Texsox

Exactly but making that call on what is acceptable is exactly what people what umpires to do. They want the umps to judge the player and decide if culturally that player should be allowed to use the n****a word or not.

And perhaps spend some real money are providing fields. Then imagine if players would also promote. I'm willing to bet that most of the guys here who are 50+ will have stories of MLB players coming to their Little League banquets to hand out trophies. I picked up one from Don Kessinger. Could you image today a six time All-Star travelling to a small town banquet to give a short speech, sign autographs (for free) and hand out trophies?

I was agreeing with you that MLB is not a regular workplace. In setting policy for MLB there are just so many differences that need to be factored in. If after you threw your laptop at Shirley and your boss disciplined you would Twitter go crazy? Would forums explode? Of course not. They aren't the same. MLB,, like all sports, are much more heavily scrutinized. And again I agree that a lot of bad things are said on the baseball field, as in other sports. I will add that bad things are said in all workplaces. If the employer decides that there are a few taboo topics and words and they want to write rules to limit that, they are within their rights. And as someone who has had to write policy and rules for workplaces I know first hand how difficult it is. As soon as you start being subjective and allowing some and not others it becomes unenforceable. So policy becomes objective not subjective. So if in fact MLB has put in a policy that certain words will result in ejection we can't have umpires deciding if a player is part of the group that is allowed to use the word, or not. Could you imagine an umpire asking a player what their race is so they can make a ruling?

What I've read is the lack of fields to play on. Across America baseball fields are being replaced by soccer or just never built. In the cities, basketball courts take up less space and are easier to maintain than baseball fields. Football benefits from being an almost made for TV sport. As baseball's popularity has fallen, so to has American players.

I really dislike two part authentication just to get my email at work.

It's very much NOT a regular workplace. I don't believe I ever said it was. You continue to put words in my mouth which I have not said. How many business have their customers watching their every move? Customer relations becomes a huge deal. That meeting in the conference room isn't televised. People will not be endlessly reconstructing what happened. So you are exactly right, it isn't a regular workplace. What it does share are workplace rules. In fact baseball has a couple sets of rules. Way more than a regular business.

Exactly right. Now write a policy that covers this.

Where did I say I was offended by cracker? I'm not. I'm not certain what I wrote that caused you to believe that. Allow me to try to clarify my point. There is a difference between social norms and workplace rules that carry consequences. Written rules become far more exact and difficult to write. I'm going to assume that we agree that there are some groups of people who should not use that word ever. I will further assume that if you were an employer and those people using that word hurt your business you would want to stop them from using that word at work. Now in writing the new rule do you A, Stop all people from using the word or B. Make a list of who can, and who can't use the word?

Great point. It was created to degrade an entire race of people. It is so much more than just a curse word. So an employer (MLB) decides to stop the usage of the word because of the weight it carries. Within a workplace a rule that is applied differently based on sex or race becomes impossible to implement. Who will decide who gets to use a specific word? I have no problem with TA using the word. Employers absolutely have the right to set boundaries over what is said within the workplace. If MLB tried to disciline for using it outside of work, I'd think they were stepping way over the line. But having a no n-word policy at work, seems within fair boundaries.

Who should it be up to if not MLB? I believe it is reasonable to have a few words that are absolutely off limits. There are easily understood differences between Damn it, fuck it, and the n word (plus a couple more). And the rule would have to be applied consistently, no matter who says it. Not all swearing is equal.

Which kind of means he feels it would have been upheld on appeal.

?

The best thing they did was drop the limit on days you could win.

Most anyone who was raised in the 60s when it was used in the most vile, degrading way. And yes, there are a lot of us still alive.

I was listening to a conversation on PGA radio about pro golfers having coaches or not and it got me to thinking that in an open market, professional golfers can choose the coach that works best for them, not true in team sports. Baseball players for example are forced to work with whomever the club has hired. I wonder if that is really the best for the player.

Damn, I'm sad to hear that.

I don't believe it was originally intended for upper class people but it sure as hell became that way. Grab a stick and a ball and hit it around an open field was the start. Time and expense is killing the growth of the game. Two hours at Top Golf is cheaper and you hit more balls than a round at a decent public course. Swining a Matzee or other training aid can help between buckets at the range. Chipping and putting at a course is also usually free, but I always felt weird not spending money there. Investing a couple hundred in a launch monitor and a net pays off long term, but there is still the issue with up front affordability.

Which is more important to MLB? Airing an individual player's dirty laundry in public, or the fan's desire to know what he said? I don't know the last time someone was suspended, but the first was almost twenty years ago when John Rocker received 73 games for speech. https://www.nytimes.com/2000/02/01/sports/baseball-baseball-suspends-rocker-till-may-for-comments.html

There is always an inequity when an everyday starter is suspended compared to all other players and pitchers. You could say his rest day just comes sooner, etc. I can think of a few language things that could get a player suspended. Racial, sexual, etc. So I'll save any complaining until we know what he said.

Today's patrons saw a wonderful display of golf.

I keep hearing Pink Floyd . . .

While I agree with almost all you wrote, LaFonda on Main would be my recommendation. Actually, I’d send him to Smoke Shack on Broadway for brisket.

Interesting reads

And my boys managed a win. First school in twenty years to win both in the same year. I’m beginning to think I can coach.

Most of this is behind a pay wall but the free stuff is interesting https://theathletic.com/903675/2019/04/03/chris-sale-isnt-alarmed-instead-his-second-start-looks-like-the-definition-of-going-out-there-and-just-figuring-it-out/