People have asked me my thoughts on the ugly racial incident caught on National Television during the World Series and the reaction to it by the Commissioner of Baseball, Rob Manfred. By now everyone knows that it was Manfred who decided to defer punishment for the behavior by Houston Astros first baseman, Yuli Gurriel, until next season, where he will serve a five-game suspension.

Manfred’s reaction to this infraction was like rolling up a newspaper and smacking your puppy on the behind three months after he whizzed (technical term for pee pee) on the rug. The offender is a 33-year-old man, who, when asked about the incident admitted he knew what he was doing, he knew what he said and why he said it. Like a cute puppy, he was begging to be disciplined.

There are those in our country who might argue that this is simply a case of political correctness run amok. To that I say, "WRONG." America is only as strong as our institutions. Our institutions are only as strong as our support for them. Right now, our entire society and our most venerated institutions are under siege by an, unhinged, mentally unstable, authoritarian dictator who has occupied the White House.

His biggest and most ardent supporters are people who, like this first baseman with the pineapple inspired coiffure, think it is OK to make racially insensitive remarks. It’s not. These types have been emboldened by this man whose ever shrinking base of support is now made up almost exclusively by dim-witted, racist thugs whose asses I’d like to kick.

Yu Darvish, to whom the actions and remarks were directed, and his manager Dave Roberts are both of mixed race with Asian bloodlines.  Their public comments on the topic have been universally applauded as being classy and dignified. I don’t disagree, but isn’t this how we described hard working, decent African-American citizens in this country who kept their mouths shut in the face of institutionalized segregation. Is this not unlike entertainment industry insiders who did the same for actresses who kept their mouths shut when confronted with sexual harassment from lecherous Hollywood moguls.

I’m not saying or suggesting in any way Darvish and Roberts are complicit in the decision made by Manfred during the World Series, but I’m just drawing on how racial and sexual abuse is glossed over by language. The racist words and actions are referred to as an “unfortunate incident.” The accepting of this behavior and language is referred to as “getting past it” or “moving on.” It is why we never move on and never get past it. We don’t confront it. We don’t affix real blame or real punishment to the offending parties. We often ignore it all together.

When the Astros manager A.J. Hinch called the Dodgers manager Roberts on the phone to say how embarrassed he was for a member of his team behaving this way on National Television and to apologize for his behavior, he also asked is there anything he could do. Roberts, to the great delight of seemingly every one of the sports pundits said, “No let’s just move on from this unfortunate incident.” He could have said, ‘Yes there is…bench this a-hole now…immediately.

That’s what Roberts did to his temperamental right fielder, Yasiel Puig, after he “flipped off” a fan last season who had been heckling him all game. He even sent that same ballplayer to Oklahoma City for a month when he felt he was too big of a distraction on his team’s clubhouse. Anybody who doesn’t think that wasn’t a punishment, has never walked onto a jet plane in Los Angeles and exited in Oklahoma City…in August.    

As it turned out benching this man-child would have had little impact on this terrific World Series and would have removed a cloud over the Astros team, who otherwise played and conducted themselves like champions. If it somehow would have hurt the Astros, in what turned out to be their successful attempt at a World Series Championship, so be it. What a simple, yet resounding message that would have given this troubled nation. Young fans of this ballplayer would have to ask their parents why he was sitting on the bench. Their answer might have been something along the lines of, ‘Our behavior has consequences, even for the talented, wealthy and famous among us. What he did was unacceptable.  It was an egregious error.’

As far as the Astros fans are concerned, their reaction was a metaphor for the problems that confront our country. When this player came to home plate to bat for the first time in Houston, many people in the very expensive seats around home plate and behind the dugouts leapt to their feet and gave the player an extended standing ovation to show their support of him. It was a sickening display. They were eventually drowned out by a chorus of “boos” that rained down upon them from the majority of fans, many sitting in the cheap seats. The rich people are on camera and get all the attention, yet represent a vast minority…even in Texas.

I’m just surprised that the Mango Mussolini didn’t (to my knowledge) weigh in on this cultural side-show. I guess he felt his war with the NFL was enough of a political distraction for the time being. Going to war with Baseball and Football at the same time might have been a bit much even for a man who seems to have an insatiable appetite for unnecessary conflict.

While our country is temporarily operating with no moral leadership in the White House, others in positions of authority need to pick up their game. We all have to do our part to keep our society from devolving even further into a hate filled arena where people like Trump and his gang can leverage our differences into a place where he can suck this country dry.

Manfred was given a huge stage. The cameras were rolling and the spotlight was on him. He was offered up a hanging curveball on a 3-2 count, right down the middle of the plate. He struck out.   

-  David Mac



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