“Civil rights groups” push for MLB to move 2011 All-Star game from Arizona

July 13, 2010 By 19 Comments

As per ESPN, while we enjoy tonight’s All Star Game in Anaheim, ignorant forces (calling “La Raza” a Civil Rights Group is akin to labeling the New Black Panther Party or the KKK the same) are mobilizing to steal Phoenix’s long-earned opportunity for a deserved economic windfall some 365 days from now.

Racial demagogues getting involved in sports? Seems like it was only yesterday!

But think about this angle in terms of the double standards and transparent hypocrisy they’re exhibiting in baseball:

As we all know, there is this ongoing disingenuous movement to force “more African-Americans into baseball,” which I wrote a highly-publicized piece about back in April.

Interestingly and, in my view, hypocritically, the current crusade is being led by some of the same folks who no doubt oppose Arizona’s immigration law — despite their not having read nor understood it – because they feel it will “lead to racial profiling of Hispanics” or “people with dark skin,” and so on.  Others have compared this benign law to Nazism, which is beyond offensive.

“It reminds me of seeing the old movies with the Nazis when they ask you to show your papers,” Padre utility player (and apparently renowned World War Two historian) Jerry Hairston Jr, told ESPN.

Point being:

If, for some reason, you’re desperate to increase the amount of blacks in baseball from the current 11% back to 1970s levels of 27%, who do you think will be removed from baseball? Who, after risking life and limb in many circumstances, will be denied an earned spot on a roster? Who will lose out on a lucrative contract, and instead be sent back to the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Cuba or Venezuela, with no money and no hope, so we can practice affirmative action and appease agenda-driven groups?

Hispanics.

Therefore, it stands to reason that ESPN, Joe Morgan, Bob Costas, Yahoo’s Jeff Passan , and the other media “activists” (who feel their overwhelming duty is pushing more blacks into baseball) are, purposely or not, actually destroying the futures of Hispanics 1000 times more than ANY ‘controversial’ (i.e. legal, necessary and overdue) Arizona Immigration Law — one the preponderance of Americans have supported in every aspect since it was introduced, and still do today, wishing their state would take the intrepid actions Arizona did a few months ago.

Like Dr. King would be ashamed of Jesse Jackson’s recent idiotic comments, so too would Jackie Robinson be miffed by the sports media’s current duplicitousness.

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Filed Under: MLB Tagged With: hispanics, MLB, race relations
About AJ Kaufman

AJ Kaufman is the co-editor of Midwest Sports Fans, where he has been a columnist since March 2009. AJ, a former Los Angeles schoolteacher and Indiana military historian, is now a corporate journalist, compiling publications for organizations across the country. He is a supporter of anything baseball-related -- especially minor league ball -- and mid-major college hoops. The author of three books, AJ is married to Maria and currently lives in Lincoln, Neb.

Follow him on Twitter (@ajkauf7) for ruminations on sports, politics, history and travel.

  • chickfriedo

    all az is doing is inforcing the law of the U.S., baseball has nothing to to about this and the game should stay in Az

  • AJ Kaufman

    "all az is doing is inforcing the law of the U.S"

    Exactly. This misinformation over this innocuous bill is unbelievable

    "baseball has nothing to to about this and the game should stay in Az "

    Also true. Not sure why these players, the unions and others cannot understand that. Thanks for the comments.

  • BIg M

    good points re the loswers in thsi case–the Hispnaics and the asians who actually play a decenta game fo baseball.

  • AJ Kaufman

    That's what I have been saying. These agenda-driven groups always only care about themselves and "their people." Remember that.

  • Thomas

    For MLB to spend its time on this instead of something relevant to the sport (like, say…oh I don't know…steroid abuse among players?) is beyond stupid. Tony La Russa got it right. And believe me, as a die hard Cubs fan, that's tough for me to say!

  • tim

    as a person who hasn't watched an entire MLG game since Game One of the 1988 World Series (the drama of that game will never be beat), I rely on informative articles like this to keep me up to speed. at least they have hispanic and black kids reading the lineups tonight!

  • http://www.conservativedonnybrook.com Karl

    Assuming the immigration law is upheld by the Supremes, by the time next year’s All Star game rolls around eight more states will have similar laws. Why single out Arizona? It will seem petulant by then. Their best bet is to wait and see what the Supremes do with this. If it’s upheld then MLB should shut up. If it’s struck down, well then, they can make their demonstration. But, we will all hate them for doing it.

  • Leo

    I'M AFRAID IT'S GOIN' TO GET MUCH DIRTIER THAN THIS IN BOTH POLITICS AND SPORTS, MR. KAUFMAN

  • http://intensedebate.com/people/KVB KVB

    How 'bout them sCrUBS?

  • http://intensedebate.com/people/KVB KVB

    I assume Big M was drunk or was sarcastically writing in bloken engrish.

    Remember that the only way you can get anything done in this country is gaining overwhelming support from voters. And only after a group (all groups have their own agenda's) gains said support will anything happen. Using baseball fans and players as a catalyst to drive their agenda is the angle they are using like it or not. Don't get worked up over it, they won't move the 2011 all-star game. Some players may boycott it but it won't be moved.

