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I've been somewhat involved in this issue from the start, and I didn't envision it blowing up like this.
Long story short, ESPN2 ran an article quoting C.J. Wilson about how politically ignorant baseball players are.
That spilled on to the blog Lone Star Ball, where Wilson, a very regular contributor who we've all talked to many times, had more to say and was confronted by Brandon McCarthy and his rebuttle.
Now this:
I post on and read the blog in question and the fighting spilled over there, too. I was wondering if this would happen.
Brandon McCarthy had some words vagulely directed at Wilson (who posts as Black Glove Lefty) that he posted in the comments section, but it seemed less confrontational than this.
It sucks, because one of the few things that's been fun about being a Rangers fan is that the players are extremely open and spend a lot of time talking to fans on blogs and message boards, seemingly no different than fans themselves. Looks like an ESPN2 article may have put an end to that.
Wilson appears to have deleted his account on Lone Star Ball.
If you're interested, here's some more information.
This is the original article.
This is the blog post, including the ensuing comments. Wilson's comments are now gone, as are his diaries and other contributions to the blog. For speaking his mind he's apparently had to leave.
Diary one on the backlash.
Diary two on the backlash.
Long story short, ESPN2 ran an article quoting C.J. Wilson about how politically ignorant baseball players are.
That spilled on to the blog Lone Star Ball, where Wilson, a very regular contributor who we've all talked to many times, had more to say and was confronted by Brandon McCarthy and his rebuttle.
Now this:
Texas Rangers closer in jam over blog entry
09:09 PM CST on Tuesday, February 26, 2008
By EVAN GRANT / The Dallas Morning News
[email protected]
SURPRISE, Ariz. – The exhibition season hasn't yet started, and already Texas Rangers closer C.J. Wilson has found himself in a jam.
In his own clubhouse.
Wilson recently made comments about his teammates' lack of political education in an ESPN.com article and then made subsequent posts on a Rangers-related blog that referred to the average major leaguer by an obscene remark. On Tuesday, teammates confronted him about the comments.
"I had a very direct talk with him," said shortstop Michael Young. Young declined to elaborate further on the conversation. Kevin Millwood and Frank Catalanotto were also among those who questioned him after several players whispered about the comments during Tuesday's workout.
In the ESPN.com article about players' indifference to the presidential election, Wilson was quoted as saying "it's frustrating" in reference to the lack of political discussion.
That sparked plenty of political conversation. Teammate Brandon McCarthy criticized the article in a lengthy post on lonestarball.com. Wilson, who posts on the blog under the name "blueglovelefty," added several posts, as well.
In response to McCarthy's post, Wilson offered praise for the commentary, but added: "Come on man you have to admit the median or average guy in a baseball clubhouse does drive an SUV, drinks beer, golfs, likes college sports, chews or dips tobacco and is relatively a [expletive]."
In a later post, on the same thread, Wilson also commented: "I'm paying taxes no matter who the president is, just please god not hillary."
Although players didn't argue their affinity for SUVs or golf, they did take exception with the derogatory description.
"I think if you are going to be online, you have to choose your words wisely," Catalanotto said. "And if you have something to say to someone, I think you should say that directly to them. Otherwise, it can misconstrued, even if it was meant in a joking manner. That doesn't come across on the Web. Hopefully, C.J. has learned his lesson. You can say something online that makes yourself or your teammates look bad."
Wilson, who also has his own blog, twice declined to comment on the matter Monday afternoon.
It is quickly becoming a tradition for Wilson to be involved in a bit of Web-based controversy during spring training. Last year, he posted a captured image from a movie scene on McCarthy's Myspace page that could have been interpreted as racially offensive. After that was highlighted, Wilson removed the picture and apologized.
Rangers officials have cautioned Wilson, who also has a contract with the club to help brand the team to the "hip" audience, about word choice on blogs and in forums.
Said general manager Jon Daniels: "I've spoken to him about his blogging in the past – using good judgment, what's appropriate and what's not – but not about this specifically. My understanding is the players are handling it themselves.
"We're a family, and it's important to handle things internally. I don't see much benefit in getting into it publicly. In this case, C.J. used poor judgment in what he wrote and that reflects poorly on him and by extension the team he represents."
09:09 PM CST on Tuesday, February 26, 2008
By EVAN GRANT / The Dallas Morning News
[email protected]
SURPRISE, Ariz. – The exhibition season hasn't yet started, and already Texas Rangers closer C.J. Wilson has found himself in a jam.
In his own clubhouse.
Wilson recently made comments about his teammates' lack of political education in an ESPN.com article and then made subsequent posts on a Rangers-related blog that referred to the average major leaguer by an obscene remark. On Tuesday, teammates confronted him about the comments.
"I had a very direct talk with him," said shortstop Michael Young. Young declined to elaborate further on the conversation. Kevin Millwood and Frank Catalanotto were also among those who questioned him after several players whispered about the comments during Tuesday's workout.
In the ESPN.com article about players' indifference to the presidential election, Wilson was quoted as saying "it's frustrating" in reference to the lack of political discussion.
That sparked plenty of political conversation. Teammate Brandon McCarthy criticized the article in a lengthy post on lonestarball.com. Wilson, who posts on the blog under the name "blueglovelefty," added several posts, as well.
In response to McCarthy's post, Wilson offered praise for the commentary, but added: "Come on man you have to admit the median or average guy in a baseball clubhouse does drive an SUV, drinks beer, golfs, likes college sports, chews or dips tobacco and is relatively a [expletive]."
In a later post, on the same thread, Wilson also commented: "I'm paying taxes no matter who the president is, just please god not hillary."
Although players didn't argue their affinity for SUVs or golf, they did take exception with the derogatory description.
"I think if you are going to be online, you have to choose your words wisely," Catalanotto said. "And if you have something to say to someone, I think you should say that directly to them. Otherwise, it can misconstrued, even if it was meant in a joking manner. That doesn't come across on the Web. Hopefully, C.J. has learned his lesson. You can say something online that makes yourself or your teammates look bad."
Wilson, who also has his own blog, twice declined to comment on the matter Monday afternoon.
It is quickly becoming a tradition for Wilson to be involved in a bit of Web-based controversy during spring training. Last year, he posted a captured image from a movie scene on McCarthy's Myspace page that could have been interpreted as racially offensive. After that was highlighted, Wilson removed the picture and apologized.
Rangers officials have cautioned Wilson, who also has a contract with the club to help brand the team to the "hip" audience, about word choice on blogs and in forums.
Said general manager Jon Daniels: "I've spoken to him about his blogging in the past – using good judgment, what's appropriate and what's not – but not about this specifically. My understanding is the players are handling it themselves.
"We're a family, and it's important to handle things internally. I don't see much benefit in getting into it publicly. In this case, C.J. used poor judgment in what he wrote and that reflects poorly on him and by extension the team he represents."
I post on and read the blog in question and the fighting spilled over there, too. I was wondering if this would happen.
Brandon McCarthy had some words vagulely directed at Wilson (who posts as Black Glove Lefty) that he posted in the comments section, but it seemed less confrontational than this.
It sucks, because one of the few things that's been fun about being a Rangers fan is that the players are extremely open and spend a lot of time talking to fans on blogs and message boards, seemingly no different than fans themselves. Looks like an ESPN2 article may have put an end to that.
Wilson appears to have deleted his account on Lone Star Ball.
If you're interested, here's some more information.
This is the original article.
This is the blog post, including the ensuing comments. Wilson's comments are now gone, as are his diaries and other contributions to the blog. For speaking his mind he's apparently had to leave.
Diary one on the backlash.
Diary two on the backlash.
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