Gary Sheffield knows why African-Americans are disappearing from MLB

I'm so bored at work, I'm quite literally sucking Easy Cheese filler, or whatever it is, out of the pretzel Combos I bought at the gas station.

The debate on this thread hasn't really helped, so back to the Combos.

 

Sheff: Hey, Fehr. I have an idea to pitch to you. Why don't the players union develop or pitch in with MLB in helping out in establishing outreach programs to encourage African-Americans to try out baseball. You may never know, but we might end up finding some kids who can play ball. What do you think?

Fehr: No. The Union will not allow you to risk your playing career and the money you will receive to do such a thing. Can you imagine if you end up suffering an injury by simply playing catch with a 12-year old? That's dangerous.

PhilaYank, thanks for echoing the sentiments most people. This is too much overkill.

 

Shef is an emotional guy. He speaks from his heart and his mind. He calls it like he sees it. He's not a bad person.

 

I don't think there was any intent to hurt anybody here. But just because he is careless when he speaks does not mean he isn't responsible when his words are offensive.

 

Boo FUCKING Hoo, he's emotional, and that excuses a grown man of speaking ignorantly of an entire culture, of insulting people he doesn't know just to make a point that isn't thought through. Sorry, but he sounds like a bigot, and bigots always think they are speaking the truth, a truth that others just don't understand. Well, he may speak from the heart and mind, but all he's showing is that he's another ignorant athlete who confuses fame with intellgence.

 

Look, Shef isn't a Rhodes Scholar. He's a road's scholar, one of bumpy roads in places most people wouldn't be caught in.
I'm not trying to excuse him but he's really a good guy who has been misunderstood ever since he came into the Major Leagues with the Milwaukee Brewers.

 

Doesn't sound like a bigot to me. He simply sounds inarticulate. I don't see any deep seeded resentment wrapped around one word when looking at the big picture of what he attempted to say.

I don't know. This thread allowed me to personally look at baseball's decline in the African American community in my short lifetime.

Some of you guys make it a waste to even point things out you may not be aware of.

I grew up in "the hood" playing street baseball games like stickball, "rolly polly" and "punch ball." Played long enough that my baseball claim to fame was in watching Manny Ramirez and co. give us a mercy rule beatdown in HS. But to speak on things in here....I don't know. Some of you guys are too jaded to address anything other than what line was crossed when something is said.

**shakes head**

 

I reread the GQ interview with Shef and you clearly come away with idea that he is suggesting that there is something wrong with being compliant. He also seems to be saying that it's an admirable trait to not allow yourself to be controlled.

Besides Shef - here are a few few players that fall into the "unwilling to be controlled" catigory:

Lastings Milledge
Delmon Young
Milton Bradley
Carl Everett
Barry Bonds
Elijah Dukes

Given the track record of those players maybe willingness to comply is a desirable trait for major league baseball players.

Baseball is a sport of deep seeded traditions and unwritten rules. Many who have not followed those norms have been flushed out of the game.

Back in 1993 Stick Micheal and Buck Showwalter hatched a plan to rebuild the Yankees from the ground up by getting young players that were willing to buy into the The plan certainly worked.

 

Uh oh. Here goes the bad black guy checklist and how they're ready to "destory" the sanctity of the game. It's amazing how one could selectively dismiss the Torri Hunter's, Ken Griffey Jr's, and Tony Gwynn's of the world when coming in with an agenda.

disgusting....

 

BC, calm down a little. Like I said before, too many people are getting worked up over the words of some guy who's too ignorant to know what he's talking about. If you really want to break it down about guys who "couldn't be controlled," put Ruth, Cobb, Mantle, Martin, Marichal, McGraw, Carlton, Grover Cleveland Alexander and Rube Waddell on that list, too. Plus, no one is dismissing the Hunters, Junior Griffeys and Gwynns of the game, here. Relax, man. Crack open a Yuengling, down a g & t or something.

PS - Boom, what do the early & mid-90s rebuilding efforts of the Yankees have to do with this?

 

Has a lot to do with. The Yankees were looking for players that were compliant.

 

Ah, I see, but I think they were basically looking to avoid players who were headcases. But now that also makes me wonder why they drafted Carl "Dinosaurs Aren't Real" Everett?