Monday, November 24, 2008

"Let me say right off that I have nothing personal against Indians in general"

The headline gives you an idea where this one's going.

Let me say right off, I'm not a freakishly nationalistic person, by any stretch of the imagination. But this article is unbelievable.

Here's my basic problem; essentially Slate is saying that the introduction of two Indian pitchers* (who, according to Milway, were signed by the Pirates), will spark the Apocalypse for the sport of baseball. That's a shocking allegation, and a wonderful piece of xenophobia.

There have been Japanese players in Major League Baseball since 1964, and they have their own , very successful, league now. Last time I checked, though, the MLB still exists, and still hauls it in.

So explain how an Indian player is going to cause the "Outsourcing" of baseball. Moron. It's an unbelievable spiel of drivel, and I'm shocked idiocy like this gets published. Even if it is only in the Warren Reporter.

If anything, Indian players in Major League Baseball sparking (an unlikely) popularity of baseball in India will serve nothing but good for the sport. It will create another country who can compete in the Olympics and Little League World Series competitions, thus strengthening the legitimacy of the sport on the international level.

Glove tap to Sager at Out of Left Field for the tip.

----------------
* The pitchers' blog can be found here.

1 comment:

Philippe said...

"as I read about this further inroad into my beloved sport"

"Life doesn't get much better than that in India."

"we've seen over the past 60 years that what used to be manufactured in America has moved overseas"

The three quotes speak, respectively, to the delusions I list below:

1) The idea that things are only getting worse, that some foreign being is taking over a sport of great purity
2) Thinking that a list of trivial snacking and drinking activities is the 'high life' is insulting at best
3) Everything always looks better in hindsight. Creating a fictitious past of glory and patriotism just to imply a lack of integrity in the present is pretty low

A glove tap to Amrit for pwning the guy