The same Marty Brennaman who did this? Do as I say: It's hard to argue with some of Brennaman's comments — Wrigley fans have a filthy habit of trashing their own field when unhappy — but something about Marty needs to be pointed out. He's an old radical. Back when Pete Rose still was kosher and managing the Reds, baseball commissioner Bart Giamatti suspended Charlie Hustle 30 days for a volatile argument with umpire Dave Pallone. The ugly incident was worsened by Brennaman and then-partner Joe Nuxhall, who both — in Giamatti's view — incited the crowd, which trashed the field and forced Pallone to leave the game. Here's the 20-year-old story from Murray Chass in the New York Times.
Pete Rose Is Suspended 30 Days
*
E-MAIL
* Print
* Single-Page
* Save
* Share
o Digg
o Facebook
o Mixx
o Yahoo! Buzz
o Permalink
By MURRAY CHASS
Published: May 3, 1988
LEAD: Pete Rose, whose fiery style on the field was a trademark of his unparalleled 24-year playing career, was suspended yesterday from managing the Cincinnati Reds for 30 days following a volatile dispute with an umpire.
Pete Rose, whose fiery style on the field was a trademark of his unparalleled 24-year playing career, was suspended yesterday from managing the Cincinnati Reds for 30 days following a volatile dispute with an umpire.
The suspension, imposed by A. Bartlett Giamatti, the National League president, was the most severe ever levied against a manager for an on-field incident. Leo Durocher, then the manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers, was suspended by Commissioner A. B. (Happy) Chandler for the entire 1947 season for ''conduct detrimental to baseball,'' but the action had nothing to do with on-field activities.
Giamatti also summoned the Reds' two radio broadcasters, Marty Brennaman and Joe Nuxhall, to New York for a meeting today. He said their comments on the air incited fans to unruly behavior, which included the throwing of such objects as radios and cigarette lighters onto the field.
Rose, in a statement issued by the Reds last night, said he would appeal the suspension, calling it ''excessive.''
Giamatti's action stemmed from the encounter Rose had with Umpire Dave Pallone Saturday night in the ninth inning of the Reds' game with the Mets. Following Pallone's call at first base, which allowed the Mets' eventual winning run to score in the 6-5 game, Rose argued vehemently and made physical contact with the umpire, noticeably pushing him.
Riverfront Stadium fans in the crowd of 41,032 soon joined in the conrontation, throwing objects onto the field. After about 15 minutes, Pallone left the field and the remaining three members of the umpiring crew completed the game.
The incident, Giammati said in a statement announcing the suspension and a ''substantial'' but undisclosed fine, was an ''extremely ugly situation'' and was ''one of the worst in baseball's recent memory.''
''Such disgraceful episodes are not business as usual, nor can they be allowed to become so,'' Giamatti continued. ''For forcefully and deliberately shoving an umpire, the manager of the Reds, Mr. Pete Rose, is suspended for 30 days and fined a substantial amount.''
In summoning the broadcasters for a meeting with him, the president, who in his brief term in office has exhibited a no-nonsense reaction to situations that arise on the field, said:
''Inciting the unacceptable behavior of some of the fans were the inflammatory and completely irresponsible remarks of local radio broadcasters Marty Brennaman and Joe Nuxhall. . . . There is no excuse for encouraging a situation where the physical safety and well-being of any individual is put significantly at risk. Nothing justifies such unprofessional behavior.''
Giamatti, in a telephone interview, explained that he has the right to summon Brennaman and Nuxhall because they are employees of the Reds, not of the radio station that carries the Reds' games. It is believed that this is the first time announcers have been summoned for possible disciplinary action by a league. 'My Jurisdiction'
''An employee of the club is subject to my jurisdiction,'' he said. ''I could not summon someone else's employees.''
As generally is the case, some fans at the game had radios and heard the announcers criticize Pallone both for the call at first and for his umpiring qualifications generally.
Richie Phillips, the lawyer for the umpires' union, said he believed the fans threw various kinds of objects on the field because of three factors: Rose's behavior, the announcers' comments and the presumed consumption of beer during the game. Phillips, speaking from his office in Philadelphia, said he had urged Giamatti to take swift and severe action and called the president's action ''appropriate.''
