quote:Originally posted by Catfish:
TRhit...I enjoy most of your posts. You are wise in many ways and have had a tremendous amount of baseball experience. You are funny, eccentric and I can always count on you to make this message board interesting. BUT you were wrong to have said what you did about your Latino player without at least talking to the player and his family about the situation first. I would not have had as big of a problem if you had said that you gave an honest account of the players baseball abilities, answered all of the recruiter's questions, and after the call talked with the player and his family, who then asked you to call the coach back to tell him that THE PLAYER felt that he could not adjust to the situation/college and would not like to be considered for a baseball position there. I know you can't or won't admit it. But you may have done this player harm. We probably will never know.
Before you plan on not posting anymore just because someone calls you out on this particular issue, think about the many times that you have called other people out on various issues. Don't get mad. Just take it as a learning opportunity...an "AHA" or a "light bulb" moment if you will.
On a lighter note, this reminds me of a time back in 1957 during the Civil Rights movement when my grandmother, who was a maid for one of the richest white families in Columbia, Mississippi, got a call from her employer, Mrs. Rankin, telling my grandmother to let her know if the Civil Rights workers, who were in our town to protest the segregation laws preventing the right to vote for Black people, WERE BOTHERING US. The Fox protecting the Hens!!!!
You cannot make decisions like you did based on race. The player should have been the one to decide whether or not he wanted that opportunity. If my son's coaches had said that about him, he would never have gotten the opportunities he has had. My son has been the only Black on most of the teams that he has played on for most of his life. It was up to us, his parents, to prepare him to feel comfortable and be able to interact well with players of other races. I can't tell you how many times during summer and fall ball seasons my son was the only Black person on the team and therefore, one of the four players sharing a double bedroom at a hotel on the road. Because Brian McCann and my son hit it off well, Brian always wanted my son as one of the four in his room. Kids will adjust. It is us, as grown-ups, that seemingly have the problem.
Please don't get mad at me. I like you and I'm like you, almost. I try to tactfully call it as I see it.
In the world of baseball there is so much that screens you out that you don't want your race to be a negative factor. Because there is nothing in this world that you nor I, nor anyone, can do to change your race. Well, I take that back. Some of us do pass, but that's a topic for another day.
That was an unbelievably well-written post Catfish. I am sure people can find things to be bitter about if they look for them. Have never detected any bittness in what you have to say and that is admirable.
Back to this topic. Can't believe how it has blown up like this. I was only thinking about baseball information when it started and some of these other things would not have occurred to me.