The Yunel Escobar Affair – MLB Strikes Out

It was about ten days ago that Toronto Blue Jays Shortstop Yunel Escobar appeared in a game wearing eye black with what many people considered was a gay slur written on them. Written in white lettering  against the black background were the Spanish words “tu ere maricon,” which sources have indicated translates to “you are a faggot.”

The Toronto Blue Jays issued a statement indicating the organization does “not support discrimination of any kind nor condone the message displayed by Yunel Escobar during Saturday’s (September 16th) game. The club takes this situation seriously and is investigating the matter.”

Shortly thereafter, the Blue Jays suspended Escobar for three games and donated his salary for that period of time to GLAAD (Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Discrimination) and the You Can Play Project, whose mission is to “ensure equality, respect and safety for all athletes, without regard to sexual orientation.” Major League Baseball and the Players Association also agreed to the actions taken in connection with this incident.

Escobar issued a statement apologizing for his actions several days after its occurrence. After a flurry of activity in the press, the incident began to fade, and attention returned to other matters, such as the pennant races and the upcoming playoffs.

It’s still front and center for me.

Twelve years ago, Atlanta Braves relief pitcher John Rocker made disparaging remarks against gays, foreigners and minorities in an interview that appeared in Sports Illustrated. MLB gave Rocker a thirty-day suspension, which was later reduced to fourteen days upon appeal by the Players Association.

In this case, with Escobar earning $5 million a year, three games translates to a little more than $90,000, which is a drop in the bucket. I believe the suspension should have been longer.

However, my primary concern is that in all the hullabaloo I heard nothing about some sort of sensitivity training for Mr. Escobar. In my opinion and judgment, this should have been the most important and a non-negotiable element of the actions taken. Ignorance, fear and bigotry can and should be corrected in a variety of ways, and among them are lessons delivered in classrooms with many attendees, discussion groups, articles in the press, or in a qualified counselor’s office.

Major League Baseball presents itself as a forward thinking, all-inclusive organization, with its “Stand Up To Cancer” commitment, an annual Civil Rights Game, inner-city programs for disadvantaged children and other activities. Several teams have taken this one step further by providing support for the “It Gets Better Project,” which works to eliminate intolerance and “provide hope for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and other bullied teens by letting them know that it gets better.”

In the Yunel Escobar affair, it sure doesn’t feel like the battle against intolerance and bigotry is getting better, and I hold the Toronto Blue Jays, Major League  Baseball and the Players Association responsible. Even if it’s just one high profile athlete getting counseling, the attention in the press would be enormous, with many people learning about this issue, perhaps some for the first time. It didn’t happen. Baseball had a golden opportunity and instead of taking it they dropped the ball, and for me, not to condemn is to condone.