''The National League will not tolerate the degeneration of baseball games into dangerous displays of public disorder,'' Giamatti said in his statement, ''nor will it countenance any potentially injurious harassment of any kind of the umpires. A tiny minority of fans or others cannot be allowed to disgrace the vast majority of decent individuals who truly care for the game.''
* 1
* 2
Next Page >
Pete Rose Is Suspended 30 Days
*
* Single-Page
* Save
* Share
o Digg
o Facebook
o Mixx
o Yahoo! Buzz
o Permalink
By MURRAY CHASS
Published: May 3, 1988
LEAD: Pete Rose, whose fiery style on the field was a trademark of his unparalleled 24-year playing career, was suspended yesterday from managing the Cincinnati Reds for 30 days following a volatile dispute with an umpire.
Pete Rose, whose fiery style on the field was a trademark of his unparalleled 24-year playing career, was suspended yesterday from managing the Cincinnati Reds for 30 days following a volatile dispute with an umpire.
The suspension, imposed by A. Bartlett Giamatti, the National League president, was the most severe ever levied against a manager for an on-field incident. Leo Durocher, then the manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers, was suspended by Commissioner A. B. (Happy) Chandler for the entire 1947 season for ''conduct detrimental to baseball,'' but the action had nothing to do with on-field activities.
Giamatti also summoned the Reds' two radio broadcasters, Marty Brennaman and Joe Nuxhall, to New York for a meeting today. He said their comments on the air incited fans to unruly behavior, which included the throwing of such objects as radios and cigarette lighters onto the field.
Rose, in a statement issued by the Reds last night, said he would appeal the suspension, calling it ''excessive.''
Giamatti's action stemmed from the encounter Rose had with Umpire Dave Pallone Saturday night in the ninth inning of the Reds' game with the Mets. Following Pallone's call at first base, which allowed the Mets' eventual winning run to score in the 6-5 game, Rose argued vehemently and made physical contact with the umpire, noticeably pushing him.
Riverfront Stadium fans in the crowd of 41,032 soon joined in the conrontation, throwing objects onto the field. After about 15 minutes, Pallone left the field and the remaining three members of the umpiring crew completed the game.
The incident, Giammati said in a statement announcing the suspension and a ''substantial'' but undisclosed fine, was an ''extremely ugly situation'' and was ''one of the worst in baseball's recent memory.''
''Such disgraceful episodes are not business as usual, nor can they be allowed to become so,'' Giamatti continued. ''For forcefully and deliberately shoving an umpire, the manager of the Reds, Mr. Pete Rose, is suspended for 30 days and fined a substantial amount.''
In summoning the broadcasters for a meeting with him, the president, who in his brief term in office has exhibited a no-nonsense reaction to situations that arise on the field, said:
''Inciting the unacceptable behavior of some of the fans were the inflammatory and completely irresponsible remarks of local radio broadcasters Marty Brennaman and Joe Nuxhall. . . . There is no excuse for encouraging a situation where the physical safety and well-being of any individual is put significantly at risk. Nothing justifies such unprofessional behavior.''
Giamatti, in a telephone interview, explained that he has the right to summon Brennaman and Nuxhall because they are employees of the Reds, not of the radio station that carries the Reds' games. It is believed that this is the first time announcers have been summoned for possible disciplinary action by a league. 'My Jurisdiction'
''An employee of the club is subject to my jurisdiction,'' he said. ''I could not summon someone else's employees.''
As generally is the case, some fans at the game had radios and heard the announcers criticize Pallone both for the call at first and for his umpiring qualifications generally.
Richie Phillips, the lawyer for the umpires' union, said he believed the fans threw various kinds of objects on the field because of three factors: Rose's behavior, the announcers' comments and the presumed consumption of beer during the game. Phillips, speaking from his office in Philadelphia, said he had urged Giamatti to take swift and severe action and called the president's action ''appropriate.''
''The National League will not tolerate the degeneration of baseball games into dangerous displays of public disorder,'' Giamatti said in his statement, ''nor will it countenance any potentially injurious harassment of any kind of the umpires. A tiny minority of fans or others cannot be allowed to disgrace the vast majority of decent individuals who truly care for the game.''