    But that brings me to this question. Why does Arizona have a "long earned opportunity" to a "deserved" All-Star game? Just because they have an MLB stadium? What's your article's agenda to give Phoenix it's "economic windfall"? Fuck Arizona. Who cares if those old white rich racist business owners out there get stripped of their "opportunity" to line their pockets. Geez when the rich don't get richer that's always when we hear this country has fallen on hard economic times. That and when fatties blame inflation for making a snickers candy bar go from 59 cents to a $1.19 in one year.

  • AJ Kaufman

    They wont move it:
    http://arizona.diamondbacks.mlb.com/news/print.js…

    I am not responding to your hate-filled rant about "old white rich racist business owners.." which exists in every color, of every orientation and every gender everywhere in the nation.

    Actually the richest most racist white male business owners are generally in "liberal" paradises like Boston, New York, Chicago and SF — but I bet you'd never talk about them that way.

    So, no, AZ does not deserve this game moreso than any other city, but also no less.

    The theme of the article stands: the idiots forcing hispanics out of baseball are usually the same ones up in arms about this simple law. Maybe they are the racists in all of this? Of course.

  • AJ Kaufman

    You know, KVB, if you'd just ending your comment with the first paragraph, you made good points, with which I agree. But then you went off for some reason…

    Odd how no one cares that the Unions keep getting richer and richer as they still our money…or the federal government via taxes, etc.

    At least "big business" produces something. Who do Unions help? Themselves and their overpaid, lazy workers. Who do the Feds help? The lazy.

    The only other rich getting richer and athletes and celebs, and you better believe they are the most UNIMPORTANT people in society — but that is capitalism.

  • AJ Kaufman

    Yes, it's a simple and fair law that most states and their citizens want to adopt for good reason. It's Obama (and Bush's) fault for not enforcing it years ago. But only a moron like Obama would sue Arizona. He does NOT understand regular Americans, and never will, considering he was raised and educated in the most elite settings.

    No one should signal out Arizona. ALL states will follow eventually, sans California, but as a 21 year resident there, I 'd never expect a politician there to have a clue about safety or fiscal matters. This is the state that was the catalyst for the our economic meltdown.

    Somehow Texas, with a similarly large and diverse population, managed to stay clear. I wonder why? Look at their leaders

  • KVB

    You made a good point in your first paragraph I should have ended it there. It's also odd how everyone hates the government for taxation when we are one of the least taxed developed countries in the world. Yet everyone still hates the deficit like it's a problem that we owe ourselves money and provide it to "the lazy" AND the rich (bailouts). The only union I have worked for is in the film industry when we rightfully so got compensated and got extra benefits for busting our ass on sometimes 18-20 hours work days. Hardly lazy, definitely helpful when us reality tv camera guys got raped forced to work all hours 7 days a week or be fired. That's before unions stepped in. One day off a week and at least a 7 hour turnaround for sleep was all we asked and we got. Thankfully that's one union that helped though I don't know if all unions make good like that. PS there is no Florida state income tax. Thats a nice American benefit to have.

    Now off my Keith Olbermann style soap box. I think they should move the all-star game to miami have an hour pre-game "The Decision Part 2" where LeBron announces which ball cap he will wear to throw out the first pitch. White Sox, Indians, Marlins, or Yankees. You know, do it for the boys and girls club.

  • AJ Kaufman

    They were once needed, especially in blue collar fields and perhaps film, no doubt. Now Unions are a multi-millionaire 'business' which runs the Democrat party. The corruption in the SEIU and UAW makes BP or Halliburton look like the girls scouts. My uncle makes $78 per hours for a 6.5 hr day, 5 day per week job with three daily breaks, 3 weeks vacation, and a huge pension to sit at his desk and push a button twice per hour. Thank you, Unions. Above all others, Unions caused this recession.

  • AJ Kaufman

    And as a former teacher who used to see $63 stolen from his check every two weeks to support political movements with which I disagree, I can tell you the teachers union is about as bad, and surely unneeded in a "white collar, educated" profession like teaching. Unions destroy children by paying bad teachers six figure salaries and therefore forcing hard working young teachers out of the profession. They care only about $.Christnuggets, I wrote a book about this! (-:
    http://www.amazon.com/Reclamation-Saving-schools-…

    As the former head of the NEA said "I will care about schoolchildren when schoolchildren start paying union dues." Well said and honest.

  • Quinty

    A.J. makes a good point in trying to draw a distinction between politics and sports but the bridge you are trying to draw to the "double standard" embodied by Joe Morgan and Co. is tenuous and at most, isolated. The "movement" to make baseball more "black" isn't a very large one, whereas the AZ immigration law is a political issue of a much larger scope.

  • AJ Kaufman

    It may not be large but it's in your face all the time, especially arond Robinson Day and the CR weekend. It ws an interesting parallel, figured it'd make a good, short piece.

  • Quinty

    that's fair, and the parallel is intriguing…Morgan is filth–that he even comments on politics in our country is a joke in and of itself