The so called “buzz” on NYC sports “talk radio” this week branding Mets GM Omar Minaya a racist is simply ludicrous.
The so called “buzz” on NYC sports “talk radio” this week branding Mets GM Omar Minaya a racist is simply ludicrous. However, the people keep calling in with their rants and the radio jocks help feed the flames, so the issue made the newspaper yesterday. In a solid article in the NY Daily News, Bob Rasmussen (who covers the sports radio scene) clearly took the issue apart and showed that this matter is nothing but a lot of hot air (with emphasis on quite an abundance of hot air).…
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26 - Met Fan
What Omar is doing is disgusting, my 7 year old just finished a report for School on Jackie Robinson and to see blatent favoritism for people of "his kind" is nausiating. I am a long time Met fan and by no means a Yankee lover but I have to give Steinbrenner his due, when he looks for a player he looks for what he feels is the best player, not the best white , black or brown player. I for one am glad to see this discussion out in the open where it belongs and to show what a bigot Omar Minaya is.
27 - Matthew T. Sussman
Yes, how care Omar Minaya discriminate against white, black and Asian players by getting trading them all away. People like David Wright, Kaz Matsui, Paul Lo Duca, Cliff Floyd, Billy Wagner, Tom Glavine, and Steve Trachsel. What a racist. The nerve.
28 - RJ Elliott
Quick question:
I have read a lot here about how Minaya's controversial moves might be partially-motivated by an effort to "expand the fan base." And no one seems to object to this.
If that's the case, would a white GM of an NBA team be let off the hook for bringing in a lot more white players, if it was part of an effort to "expand the fan base?"
29 - Victor Lana
Met Fan, do you remember Jackie Robinson Day at Shea a couple of years ago? I don't think the Mets or Minaya disregard the importance of all players to the mix.
Suss gets it right by indicating the real mosaic that has become the team. I'd prefer this than the days of the past. Remember M. Donald Grant? His idea of talent was when he'd go out in the street, pick up a kid playing stickball, and put him in the farm system. Frank Cashen turned things around a little bit, but he dropped the ball when he let Doc Gooden and Strawberry go (despite their problems, they were loved).
Minaya is putting a new spin on things and is getting a lot right, except trading the Bensons (see note below). The Mets are a new kind of team. Carlos Beltran even said, "We're the new Mets." Hear, hear for that!
As for Steingrubber, he'd put a giraffe at first base if he thought he'd help him win (and pay 20 million per year for six years). Is that good baseball or just throwing money around?
And RJ, I don't think a white GM in the NBA has the same worries as a GM in MLB. Go to Madison Square Garden and watch the Knicks (lots of fans are there). Still, I guess it might be second guessed, just as what Minaya has been doing has been.
Note:
By the way, yesterday in the sports section of The New York Times there were two articles about this topic. For the first time I found out where the controversy started: Anna Benson. In a news conference after Kris was traded to the Orioles, she claimed that Minaya was trying to "Latinize" the Mets. Sports "talk radio" picked up on it, so here we are!
30 - Matthew T. Sussman
I could do a census of every 40-man roster in the MLB and break it down by ethnicity, but that would make race a factor in baseball. What's more of a factor are wins, losses, ERA, getting runners in scoring position, on-base percentage, and quality at bats.
By the by, Anna Benson is just one of a handful of annoying, large-breasted famous Annas.
31 - Victor Lana
Once again, I agree with Suss. What matters most happens on the field, on the base paths, between the foul lines.
The thing that keeps me excited about baseball is stats. I like putting one player's numbers up against another's. I enjoy checking out top ten lists over the years (top ten in homers, RBI, slugging, average, SO, Saves, Innings Pitched, etc.)
These are the things that qualify baseball, that stay rather constant, and define its appeal for over a hundred years. Stats are not capable of being racist; they are pure and undefiled evidence of a player's ability that defy intolerance, ignorance, and even the yakkers on talk radio.
