Posted on 07/21/2004 8:55:16 PM PDT by GAGOPSWEEPTOVICTORY
NEW YORK (AP) -- Fervently anti-war, Carlos Delgado quietly carried out his personal protest this season, refusing to stand when ``God Bless America'' was played at ballparks across the majors.
Most fans never saw him disappearing up the dugout tunnel or staying on the bench. And even teammates who disagreed with the Toronto slugger's political stance accepted his right to call the United States' invasion of Iraq ``the stupidest war ever.''
This week, though, a lot more people noticed.
The Blue Jays played at Yankee Stadium for the first time this year on Wednesday night. It's the only park in the majors where ``God Bless America'' has been played every game since the Sept. 11 attacks, a fiercely patriotic place where active military members are still admitted free.
``I don't think that will be received too well,'' Yankees manager Joe Torre predicted Wednesday before the opener of the two-game series. ``Just when Bob Sheppard starts announcing 'God Bless America,' they start applauding. If you do call attention to that, it won't be popular.''
It sure wasn't.
Delgado was greeted with scattered boos each time he batted -- no telling whether that was related to his off-the-field opinions, or his status as an opposing star.
But there were brief chants of ``USA! USA!'' when he lined out in the top of the seventh. During a moment of silence before Kate Smith's rendition of ``God Bless America'' was played during the seventh-inning stretch, derisive shouts were made in his direction.
True to form, Delgado was nowhere to be seen. He left the dugout when the last out was made in the top of the seventh, and headed to the clubhouse, and was removed from the game with the Blue Jays trailing by seven runs.
Delgado politely declined to elaborate before Wednesday night's game, though he said he stood by his previous comments. After the 10-3 loss, he deferred when asked about his remarks and the crowd reaction.
``No, I will not talk about it. Is that OK? Thank you,'' he said.
While big leaguers usually come to the top step of the dugout or on to the field to stand in silence during ``God Bless America,'' Delgado does not make a public show of his stance.
In fact, until the first baseman spoke about the issue in early July to the Toronto Star, many people were not aware of how strongly he felt.
``It's a very terrible thing that happened on Sept. 11. It's (also) a terrible thing that happened in Afghanistan and Iraq,'' Delgado said at the time. ``I just feel so sad for the families that lost relatives and loved ones in the war.
``But I think it's the stupidest war ever. Who are you fighting against? You're just getting ambushed now. We have more people dead now after the war than during the war,'' he said. ``I don't support what they do. It's just stupid.''
Delgado, from Puerto Rico, also opposed the U.S. military's longtime use of the Puerto Rican island of Vieques for weapons testing.
Delgado's opinion became more well known to New York fans in a column in The New York Times on Wednesday. In it, he said, ``It takes a man to stand up for what he believes.''
``I am not pro-war; I'm anti-war,'' he said. ``I'm for peace.''
Commissioner Bud Selig said he understood Delgado's position and that it was a sensitive subject. Selig said he'd like to talk to the Blue Jays' franchise leader in home runs and RBIs about the issue.
Other athletes have taken similar approaches.
NBA guard Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf of the Denver Nuggets would not stand for the national anthem during the 1995-96 season, which led to an indefinite suspension that was lifted two days later.
Division III basketball player Toni Smith of the Manhattanville women's team attracted attention for refusing to face the flag during the national anthem in the 2002-03 season.
Most ballparks generally play ``God Bless America'' on Sunday and holidays, but the Yankees do it at every game. It comes on after Sheppard, the stadium's longtime public-address announcer, reads a remembrance to the people serving in the military.
There was a chance during this series, Delgado realized, that he might make the final out in the top of the seventh and be on the field when the tribute begins.
``This is my personal feeling. I don't want to draw attention to myself or go out of my way to protest,'' Delgado told the Times. ``If I make the last out of the seventh inning, I'll stand there. But I'd rather be in the dugout.''
Blue Jays general manager J.P. Ricciardi said the team has not gotten any reaction from fans about Delgado's position. Team president Paul Godfrey has said he respects Delgado's opinion but opposes his political view.
Standing in the box seats, Yankees fan Barry Phillips disagreed with Delgado, but said he would not boo him.
``I think it's totally disrespectful,'' he said shortly before gametime. ``It's a slap directly in my face, as a New Yorker and an American.''
I didn't know there was a team other than the Red Sox that I should root against when the Yankees play them.
Coward.
He should do his protesting on his own time. Not when he is getting a tax-free paycheck from the American team he plays for. Also, if he is so anti-America, then he needs to go back to Canada.
go yankee fans? sounds like their protests were tepid.
In one respect, Delgado has shown a lot of guts -- he continues to accept his $20 million a year salary even though he is hitting about .215.
As Laura Ingraham says,
"Shut Up and .....Swing?"
And he won't waive his no-trade clause.
Yes 9/11/2001 was a terrible thing.
Yes, liberating 25 million people in Afghanistan was a terrible thing.
Yes, liberating 25 million people in Iraq was a terrible thing.
As the Protest Warriors say, "Saddam only killed his own people, IT'S NONE OF OUR BUSINESS!"
UNBELIEVABLE.
$20 million and he cannot even respect our Country. What does he do when they sing the Star Spangled Banner? He best be putting his hat across his heart.
His team mates need to talk to him about what is acceptable protest and how what he is doing is not coming across as protesting, just disrespect to America.
I'd say Carlos Delgado is the stupidest baseball player ever!
Yep -- although I doubt there is much of a market for guys who aren't hitting their weight and pullling in his kind of bucks. If the Yankees didn't already have Giambi in this category, they'd probably be looking at Delgado. Although since Giambi got off the steroids, maybe his weight has dropped down to meet his batting average. (And I'm a Yankees fan.)
Delgado was greeted with scattered boos each time he batted -- no telling whether that was related to his off-the-field opinions, or his status as an opposing star.
But there were brief chants of ``USA! USA!'' when he lined out in the top of the seventh. During a moment of silence before Kate Smith's rendition of ``God Bless America'' was played during the seventh-inning stretch, derisive shouts were made in his direction.
Doesn't sound like the Yankee fans' response was teppid to me. There are a few other ballparks in the country (Wrigley and Fenway come to mind) where the fans would be educated enough to even boo in the first place. Keep in mind this story was just printed in the Times today. Tomorrow, it will get picked up elsewhere and Delgado will get booed even more at the Stadium than he did today. You can count on it.
The problem is he plays in Toronto, so there probably isn't much pressure on him to show respect for the US. Although, most of his teammates are Americans.
You'd be suprised what stupid teams like the Red Sox and the Orioles are willing to pay for another Mo Vaughn-type one dimentional player. Delgado is a piece of crap for both his off-field comments and his on-field play. Woe Canada your team sucks and Delgado is a big reason why.
He does stand for the Star Spangled Banner.
At the risk of being flamed just before bed, I'm really not that upset by this - he did this so quietly that no one figured it out for over a year ... and his teammates, even those that disagree with him, seem to think he's not being disrespectful.
It just seems to me that if someone's not rubbing my face in it, they have a right to quietly object.
You're right. There will always be a market for a Cecil Fielder or a Steve Balboni.
"I am not pro-war; I'm anti-war,'' he said. ``I'm for peace."
Hey Carlos- I'm for peace too. Unfortunately, the people trying to kill us aren't, so why don't we kill all of them, then go for the whole peace thing. Laying down and letting our enemies kill us is not peace, it's death.
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