* 1
* 2
Next Page >
BY GORDON WITTENMYER gwittenmyer@suntimes.com
<!-- Article's First Paragraph --><!-- BlogBurst ContentStart -->Kosuke Fukudome didn't have to wait long for the ugly American part of his welcome to Wrigleyville.<!--dropend-->
A Fukudome T-shirt with a racist image is the hottest-selling item at a souvenir stand that sells unlicensed Cubs-related merchandise across Addison Street from the ballpark, according to Mark Kolbusz, who's in his fourth season operating the stand.
<!-- BlogBurst ContentEnd --><!-- start sidebar -->» Click to enlarge image
A t-shirt for sale outside Wrigley Field on Thursday afternoon. (Richard A. Chapman/Sun-Times)
On the front of the shirt is the traditional Cubs cartoon bear face but with slanted eyes and wearing oversized Harry Caray-style glasses. It's accompanied by the words ''Horry Kow,'' scrawled in cartoonish ''Japanese'' script. Fukudome's name and number are on the back.
''That's the No. 1 seller this year, by far,'' said Kolbusz, who estimates one in 10 customers complain about being offended.
While Kolbusz was answering questions, two white guys stopped by the stand and pointed at the shirt, with one affecting a 1960s B-movie accent while reading aloud the words on the shirt.
His friend responded in a similar offensive accent, ''Oh, you tink dat funny?''
They walked away laughing.
Nice.
Apparently, it's not only the Cubs' World Series form that's stuck in a 100-year time warp.
For all the innocently mistranslated signs, bows and zealous cheering from right-field bleacher regulars for the franchise's first Japanese major-leaguer, the mere creation of this shirt -- but especially its popularity -- sends a raw, vulgar message about Fukudome's new hometown.
''I don't know what the creator of the shirt meant this to be, but they should make it right,'' Fukudome said through his interpreter after being shown one of the shirts Thursday. ''Maybe the creator created it because he thought it was funny, or maybe he made it to condescend the race. I don't know.''
Regardless, it's not funny. The image feeds not only ugly, arrogant and ignorant Japanese stereotypes, but also the stereotype of the obnoxious, profane, drunken, booing, garbage-throwing Cubs fan.
How much truth is there in either image? And how funny is either one?
Kolbusz said he's ''indifferent'' to the image on the shirt.
''I'm making money,'' he said. ''It doesn't offend me. If other people are offended by it, it's just a silly T-shirt. Nobody is trying to offend anybody.''
Which is probably true -- and, if so, sadly ignorant.
Kolbusz went as far as pointing out that the shirt's creator is ''an Oriental guy'' and also pointed out an Asian woman he sold a shirt to.
But the customer in question, Laureen Hom, had no intention of wearing the shirt, she said.
''I bought it for my mom, who has a collection of racist images of Asian Americans,'' she said. And, she added, the fact the creator is Asian ''is no excuse.''
Both of Hom's parents are Asian-American Studies professors at San Francisco State University, and they're in Chicago this week for the annual conference of the Association for Asian-American Studies. Hom, originally from San Francisco and now living in New York, met them in Chicago and attended the Reds-Cubs game Thursday with her friend Kimberley Ma.
''It's always weird buying that stuff,'' said Hom, who was startled to see the bear image on the shirt with the slanted eyes as she walked toward the ballpark. ''And then I got closer and saw the lettering and thought, 'Oh, my God.'''
Ma called it ''shocking'' and ''insulting.''
Hom compared the shirt to a series of Abercrombie & Fitch T-shirts five years ago that stirred outrage and controversy before quickly being pulled from shelves. One version featured caricature faces with slanted eyes and rice-paddy hats and a slogan that said, ''Wong Brothers Laundry Service -- Two Wongs Can Make It White.''
Cubs officials made it clear they have nothing to do with the creation or marketing of the image, which also is being sold on headbands. The team had no official comment.
Fukudome did not seem shocked.
''I knew I was coming to a different country, so I expected something like this,'' he said. ''Maybe not necessarily racial, but that anybody could take any context of my words and degrade me if they wanted to. But if I make a big deal out of it, it's not going to benefit me, so I'm not going to make a big deal of it.''
is this it? i took quicktime off my computer a few days ago(and it runs 100 times better) if so here is for the people without quicktime
<object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Ky9Kso9q_Ws&hl=en"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Ky9Kso9q_Ws&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object>
<object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Ky9Kso9q_Ws&hl=en"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Ky9Kso9q_Ws&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object>
