respect. Now, if a white player had said the same thing about the black race, would anyone question the charge of racism?
From further in the link (bolding mine):
Sure sounds like this guy thinks his “race” is better than “Latins” so I think I’m going with the OP on his being a racist.
It appears that Gary believes he’s better than “Latins” because he can’t be controlled and that is a product of race rather than being a big-mouth ass.
And on preview, I guess I agree with Contra.
Well, its sorta racist because it plays on the stereotype of the no hable engles Latin player, like The SNL character from the 70’s. Plus, it implies that skilled Latin players can be equated with non-english speaking migrant workers who take abuse and like it for fear that they’ll be sent back to Mexico. Does Gary know how many Latin major leaguers actually can’t speak English? Haven’t all of them at least spent a few years in the American minor league system, where most learned English if they didn’t know it in the first place? And doesn’t his reasoning go against another- the preferred Latin stereotype that they are “hotheads”?
What really makes it racist is that it insults another race to justify the lack of success or whatever he thinks it is with his own. In reality, black people don’t play baseball like they did up until the 70’s when baseball was the most popular sport in the US. Its now a distant third, with blacks simply preferring football and basketball. Simple as that, yet Gary takes the question as insult at his race, when he should just take it as a difference in the races, like another stereotype “why don’t black people swim?” Gary probably has an excuse why his uncle Dwight Gooden pissed his life and fame and fortune away for drugs.
He may have a point if Latin ball players accepted smaller contracts, but IIRC, A-Rod and Manny Ramirez are the the top two paid players, both speak English, neihter is complaint, either.
And we all know how easy latin players are to contol. No egos or tempers in THAT group. And it’s not like they can have professional representation once they get into the majors.
Time for spooje’s stupid question o’the day!
Are they saying that there are fewer blacks in the majors or African Americans? If African Americans, was the same distinction made 20 years ago?
Do they consider Vlad Guerrero and Wilson Betemit latin or black. And if they are considered latin players and not African American American players, would that designation change if their parents had immigrated here before they were born? (I’m trying to stir the pot, but just understand how they arrive at their stats)
Latin blacks do not count as American blacks. Back in the 60’s and 70’s there were much higher percentages of American blacks in the majors than now- I think around three times as many. Not sure how they count Latin blacks born in the US.
But many more Latin blacks than American blacks in the majors now.
Actually baseball is the second most popular sport. It’s overall television ratings (total season viewers, ratings during the playoffs and World Series) and annual attendance are way higher than basketball’s. Now, due to the longer season baseball is pretty much unbeatable when it comes to total attendance figures, but baseball’s stronger ratings in television than basketball is noteworthy since it has stronger ratings and a longer season, with tons of games that a lot of people won’t care about.
And that’s if we only confine ourselves to the MLB level. Minor league baseball has a very healthy following. College baseball has strong regional followings (though not near as strong as college basketball.) And of course, baseball is the most played team sport in America. Football is hands down the most popular television sport, but Americans of all ages from little kids to middle aged men play in baseball leagues (or softball).
Sheffield is a racist idiot. This little gem:
*You might get a guy to do it that way for a while because he wants to benefit, but in the end, he is going to go back to being who he is. And that’s a person that you’re going to talk to with respect, you’re going to talk to like a man.
These are the things my race demands.*
is freaking hilarious. I got news for you, Gary. If you’re a trouble-making, incompetent druggie, I’m not going to talk to you with respect no matter what your race is. Shove your “demands” up your ass. Did it ever occur to you that this sport pays off on the better players? The owners don’t give a rat’s ass if you are black, green, or polka-dotted. Can you get their team to the playoffs? If you can, then they will pay you millions of dollars to do so. But it is a team sport, and that means working as a team. Poison that by being a trouble-maker and off you go. You say you know guys at home that can outplay current players? Wanna bet? Or are you making this judgement just based on the race of the players involved? Go look up “fuckwit” in the dictionary, Gary. You’re listed as an example.
ETA: My phrasing is suspect. I am not accusing Sheffield of being a druggie, nor am I accusing blacks of being such.
I’d like to put Gary Sheffield in a room with some of these “docile Hispanics” like Orlando Hernandez and Carlos Zambrano and see how well he’s able to “control” them and “tell them what to do”.
I was gonna gefend the guy a little bit – thinking he meant that immigrants who don’t speak the language are easier to manipulate and rip off.
But then I read what he actually said, and he’s just a total fuckhead.
I was just going to make that point. I’ll bet Cubs managment doesn’t consider Carlos one of their more easily managed players right about now.
I think his claim was that baseball was #3 among American blacks.
Baseball is not nearly as popular as basketball among african-americans.
Well, there is Ozzie Guillen…
I don’t see anything racist about Sheffield’s statements. At most, he’s talking about cultural traits (as he sees them), but he’s not a “racist.”
I think people cheapen the word and trivialize ACTUAL racism when they rush to show how offended they are everytime somebody expresses the slightest opinion about ethnic/cultural/racial differences.
Also, a lot of the Hispanic players he’s talking about are black, so the “racism” charge doesn’t even make sense.
maybe it’s a generational thing. Kids today have no clue what racism actually is anymore.
I’m usually the one ridiculing accusations of racism, but not this time. The quote in the OP represents a racist worldview. He’s not talking about Mexicans, which is a nationality. He’s talking about Latinos, a race recognized — and rightly so — by the federal government (though it may still call it “Hispanic”).
There is no such thing as a “race.” Latinos are not even all the same color. Sammy Sosa and Christina Aguilera are both “Hispanic.” are they the same race?
I think it’s obvious that Sheffield was talking about (his perception of) cultural differences, not racial ones. He might even be right. How do we know that MLB DOESN’T see Latino immigrants as being easier to control than homegrown brothers from the hood? I bet that’s EXACTLY how they think.
You spoke of people’s tendency to “trivialize ACTUAL racism”. How can there be actual racism if there are no actual races?