32 - Goose
So wait a sec, you are above calling into a radio show to discuss these topics, but YOU RUN A BLOG ABOUT THEM ALL DAY LONG.
I love what Omar is doing with the team. I just want them to win and I'm sure that the team chemistry will be great with all of these guys coming in. But I do understand the racism arguement. If a white GM changed the face of a team, doubling the number of white players, it would be all over the media.
33 - Fat Muffin Man
Derek Jeter Is Gay! I was with him and Roberto Alomar last night. Thank you Sir
34 - Victor Lana
Goose, in the end I guess writing about something and talking about it are similar things, but I think more thought can go into the writing and I would not put myself into the spot of ad libbing about a topic on the air. I am writer, so that's why I'm here.
35 - Goose
"I am writer"
not a very good one
I right good n' stuff.
36 - david r. mark
Mets fans should judge Minaya by the parent club's won-lost record, and by the quality of the minor-league system -- as far as how it helps with trades and supplying talent.
Beyond that, who cares whether the players are Latino, Black, White or Green?
37 - DJRadiohead
It is not like Minaya is trading stellar White players for retread, has-been Latin players. Minaya is trying to improve the Mets. We'll know if these moves were good in a few months.
Personally, I think he overpaid in the trade for Delgado and in cash for Wagner.
38 - Gomets!
I think that the comments about the latinization of the Mets is a racist sentiment and is extremely irresponsible on behalf of the talking heads to propogate this myth. If you look around the league at the elite players, many of them are Latin (Pujols, Vlad, A-Rod, Johan Santana, Delgado, Beltran, Manny......). It makes perfect sense that the mets would get more latin players. As met fans aren't we all tired of getting the crappy ones like Baerga, Luis Lopez, Juan Samuel, Felix Heredia and Josias Manzanillo?
39 - david r. mark
I disagree on Delgado. Petit -- who I believe is Latino, btw -- should, if healthy, be a front-end starter. But Jacobs is the next coming of Shane Spencer, and who knows what will come of Hernandez. He's well-regarded, but only at Low-A ball.
40 - Jeff
I am just amazed on how some of you are so defensive and overprotective of Omar. Now I must admit, I am not in NY anymore and can't listen to your local sports talk, but I have yet to read or hear anyone actually call him a "racist". Recognizing that he has signed an abundant number of players of Latin descent is not name calling, it is simply totalling the numbers. Saying the NBA is comprised of primarily African-American men is not a racial or gender biased term. If you were to see an Asian playing ice hockey and saying "hey that is out of the ordinary" is not being a racist. Even as simple as noticing an attractive woman from across the room is not being exist, etc, etc..these are observations. I haven't read anyone denegrate the Hispanic culture of ballplayers at all, that is being a racist. For those of you with blinders on about these abundant numbers I have provided with a list of Omar's signings. I am a long time, die hard Met fan, and I only want them to win. I don't care if their whole team is filled with aliens from Saturn in hopes that they can bring a pennant to Shea. I just want Omar to see all players equally. As I've said before I am not talking about the superstars in question, it's the fringe/bench players that are taking up roster spots and blocking minor leaguers. Minus the stars, here is a list of some of Omar's recent signings.
Bobby Estalella
Jeremi Gonzalez
Jose Santiago
Julio Franco
Jose Valentin
Endy Chavez
Jorge Julio
Duaner Snachez
Jose Parra
Pedro Feliciano
Jesus Flores
Julio Ramirez
Sany Martinez
Juan Tejada
41 - Eric Berlin
This story has been chosen as an Editors' Pick of the Week. You now have the grave yet giddy honor of selecting a story for next week's best of column if you like (time frame 2/1 " 2/7). Simply leave the title, URL, and a brief description of why you dig it on this week's post (link above).
Congrats!!
42 - Victor Lana
I nominate "Smoking, Drinking, Drugs:" by Joanne Kiggins as pick of the week.
