Posted on 08/06/2005 7:53:01 PM PDT by Originalist
Alou won't accept radio host's apologyAssociated Press
SAN FRANCISCO -- Giants manager Felipe Alou called a one-week suspension given to a radio host for making racial remarks about the team's Latino players "a slap on the hand" and said he wouldn't accept an apology from Larry Krueger.
"He came to apologize to me? You have to be kidding me," Alou said Saturday, one day after the suspension. "There's no way to apologize for such a sin."
Alou said he wasn't in position to accept an apology on behalf of the "hundreds of millions" of people offended earlier this week when Krueger went on the Giants' flagship station, KNBR, and went off about the struggling club and its "brain-dead Caribbean hitters hacking at slop nightly."
“ There's no way to apologize for such a sin. ” — Giants manager Felipe Alou
"All of these people have been offended by this idiot," Alou said. "I can't speak for hundreds of millions of people. This guy offended hundreds of millions of people."
KNBR program director Bob Agnew said all comments on the subject would come from Tony Salvadore, the station's senior vice president. Salvadore did not immediately return a message left on his cell phone seeking comment. KNBR owns approximately 1.5 percent of the team.
Krueger, who apologized on the air Thursday and offered to apologize to the team, will not be on the radio again until Aug. 15. In his comments after Wednesday night's game he also criticized Alou, saying "you have a manager in Felipe whose mind has turned to Cream of Wheat."
"It's a slap on the hand," Alou said, slapping his own hand for emphasis. "He could come back with something else in a week."
Alou also said he would no longer do his pregame radio spot with the station.
"My voice and the voices of others can't be coming out of the same wave," Alou said. "No way. I am a man of principle. I always have been and always will be."
The anger from the Giants organization and players did not die down a day after the controversy became public. Because Krueger is a talk-show host and not an announcer, the Giants have no control over his punishment.
Omar Vizquel compared the talk-show host's remarks to those made by former Atlanta Braves pitcher John Rocker, who in a 1999 interview with Sports Illustrated bashed gays, minorities and foreigners.
The 70-year-old Alou, who faced racism as a black Dominican minor leaguer in the South nearly five decades ago, warned his Latino players to be "on guard" for racist remarks.
Moises Alou, the son of the manager and an outfielder for the Giants, called it an "ugly incident" and said unfair treatment of Latino players by the media was not new.
"It's been going on a long time," he said. "They blame steroids on Mexico and the Dominican Republic. I guarantee you can get steroids in the United States, too."
Moises Alou said much of the problem stems from the fact that Latino players are thought of as "dumb" because of the language barrier they face.
"Just because you don't speak English when you first come to this country, that doesn't mean you're stupid," he said.
The Giants, who have struggled most of the season, have won three straight games since Krueger made his comments. But Alou and the players dismiss any idea that the controversy has motivated them.
"I don't really think players care too much about what a guy says on the radio or what people write," first baseman J.T. Snow said. "Our job is to go on the field and play."
"He came to apologize to me? You have to be kidding me," Alou said Saturday, one day after the suspension. "There's no way to apologize for such a sin."
The culture of victimhood strikes again.
Did Rocker "bash" them? I thought he just said that the NYC subways were full of them.
---"you have a manager in Felipe whose mind has turned to Cream of Wheat."----
Ok, if he thinks that is such a thing is a "sin" that can't be forgiven, Alou must be a moronic crybaby.
How thin skinned. Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhh.
A lot of Oriole fans might agree with that statement after watching their team over the last two months.
What? Never heard this before. ....probably because Alou just pulled it out of his posterior.
I'm going to be away for a few hours, got a poker game. Just wanted to post a follow up to last nights story. I'll check the replies later.
get over it, crybabies....jeez
How about if you're here for 10 years and still don't speak English?
"I thought he just said that the NYC subways were full of them."
What he said was pretty funny, as in true. Talking about riding the 7 train to Shea Stadium and the freaks you'll see on it. I guess people were upset about it, but everyone in NYC knew he spoke the truth.
I'm a White Sox fan. Can't get too riled up about the world's few elitist pampered poodles being "offended".
It's only baseball!
I blame the internet! :P
You'd swear they called him a far worse slur.
This guy's a crybaby if all he said is what's in the article.
I listen to KNBR every day. The guy who made the comments is not a bad guy. Maybe he went a little too far but, not really (Who hasn't went a bit too far with a word or two anyway?) Must we all look to be victims?
Any by the way, there are a lot of latinos on the Giants but, so what. Furthermore, if he would made reference to bunch of hamburger chomping white guys, I don't think it would have offended anyone.
If this is what he said - where is the problem? Are they not Caribbean? Have they not been swinging away at bad pitches? Have the non-Caribbeans been swinging at bad pitches as well, and the Caribbean players feel unfairly singled out?
Is being descriptive a slur?
Concerning Alou's brain being turned to Cream of Wheat? I think the response to the "situation" proves the anouncers point. When I think of the number of comments concerning theplate in Don Zimmer's head, one cream of wheat reference seems a bit minor.
There is no crying in baseball. No whining either.
Diva's Husband
harry caray used to regularly bemoan "Louie Alverado (or any latin name)is the only latin ball player that can't judge a pop fly"
Oh for goodness sake. If this is his attitude, he doesn't deserve an apology.
Whoa! They allow that many on a team roster?
Alou just lost any respect I had for him. He is a whining thin skinned elitist and I will be rooting for him to lose his games. He thinks he is speaking for millions? How egotistical can one get? Barf.
And he seems to have the self reighteous indignation down pat. Who says the latinos won't assimilate here?
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