Foreign athletes have spread throughout baseball like wildflower in the last decade. They're becoming more part of the game than the white or African American athlete. I like diversity in the game, there is nothing wrong with that. What I don't understand is why so many Mexican and Hispanic players are named 'Jose' or 'Juan'. What was there no other good alternative names when these players were born? One day it's going to cause a real problem on the baseball field.
Coaches and managers will have so many players with the same first name (maybe even last name too) that they'll put in a reserve player during a game and lose track of what foreign players are already in the game. Yeah, it's going to be confusing when two players look alike, especially if they're twin brothers with the same name. Talk about a lot of pressure during late innings when a coach needs to pull a pinch hitter and mistakes the Jose who's hitting .209 for the other twin with a .318 average and high on-base percentage. Talk about a lot of explaining to do after the game.
If I compiled a list of current Major Leaguers with the same first name it would be staggering. The same goes for a list of those foreign players without a green card. I'm not saying Major League Baseball would be better off without a stock load of Cubans, Mexicans, or Puerto Ricans who just so happen to be near identical in appearance and speak the same native language. It would help, however, if they compromised a unique nickname so everyone could tell them apart. Believe me, this would save everyone a headache. Coaches wouldn't lose track of bench players or get mixed up about what players are on the field, umpires wouldn't mistake 2 similar short tan infielders as one player and call both out on strikes before the second batter sets in at the plate.
Baseball has welcomed many diverse athletes from all walks of life ever since Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier. Times have change since and now the foreign population in the sport is almost becoming too abundant. They tend to take away other American players' jobs away. The American utility player is a rarity, leave it to Jose, Felipe, or Juan to take over that designated position for less money each year. The national pastime may be an American tradition, but it's long contributed to a mult-cultural passion too.
P.S. Sports fans and bloggers be sure to check out the following link: Technorati Profile It's a diverse blog community with great sites!
Saturday, August 26, 2006
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment