Tiger Pitcher Coke was Bullied as a Child

The introduction of the radio, the television, the internet, and now social media like twitter has allowed for more people to be connected to events around the world. Technology has played (and obviously still plays) a huge role in projecting ones ideas to the mass public.

David F. Venturo stated in his essay on Baseball and Material Culture in the Cambridge companion to baseball that, "radio and television broadcasting, which owners adopted by fits and starts, and with varying degrees of enthusiasm and understanding of their potential, made the game available over distances of hundreds, even thousands, of miles to millions of people who had never visited a ballpark" (Cassuto and Partridge 139). Further, this idea that baseball could be more personal even when it was hundreds of miles away is very progressive. Broadcasting a baseball game on television not only allows for people to see the players play the game, but it also allows people to form opinions about specific players based on what they see and hear.

Specifically, technology and media has allowed baseball players to create a name for themselves to the public eye. This presentation of the self can be good or bad and I am not debating that all baseball players present themselves appropriately or even a version of their true self. I am however, always pleased when a professional athlete does something to benefit someone other than him or her self. Children so often look up to professional athletes as inspirational figures, or someone they strive to be like when they grow up. Therefore when a professional athlete has the courage to stand up for something they are passionate about, children, through technological advancements, can learn quickly about these athletes and hopefully strive to be like them.

The Detriot Tigers relief pitcher, Phil Coke was bullied and harassed as a child, long before he entered the major leagues. Monday, at a hearing for U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder's National Task Force on Children Exposed to Violence in Detroit, was among other panelists who testified to help prevent and reduce children's exposure to violence. Policy recommendations will be presented to Holder later this year. What led Phil Coke to sit among other panelists to help the Attorney General's Defending Childhood Initiative? As a child Coke was often provoked into fighting by bullies and just bullied in general as a young child. Most importantly Detroit U.S. Attorney Barbara McQuade "stopped him in the hallway to thank him [after Coke's testimony] and stated 'What you're doing is so important... kids will listen to you.'" Aware of his impact and stature as a Major League player, Coke wanted to use this to help increase awareness about bullying (Hunter, Detroit News).

The idea that baseball has become more personal through technology and has been able to reach more people quickly is visible in the story of Phil Coke. In making the decision to promote himself in a positive light, hopefully more children will look up to him not only as a great baseball player, but also as a strong human willing to fight back when being bullied.

Cross sport trading: NFL Quarterback possible trade to a Single-A affiliate Minor League Baseball Team?

The creation and structure of a myth, according to Roland Barthes (1972) "Mythologies" partially involves the signifier and the signified. The signifier is the word itself without any content, for example the word Tebow. The signified, or the idea that the word implies is thus created, for example the word Tebow implies kneeling down on one knee and placing one's fist on their forehead. The relationship between the signifier and the signified is arbitrary, it is not a natural relationship however, over time the language of the signifier and the signified language become the signification or the myth. The myth as Barthes further explained is always motivated. As we discussed in class, humans are hard wired for myth and narratives, thus NFL quarterback Tim Tebow is a perfect example. Sports fans have created a narrative around Tim Tebow, who has come to represent more than an NFL quarterback. People, some of who are not even sports fans have know what people mean when they say "Tebowing." Thus it will be interesting to see if the narrative for Tim Tebow changes as his position and playing time dramatically changes this next season...

Tuesday, first round NFL draft pick in 2010, Denver Broncos quarterback (current trade to the NFL's New York Jets) Tim Tebow has been scouted by Minor League Baseball team The Lake Elsinore Storm (Single-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres). Denver Broncos are looking to trade Tim Tebow and an offer from a minor league team is one of the offers on the table. Interestingly, The Lake Elsinore Storm have offered the Denver Broncos two mascots: The Rally Cop and the Grounds Crew Gorilla. Unsure of his baseball ability, Jones stated, "We're not sure about Tim's baseball past, but we are sure he could bring some of that Tebow magic to Lake Elsinore and would be a great addition to our ballclub." Further, Jones stated "Tebow actually has some recent experience with the national pastime. The former Florida quarterback supposedly dropped by a high school in Memphis following the 2010 draft to work out. While there, Tebow took his turn in the batting cage as well, supposedly blasting 12 of the 15 pitches he saw for home runs. Talk about a narrative created for an athlete that dictates the rest of their playing career. Now that the Denver Broncos have signed Peyton Manning, the Storm's offer to John Elway was one he surprisingly did not accept: two mascots for Tebow and the Storm promised to change the name of their stadium to Elway stadium.

How old is too old? Is younger really better?

Are the Colorado Rockies looking too old? The aging curve for baseball players is a short stretch of years in a man's late 20's, typically from age 25 to 29, "with 27 being the most typical peak season for ballplayers" according to Bill James, author of 1980's book "Baseball Abstract." This typical peak, in my opinion, should not hinder any player from progressing long after this age, nevertheless, 27 seems to be the age in which many baseball players experience their peak season. This being said, it is assumed that after age 27 ones ability will dissipate.

The aging curve of the Colorado Rockies has come into question as many members of the lineup exceed this peak age. Can the older lineup holdup against the younger players and lineups of other teams?

Baseball fans want to see the new, young baseball players with memorable statistics. In describing the baseball fan, Filreis stated, "the tail of productive performance is said to wag the dog of fan involvement" (Cassuto and Partridge, 126). It is no doubt ideal to have a younger lineup, I mean lets be realistic younger players are closer to their peak age and are favored for their longevity and potential, and are almost certain to advance past a productive performance in every game. The love for baseball demonstrated by fans seems to be dictated by the " "fan-as-customer philosophy" that pervades baseball economics, in which spectators are defined as "fan-nies" to fill seats... this economic view parallels the ascendancy of hyper-rational, economics-driven notions of improving a team's output" (Cassuto and Patridge, 126). To full-fill the "fan-as-customer philosophy", seats have to be filled, and one way to fill the seats is to have young new players right on the cuff of their peak season out on the field, ready to change records and create memorable statistics.

Not every fan wants to see new players out on the field, there are still aspects of an older lineup that benefit the team as a whole. Older players are needed as levelheaded and resourceful leaders. They are reliable and generally more insightful than the younger less experienced ball players. This is obviously not true for all older baseball players, but the notion of 'older and wiser' does play a role. So really, how old is too old? There is no definitive answer because there are benefits of both younger and older players to create a team worth watching. Is younger really better? In relation to statistics and peak season age and technical ability, yes younger does seem to be better, however there are plenty of older ballplayers who have exceeded their peak season expectations at an older age. This discussion is relevant to the aging curve of the Colorado Rockies.

Age discrepancies or just getting ahead?

The Dominican prospect Jairo Beras, whom has recently signed with the Texas Rangers', will undergo investigation by Major League Baseball due to a discrepancy in his age. Is he 16 or is he 17?

As Major League Baseball tries to clean up one problem, namely steroids, they have encountered another form of lets say 'cheating' to get ahead, scouting for young prospects to take advantage of the lack of ability to effectively verify a players true age (birth certificates) in the Dominican Republic. In the past, it seems as though men in the Dominican Republic were trying to make themselves younger to be more attractive prospects for the American scouters, however, this is not the case with Jairo Beras. In fact, Beras' case is much the opposite. If teams can make a player older they can effectively get to them before other teams, and thus have an advantage in the long run. Steven P. Gietschier discussed in The Cambridge Companion to Baseball "The rules of baseball" to their earliest origins. Interestingly, he stated that "even before it became a professional sport, baseball created an administrative structure beyond the playing field to govern who could play the game and under what conditions" (Cassuto and Partridge, 17). While this does not specifically allude to the exact age in which a player may be a part of MLB, it does create the structure for the beginning of the establishment of rules about who can play the game. Further, the idea of Baseball as America's idealized past-time and a game of men has been completely mythologized as baseball has become a business of winning and getting ahead.

As stated on Wednesday when the Rangers declined to make a statement about the situation, "a source who had spoken with the team said the Rangers believe they signed Beras legally and expect MLB to validate the contract. Others around baseball are not so sure. A livid official contacted MLB about the deal, wondering how a player could age one year within one month" (Passan, Yahoo Sports). The Rangers seem to be playing dumb, while other GM's seem to think they (the Rangers) know exactly what they are doing. If the Rangers can effectively play dumb than the contract will remain valid and they will get to keep the prized young prospect and showcase standout Jairo Beras.

Stuck In Tradition?

El Hombre? With 20 billboards already up around Southern California, Los Angeles slugger Albert Pujols has requested not to be called "El Hombre", in respect to former St. Louis Cardinals player and Hall of Famer Stanley "the man" Musial. [Flashback]... Back in 2010, when Pujols was still playing for the Cardinals, he asked St. Louis fans and media not to refer to him as "el hombre." While the rhetoric is in different languages, "the man" and "el hombre" mean exactly the same thing and it seems to me that Pujols does not want to accept a name that would some how take away from Stanley "the man" Musial's Hall of Fame excellence (is it not okay to appreciate "the man" and his achievements, and then move on and accept the name given to you because maybe you are just as good?)...
"I still have the same respect for him as I had, not just for what he's done in baseball but for what he did for his country," Pujols said. "That's something you have to appreciate."- Pujols about Musial

This brings into question then: Has baseball tradition stood in the way of Pujols's recognition of his own excellence (meaning: has the success of other baseball players allowed  players like Pujols to forgo a title because of the past)? Not tradition in the sense that customs are being passed down from generation to generation... but rather tradition in the sense that great baseball players will remain great and no one should try to step in place of the greatness of these players. It seems to me that instead of completely denying the title "el hombre," Pjuols should be honored to have the same nick-name as a great Hall of Fame Baseball player. But that is only my opinion and whether you care doesn't matter to me.

In his introduction to The Cambridge Companion To Baseball, Leonard Cassuto made a statement in which I feel relates to this story. He stated that "the notion of baseball is in essence a boy's game possessing a lovable innocence that it is somehow able to identify and celebrate" (Cassuto 3). Stories, like that of the legendary Stanley "the man" Musial hold an important place in the traditional baseball game rhetoric. But these stories of the past should not interfere with the success and accepted praise of present ball players. Sometimes I think people get too wrapped up in the innocence of the game, idealizing a player for what he was instead of looking at present players for who they are...