fullcountpitch.com

By Gary Armida

What is the truth? That very question was raised in the 1996 film A Time to Kill. During the climax of the movie, the main character, Jake Brigance (played by Matthew McConaughey) asks the jury that very question. He ponders how we as human beings come to the truth. He asks if we seek the truth through our hearts or our minds. Brigance reasons that we must seek the truth with our hearts because our minds are clouded by what we see and hear. So, in reality, truth is perception. Now, what does this have to do with baseball? Well, um,  everything. Baseball fans are quick to judge a player’s performance. Most fans see a player and can immediately say that the player is “done” or just doesn’t care about winning. But, where do those assumptions come from? After thinking about this for the greater part of two weeks now, I have arrived at the answer. Fans believe the truth through mass perception, almost never looking at reason. It is because of that practice that the modern athlete is disconnected from today’s fan.

Let me prove my point by telling you a story. This is a story about an offensive player who has had previous success. He’s been around for quite some time. Some may say (correctly) that he is in the twilight of his career. During his 16 year career, he’s knocked in 90 or more runs in 11 of those seasons. He’s hit over 30 homeruns in 10 of those seasons. Is he a Hall of Famer? No. Is he a good player? Absolutely. But, let’s continue the story by telling you about 2008.

This year, the aging star is having what one may call an average season. In comparison to the other 29 players who start at the same position, our player ranks 14^th in runs scored, 10^th in homeruns and 11^th in RBI.  In addition, he ranks 8^th in total at bats, proving his durability despite is his advanced age. In those four categories he ranks in the upper half of players at the same position. He also ranks 17^th in hits and slugging percentage, just slightly beyond the upper half. Where our aging player suffers is in the batting average and on base percentage categories where he ranks 24^th and 28^th respectively. However, when looking at the whole package our player is producing a league average season on a team where he is not expected to be the primary weapon. At best, he is expected to be the fourth best hitter in the lineup. On his own team, he ranks second and third in homeruns and RBI. All seems good for our aging veteran, right? He should be lauded for producing a representative season while still producing in the power department. Your team should only be so lucky to have a player like that. Mets fans-your team could definitely use someone like that couldn’t they? I mean, put this guy at first base instead of Carlos Delgado and your offense would start to click, wouldn’t it? Isn’t that the truth?

Well, the truth is, that player described is Carlos Delgado. Again, how do we arrive at the truth? Do we look at his numbers or do we simply follow what other people say and write?

The reality is that Carlos Delgado is having a typical season for someone in decline. Fans are no longer accustomed to seeing their aging players actually showing signs of age in their performance. Despite these respectable numbers, Delgado is treated horribly by New York fans. The fans would be nicer if Delgado was dealing with a drug problem, not an age problem. How bad is the perception of Carlos Delgado? Only New York talk radio could illustrate the problem so well. Early Sunday morning, this writer was driving to get some coffee. While I was listening to the radio, the show was discussing the Yankees-Mets series. Of course, the baseball world knows of Delgado’s fabulous 9 RBI performance on Friday against the Yankees. One would figure that the performance would allow Delgado a bit of breathing room. Nope, at least it doesn’t in New York. While driving a Mets fan called to complain about the team. He then brings up the fact that he had hoped that the 9 RBI performance would ignite Delgado on a hot streak. None of that sounds bad until you hear the next point. The caller said that it obviously wasn’t the case because Delgado went hitless in his last 2 games. Yes, a major league player actually went hitless in two straight games. Let’s alert the media!

Now, let’s go back to that 9 RBI performance. Delgado gave the fans a glimpse into what he once was, a player who could dominate a game. Aging players will give those types of performances from time to time. The talk after the game in the New York media was not about Delgado’s game. It was about Delgado’s post game interview. He didn’t give a post-game interview. When asked to be interviewed for the Mets network, Delgado refused. The fury started with the discussion that Delgado was a selfish athlete who didn’t want to give back to the fans and media. Yes, it would’ve been easier just to give the interview, but let’s give Delgado a hand for actually having the courage and dignity not to give that interview.

Why should he give the interview? The only person more criticized on the Mets broadcast is former manager, Willie Randolph. Delgado’s failures are chronicled and dissected while the play of some of his teammates goes largely un-detected. Delgado is ripped on talk radio where hosts proclaim that he has nothing left to offer as a major league first baseman. The fans boo him continuously, never letting up. Well, they let up when he connects on a homerun. The ultimate in hypocrisy is when Mets fans wanted Delgado to come out for a curtain call after a homerun. When he didn’t, the backlash was immediate.

But, Delgado is giving the media and fans exactly what they deserve. There is this expectation of athletes to give of themselves and play “the game” with media and fans. Meanwhile, media and fans can treat you terribly, at any moment. Why should a player take that and continue to give back? The true answer is that he doesn’t have to. A player owes the fans and media absolutely nothing. All that a player owes is performance and effort on the field. If he can provide those, fans have nothing to complain about.

Fan treatment of players is mostly deplorable. Fans treat these players as if they are machines who deserve to be discarded or tweaked during bad times. Even the great Mariano Rivera was booed, mercilessly, when he started a season off by blowing two or three saves. His past performances were quickly forgotten during that small stretch. Now, he gets standing ovations (rightfully so) for just entering the game. If he ever went through a bad stretch like that again, rest assured that the fans would indeed boo the great Rivera. The treatment Alex Rodriguez received during his first few years in New York was unwarranted. Nobody could blame Rodriguez if he never spoke to the media or fans again. He’s decided to play the game, Delgado has not.

The truth is that Mets fans and media got exactly what they deserved. They got nothing from Delgado after the game. If a fan is going to treat a player horribly, then there is no obligation for the player to allow people in. It just should not happen. A player should treat the media and fans how they are being treated.

Now, this is not to say that players cannot be booed. A player should hear it if he fails to hustle. He should hear it when a mental error is made. He should hear it when he says stupid things. He should not hear from it, however, if he is producing stats. Mets fans (and fans in general) should look to place blame where it belongs. It was unrealistic to expect Carlos Delgado at age 37 to produce the same way he did when he was 33 or 34 years old. All players age. Their performance should decline now that the widespread use of PED’s is somewhat stunted. The blame and scorn should be directed at the architect of the club. Omar Minaya made the mistake of depending on a 37 year old to be a cornerstone of the offensive attack. Perhaps Omar thought it was still a possible for a 37 year old to hit more homeruns than he did during his prime.

So, what is the truth? Is Delgado so horrible? Should fans be treating him like garbage? The answer to both questions is a resounding no. Fans need to show that they are not these mindless drones that follow what the radio says. Fans are better than that. Fans have just lost their way. It’s easy to lose your way too with all of the sports radio and TV all giving you a lot of good things.  It is time to get back to intelligent observation of the sport. If fans continue this current behavior then the future will line up this way. If it continues, players will just play and never give an inside view that all fans crave. If this is indeed the case, the disconnect between player and fan will never be repaired. And, in case you are still wondering, it would be the fans’ fault.