My Pitch

Baseball's Bigot

Baseball made a bold move when it suspended John Rocker until May 1. Rocker, the high-strung and highly talented closer for the Atlanta Braves, came under fire when quoted as making racist comments to Sports Illustrated.

"They turn from the wrong lane. They go 20 miles per hour. It makes me want -- Look! Look at this idiot! I guarantee you she's a Japanese woman."

"How bad are Asian women at driving?"

On ever playing for a New York team: "I would retire first. It's the most hectic, nerve-racking city. Imagine having to take the [Number] 7 train to the ballpark, looking like you're [riding through] Beirut next to some kid with purple hair next to some queer with AIDS right next to some dude who just got out of jail for the fourth time right next to some 20-year-old mom with four kids. It's depressing."

On New York City itself: "The biggest thing I don't like about New York are the foreigners. I'm not a very big fan of foreigners. You can walk an entire block in Times Square and not hear anybody speaking English. Asians and Koreans and Vietnamese and Indians and Russians and Spanish people and everything up there. How the hell did they get in this country?"

And that is just the beginning. He spits at a tollbooth because the gate doesn't go up right away. He swerves in and out of lanes at 72 miles per hour. He condemned Mets fans. He called a black teammate a "black monkey." The list goes on and on.

Rocker, mind you, never physically hurt anyone, nor did he infringe on anyone's civil rights. All he did was make public his personal views, views which society does not condone. Was his lengthy suspension warranted, or did Bud Selig cross the line? Many issues surround this question, and this column will attempt to explore those topics.

It seems, taken at first blush, that Rocker's first amendment rights were violated by this suspension. The southpaw simply made statements, and seemingly is being punished for what he said. Furthermore, one could argue that he his unfairly being kept from earning a living.

In fact, both of these defenses of Rocker are flawed. Freedom of speech does not apply here. The first amendment only protects him from the government - that is, he cannot be thrown in jail for anything he says. It does not apply to private business. Second, Rocker will be paid during his suspension, so in no way will he be kept from earning a living. Baseball was too smart to allow a Rocker-defender that argument. Instead, he will be fined $20,000, or roughly 10% of his annual salary.

So, Baseball has found a way to punish a man who made racist comments. It is perfectly legal for them to do so. But is it something that we, as Americans, should want to happen? Despite the fact that Rocker is not protected by the Bill of Rights, isn't free speech still a value that we as Americans hold dear? Is there really free speech if a person can get punished for what he says?

The truth is, it doesn't matter. Baseball is a private industry, and it wants the business of all minorities. That includes blacks and "Asians and Koreans and Vietnamese and Indians and Russians and Spanish people". It also includes Jews, who Rocker said nothing about in that article, but you can use your imagination about how he feels about that minority. Rocker's comments, therefore, have the potential of hurting Baseball's business. As such, Baseball has the right to take disciplinary action against him.

But will Rocker really be bad for business? Ask most GMs if they'd want Rocker, comments and all, on their team. Most would say yes. And won't the Mets sell more tickets to the games against the Braves now that Rocker has made those remarks, as opposed to before he said anything? Hint - the Mets came close but did not sell out their late September series with the Braves last year. Do you think they'd sell out a game against the Braves this June had Rocker not said anything? Rocker will sell more tickets, and he will draw better ratings. So how can you say he is bad for Baseball?

The problem is much greater than Rocker himself. Rocker isn't being punished because his comments will hurt Baseball; he is being punished because had Selig let him off the hook, it would have looked as if Major League Baseball agreed with what he said. That, ultimately, is what it comes down to. By suspending Rocker with one of the longest suspensions in history, Baseball has let it be known that they do not condone bigotry. Can you imagine the outcry among minorities had Baseball kept silent? Baseball's silence would have hurt the game more than Rocker's foolish words. Even if the suspension is reduced by an arbitrator, which may happen, Selig will come off looking as the one who stood up for the minorities. And that is good for Baseball.