43 - [MR]Chip
"Saying Omar Minaya is a racist is like calling Bigfoot a Rhodes Scholar: it just doesn't add up or make any sense at all."
Were you looking for the phrase 'Chewbacca Defense'?
44 - Met Fan
Omar is a Bigot
Two Points
1) Piazza was let go signed with the PAdres for $2 Million and we get LoDuca after two aborted attempts at Hispanic catcher.
2) Benson traded and Zambrano still on the team?
45 - Met Fan
Regarding Steinbrenner, you made my point for me Steinbrenner would put a Giraffe on first if it would help him win and why not. The fact that he would overpay him is irelevant and goes to Steinbrenners business sense not his racial outlook
46 - Brandon
I don't think Omar is racist, but I find the team being marketed in Spanish to be very offensive. Not because I have any thing against the Spanish language, but because it indicates a corporate attempt to reach the larger Spanish speaking population in NYC. And this too, is fine, and dare I say even welcome in the (very white) suburbs of Long Island. But, and this is a huge but, once you get past the first generation of any immigration group who speaks another language, their children speak English. In fact, the statistics show Hispanic youth speak English because Spanish is the language of their parents, and not "cool." So if you were trying to reach the youth market (which is what any company wants because they have the most disposable cash and don't posses brand royalty), you would think the ads would be in English.
But no. The Mets, clearly working on a marketing plan some white guy came up with to reach Spanish-speaking immigrants, have completely missed the mark. I almost wonder if it is the higher ups, and not Omar, that seek out Hispanic players. After all, did the Mets not launch a new sports channel in an over crowded sport market? You have to sell ads to keep any channel in operation, so niche marketing would be crucial.
Just some thoughts. I'm a Yankees fan. They don't care what color you are, or what language you speak. And that is why they will always be the better team. And by the way, as someone who works with inner city school children who are new to this country, they all prefer the Yankees too. Not a shock.
47 - Darren
Dont think hes racist but certainly dumping white players for hispanics..case in point..The July 19th trade of Jeff Keppinger for yet another carribean born player, Puerto Rican Ruben Gotay. Obviously, reverse racism as it is, this is perfectly acceptable, but the public outcry of trying to make a team all white would take on national, almost global proportions. Imagine a baseball or basketball team slowly but methodically convert every last player to white..it's not possible for a white anything these days with unwritten diversity laws.
48 - Rachel Demes
"Clearly" unfounded accusations? Look at the Mets 40 man roster just two years after your blog was written. The team is now 86% Latino.
86%.
But Minaya is "clearly" not a racist. (rolling eyes)
49 - dave chowder
I like string beans
50 - Craig
Rachel,
My thoughts exactly! Within two more years Wright will be placed in the center of the team picture in order to offset Omars contrast - this is out of control, and the Wilpons are allowing this alientation of the dedicated fan base to continue! I guess they want to sell more Red Mets hats!
51 - DK
Minaya is the one who should've been fired. He hired all these over-the-hill hispanic players and overpayed them. The Mets will never win another World Series. They are forever a horrible organization.
52 - Andrew MacEwen
Whether Omar Minaya is a racist is a matter of opinion. What is not a matter of opinion is the fact that he constantly trades or ignores young and talented white players in favor of washed-up and old Hispanic players. The only reason why he has been given a free ride is because he isn't white. If Joe Torre had packed the Yankees with paisanos, the liberal media would certainly have called him a racist. Not to mention Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, and the whole of the NAACP.
53 - Mary
I have to take exception to the claim that most of the best players are Hispanic, that is simply laughable. While there are great Hispanic players, many are not team players, they are too egotistical, and are highly over rated. Most of them swing at anything, and have no concept of winning strategy.
I have no idea whether Minaya is racist, but I do believe he is discriminating against American players, who happen to be black and white. The Mets have not become a star team, and I don't believe Minaya deserves to be put up on a pedestal as having achieved anything of merit.