I remember when I was a freshman in high school and I was actually one of the last ones cut from the freshman basketball team. The coach approached me before cutting me and told me that I was cut simply because I was too short. While all of my classmates had grown, I didn't. HELLOOOOOO!!! Of course I was disappointed, but I understood. Another young man was cut before I was. His parents didn't take it so well...and determined that he was cut because he was a Jew and that the coach was an anti-Semite. And they made such a huge stink that the coach was so terrified of any backlash that he put "Marc" back on the team. Because he was Jewish? Well...uh...as many of my friends will recall...my father...in addition to a lot of the other positions he held in town...he was the President of the synagogue. So...if the coach was TRULY against JEWS...then perhaps I was FIRST in line. Of course not. And...what the coach didn't know...because of the changing of a last name by relatives passing through Ellis Island...the team's starting guard was, in fact, JEWISH, and HIS father was Vice President of the synagogue under my dad.
If Coach E. only knew. But the use of "bias" is quite often just a weapon, and not a reality, which is really disgusting because it takes away from the true horror of prejudice and bias.
The Mets passed on Noah Syndergaard, one of the most popular players in Mets history, and let him sign with the Los Angeles Angels. Syndergaard is Caucasian. The Mets passed on Steven Matz, another member of that group of starting pitchers that were going to be the best ever, and let him sign with the St. Louis Cardinals. (Although Matz was not their own free agent.) Matz is Caucasian. The Mets passed on Michael Conforto, a talented former first-round pick and last remaining position player from the 2015 World Series team, and failed to re-sign him. Conforto is Caucasian.
The Mets signed Starling Marte to a free agent contract. Marte is a native of the Dominican Republic. The Mets signed Eduardo Escobar to a free agent contract. Escobar is a native of Venezuela. The Mets signed Mark Canha to a free agent contract. Canha is a California guy of Portuguese descent. The Mets, of course, signed Max Scherzer to a free agent contract. Scherzer is Caucasian.
Marcus Stroman was not passed up by the New York Mets because he is black.
Marcus Stroman can be a good pitcher. He can be a great pitcher. At times. He can also be a disruptive pain in the ass. I don’t care what his color is, I don’t care what religion he is, I don’t care what car he drives, I don’t care if he does or doesn’t like lobster. What I DO care about is what he brings to the table AS A BASEBALL PLAYER.
Stroman has a 61-60 record with a 3.63 ERA over his seven-year career in Major League Baseball. His career WHIP is 1.266. His numbers are average…maybe slightly above average for today’s Major League pitchers. His words speak louder than his numbers.
I know all about being an activist and an advocate. And putting yourself out there leaves you vulnerable to the attacks – warranted or not – of others. So if you want to spew on social media, Tweet all kinds of thoughts that flow from your brain and roll down to your tongue and out like a gumball machine, then more power to you. That is your right.
But when you bring your antics onto the playing field, and into the clubhouse, causing a disruption, then it is on you when people point the criticizing finger in your direction. It opens up the flood gates. And when your performance level doesn’t outweigh the headache, then perhaps you shouldn’t let the door hit you in the ass on your way out.
