I would think comments like this won't fly in liberal Seattle...

[MoneyInTheBank]

Mather said a lot of dumb stuff, but some people are trying to inject a racial element into it that isn't there.

That's your opinion and you are entitled to it. Others see it different, which is why the public comments were problematic in the first place.

[RedTeamGo!]

I think you're reading too much into things, that's not what I got out of it, but it really doesn't matter because the basic point holds. Let's say that is the case, how does someone being annoyed that an employee is trying to slide a buddy onto the payroll have anything to do with race? Mather said a lot of dumb stuff, but some people are trying to inject a racial element into it that isn't there.

You’re right, saying a Japanese player was deceiving the organization by pretending his English sucked, for years, to get a friend a job as a translator and then suddenly started speaking better English when he was told his job was on the line has no racial elements.

[Ron Madden]

Prized outfield prospect Jarred Kelenic told USA TODAY Sports Tuesday that he is a victim of service-time manipulation by the Seattle Mariners.

Kelenic’s frustrations turned to anger Sunday when Mariners CEO Kevin Mather informed a local rotary club that Kelenic would be kept in the minors to open the season, delaying his free agency for the second consecutive year. Players become free agents upon reaching six years of major league service time and are free to sign with any team.

Mather, who resigned Monday, also said the Mariners had no intention in calling up any of their top prospects last year despite vying for a playoff berth, finishing the year two games behind the Houston Astros for a playoff berth.

https://amp.usatoday.com/amp/4568463...mpression=true

[Bourgeois Zee]

You’re right, saying a Japanese player was deceiving the organization by pretending his English sucked, for years, to get a friend a job as a translator and then suddenly started speaking better English when he was told his job was on the line has no racial elements.

The specific Japanese stereotype isn't, as far as I'm aware, one of being cheap or underhanded, but the Other/ Immigrant as manipulative or underhanded certainly is. Explaining away a lack of English could paint Rodriguez as unintelligent as well. This would feed into the stereotype of the Emotional Latino. In order to look at this through any other lens, you'd have to come up with an answer as to why he chose to focus on speaking English at all.

At best, this is an example of a guy who doesn't deserve to lead people of differing nationalities. Since he also screwed over the entirety of MLB ownership by confirming players' claims of service time manipulation, he should be fired anyway. This is just the turd topping on a crap sundae.

[Danny Serafini]

You’re right, saying a Japanese player was deceiving the organization by pretending his English sucked, for years, to get a friend a job as a translator and then suddenly started speaking better English when he was told his job was on the line has no racial elements.

1. He didn't say that. You're reaching to try and connect a bunch of dots.

2. Even IF that is what happened, the issue isn't about Iwakuma being Japanese, it's about someone burning $75K of team money to hook a friend up. If for example Kyle Seager was running some shenanigans to get his pal a $75K job he'd be just as irritated. This issue is not race.

[RedTeamGo!]

1. He didn't say that. You're reaching to try and connect a bunch of dots.

2. Even IF that is what happened, the issue isn't about Iwakuma being Japanese, it's about someone burning $75K of team money to hook a friend up. If for example Kyle Seager was running some shenanigans to get his pal a $75K job he'd be just as irritated. This issue is not race.

He doesn’t believe the foreign player needed a translator because some BS reason. He didn’t have the thought Iwakuma’s English improved by....playing baseball in an English speaking country for years?

It’s absolutely about race.

[Chip R]

At best, this is an example of a guy who doesn't deserve to lead people of differing nationalities. Since he also screwed over the entirety of MLB ownership by confirming players' claims of service time manipulation, he should be fired anyway. This is just the turd topping on a crap sundae.

If the other remarks didn't get him fired, those would. The Mariners brass can apologize and put out statements all they want but the next time a prospect who appears to be ready - like the two he mentioned - are sent down; people are going to believe it was for service time manipulation even if it wasn't. Executives of 29 other teams and the Mariners are saying, "WTF did you say that out loud?!" And the timing could hardly be worse. Of course every organization is going to say they don't operate that way but the players aren't going to believe it.

[Larry Schuler]

He doesn’t believe the foreign player needed a translator because some BS reason. He didn’t have the thought Iwakuma’s English improved by....playing baseball in an English speaking country for years?

It’s absolutely about race.

Mathers said that a guy tried to do a thing. Show me where Iawkuma being Japanese has to do with the words 'guy' or 'thing'. Those are literally the least racial words one can come up with!

[Joey Blotto]

Arguing about racism is so 2020, so I won't touch that.

I do think the service-time debate is interesting though. The current rule seems to create a perverse incentive that keeps certain prospects in the minors past when they would normally be called up. As a result, teams have to walk a fine line between making fiscally responsible decisions regarding their payroll and pissing off the player. Maybe this is one of those scenarios where in fact the best solution is to simply let the clubs who "manipulate" (however you define that) service time take the reputational hit. However, it seems more likely to me that a better contract arrangement would be preferable, whether it's one that unties service-time from call-up date or more generally eases restrictions on player contracts.

But the current scenario where teams are basically expected to do one thing and then lie about what they're really doing doesn't feel optimal.

[Bourgeois Zee]

Mathers said that a guy tried to do a thing. Show me where Iawkuma being Japanese has to do with the words 'guy' or 'thing'. Those are literally the least racial words one can come up with!

I almost responded to this. Then I realized the shtick.

[bm1475]

When I saw those comments, I immediately thought, that's a guy who didn't care if he got fired. Whether he was drunk, pilled up, tired, over it, or all of the above, you can't realistically be in a position as high as his and expect to be able to say stuff like that completely consequence-free. Even if you don't think he said anything "that bad" (questionable-at-best take), you have to recognize that in this day and age you can't just say this stuff in a leadership role and not expect it to blow up. Anyone saying otherwise is being contrarian for the sake of it.

[Bob Sheed]

1. He let the cat out of the bag about service time manipulation. I mean, I guess he did. Everyone knew it was going on. Change the rules if it's so bad, but it's not like he was lying.
2. So it's beyond the realm of possibility that Iawkuma was trying to hook a friend up with a job by pretending he needed a translator more than he actually did? So much so that to even suggest such a thing is racist? Really? This is the world we live in? Jeez...

Some of you need to re-read The Boy Who Cried Wolf.

And you know... If I had to guess, Mather probably is racist. I think the whole "his English isn't so good" jab at Rodriguez, in the context that it was in, shows more racist undertones than anything else I heard him say. And even that is more of a "roll your eyes at the old dude" moment than anything else.

Man, people are just waiting, HOPING... to pounce on anything. It's weird...

[Bourgeois Zee]

1. He let the cat out of the bag about service time manipulation. I mean, I guess he did. Everyone knew it was going on. Change the rules if it's so bad, but it's not like he was lying.

I think you either don't understand how big of a deal this is and will be in the labor unrest, or you're purposefully understating it in order to make a point.

[Joey Blotto]

I think you either don't understand how big of a deal this is and will be in the labor unrest, or you're purposefully understating it in order to make a point.

It's almost as shocking as when Captain Reynaud uncovered the illegal gambling occurring at Rick's Cafe.

[Bourgeois Zee]

It's almost as shocking as when Captain Reynaud uncovered the illegal gambling occurring at Rick's Cafe.

The issue is that it's now out in the open, and there's nothing MLB can do about it. He handed a dagger to labor, and they'd be crazy not to use it to at least cut the cords restricting their movement. That statement almost assuredly cost ownership a year of player control and may cost them even more in damages.

It's a billion-dollar bonehead every elite AAA prospect can use to sue ownership for underhanded practices.