Remember the day when a professional athlete had class, style, an aura about them that people, especially a kid, longed to be like? Were those the good ole days? What has happened? Where are the Joe DiMaggios and the Ted Williams of the world? What about Willie Mays and Hank Aaron?
Unfortunately, I think those bygone days are such that we’ll not see any again anytime soon. Today’s baseball player is more about themselves and how big a contract they can get while often times exemplifying a lack of respect for the game and the legend of America’s favorite pastime.
Griffin Whitman, a 10-year old who also happens to be a Boston Red Sox fan, sought ought the autograph of Yankees outfielder, Shelley Duncan. What he got surprised him. See photo to the right.
So what’s wrong with that? Probably nothing to most people today but as you might guess, I’m not most people today and I find it childish and ignorant. Here’s how Duncan described the act.
Duncan tells the paper he’s surprised that Griffith and his parents were offended. “I thought I was back in middle school or high school, where you try to make a joke or say something funny, and you end up saying something that gets you in trouble,” Duncan says. “I try to be interactive with people, be funny, have a good time and have a laugh. It’s not always Yankees fans that have us sign stuff. I try to rile ’em up and be fun. I don’t expect anybody to make a big deal about it. Nobody ever has before.”
And herein lies the problem. Someone forgot to explain to Duncan that he’s not in middle or high school anymore. It reminds of the Bible verse that says that when I was a child, I acted and spoke as a child and did childish things. When I became a man, I put those things away.
As a businessman, I would take issue with a representative of mine demeaning the game of baseball. Writing “Red Sox Suck” for a kid with an autograph isn’t representative of multi-million dollar salaries, say nothing about $50 parking prices, $6.00 hot dogs and $35.00 bleacher seats. As a parent, I would think it quite inappropriate. But heck, that’s just me and I think I am now clearly in a minority on such issues.
Tom Remington
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