by Nikki Silverstein
To cry or not to cry? That is the question we’re asking. More specifically, is there crying in baseball? We’re on the fence and seek your input to identify the Hero and the Zero in this tale about America’s favorite pastime. First up is New York Mets shortstop Wilmer Flores. He wept during a recent game when he heard that he was being traded, and his tears made headlines around the country. San Rafael resident Bethany Ojalvo applauds the player for his willingness to “be real and show his feelings.” In fact, Ojalvo believes that he’s a Hero and a model for our next generation of men. Batting second is the San Rafael Pacifics baseball club. Along with Prandi Property Management, the Pacifics gave away T-shirts to the first 250 fans at a recent game. Fun, right? Well, we’re not sure, because the free tees were emblazoned with the message, “No Crying in Baseball.” Mike Shapiro, President and General Manager of the Pacifics, says that they were honoring the classic line from the 1992 film A League of Their Own, and they weren’t taking it too seriously. Ojalvo didn’t find it amusing. “Kids take these simple messages seriously and I think it’s the last thing young boys need to hear,” she says. Do you see our dilemma here? Is Flores a Hero for showing his emotions in public? Should we call out the Pacifics for not being more thoughtful? Send us your comments and together we’ll find out who wins.
Did Bethany Ojalvo also find it not “amusing” when the Pacifics brought in a woman pitcher recently?That might have been a first. Might kids take that message even more seriously than a teeshirt slogan? What about the two women who just passed the Army Rangers training–first ever? Would she think them heroic for crying in public? How would they respond to her?
Showing emotion in public does not make one a hero: it’s just what people do.
A Zero is trying to paste one’s biases on the “model for our next generation of men”–or women, or anybody else.
Crying is an honest emotion of sadness and not a sign of weakness. I vote YES for crying and think Mike Shapiro delivers a negative, potentially damaging message to males of any age.
Bethany needs to get a better gripe on life,not everyone is so damn sensitive. I mean we are talking
about a minor league Baseball Team that is trying to promote goodwill and sportsmanship in Marin County
and everywhere the play. Everyone needs to calm down and realize the whole world is about different feelings
and we all should be able to accommodate all those whether they send the message we believe is correct or not.
Everyone has the right to enjoy life. Live & let live