Firings of thirdbase coaches are like onions, they have layers

I’m rarely, if ever, offended by words or deeds. People say and do what they believe is right or necessary. That’s fine. Me too.

Recently, I sarcastically suggested the Yankees had solved their problems by offing Bobby Meacham and Rich Monteleone.

Obviously, these guys, a thirdbase coach and a special pitching instructor, whatever that is, had nothing to do with the Yankees’ awful play in 2008, but stranger firings, and hirings, have and will always happen in pro sports.

That said, I ran across this:

http://blackathlete.net/artman2/publish/BASN_BLACKBOX_54/Yankees_Eliminate_Major_Problem.shtml

This Web site says the same thing I said, only takes it a step further and says the Yankees saw Meacham as a problem because he is black. I’d tell you more but it crashed my browser - twice. Because I’m white? I wonder ... *thoughtfully taps chin*

Anywho ...

The Web site points out the Yankees had no black players on the roster. It states Derek Jeter doesn’t count ... doesn’t count? It also suggestes the Yankees cut black players from the roster in an effort to make the playoffs. Well, yeah ... we all saw how Latroy Hawkins pitched.

It should be noted few blacks play baseball these days. An April 15, 2008 report stated 8.2 percent of MLB players are black. Numerous stories have been written about this and MLB has made an effort to reach out to “inner city youths” with programs such as RBI.

Here’s a story from 2007 about economics and baseball. It blames the draft’s structure and cost, which pushes teams to look elsewhere, specifically Latin nations, because those players don’t need to be drafted, just found and signed, and take smaller bonuses.

http://money.cnn.com/2007/04/13/commentary/sportsbiz/index.htm

Former Yankee, Dodger, Marlin, Brave, Brewer and now Tiger, and longtime malcontent Gary Sheffield infamously suggested teams want Latin players because they work cheap. There wasn’t too much made of that at the time, probably because people were more interested in his alleged connection to steroids.

If this is sarcasm, and I assume it is, bravo. The best sort is delivered in a way that doesn’t look or feel like sarcasm. It’s said and if the audience gets it, good. If not, we move along.

So my question is: Was Monteleone fired because he’s Italian?