That sounds more like him.

On another note, I think europeans who play basketball aren’t white, and more white people need to be given a chance to excel at the sport. There has to be somebody other than adam morrison i can cheer for.

This will be forgotten pretty quickly. Especially when Torii plays all star defense and leads us to another AL West Crown!

controversy on bloggers today. Got to love it.

First, I don’t beleive Torii is a racist. Second, I beleive that Torii said nothing wrong. I believe that he was simply identifying himself as an African-American. And by simple definition, anyone who identifies themselves as blank-american this or blank-american that is choosing to focus on whatever factor they choose to seperate themselves from being an American.

I have traveled Latin America and have met alot of Colombians, Brazilians, Costa Ricans, and Dominicans who happen to be black. And guess what people, they all consider themselves their nationality and not African-this or African-that. Their names are the same as everyone elses. And get this, these countries had slave trade too at one time. The sad truth is that blacks in this country have it so much better here than the rest of the latin america but there seems to be alot of hangups that the black community chooses to hold on to. Racism exists everywhere in the world. It is nowhere worse here than in latin america. I love all people of all races and it sadens me to see one race call themselves victims in this day and age in this country.

TORII APOLOGII

That’s all I have to add.

I wanted to believe that he was misquoted or his words were taken out of context, because I really like Torii and find his positive attitude an inspiration.

Unfortunately, he didn’t deny that the quotes were accurate, merely that he should have chosen different words, and he complained that it was “hurtful” that people took him to mean what he quite unequivocally said.

Well, no matter how one puts it, the thoughts behind his words are ugly. Still, he has a right to think them, and if he believes what he said, he should stand behind them. If he doesn’t, he should simply offer an unqualified apology.

I’m just going to try to forget this little incident, and hope it does not lead to bad feelings in the clubhouse.

…with an old story and obviously succeeding:

“You can go to Latin America and get that same talent as a black player in Compton and if he’s in Compton he gets drafted in the first round he’s going to get two million dollars. If he doesn’t pan out, you’re out two million dollars but if you go to the Domincan, Cuba, or whatever and you can get a guy for two thousand dollars and he doesn’t pan out you’re only down two thousand dollars. I do agree that, you know 10 years from now you’ll see no blacks, at all.”
-Torii Hunter, June 8, 2007 – regarding this comment made earlier by Gary Sheffield about Latin American players:

“What I called is that you’re going to see more black faces, but there ain’t no English going to be coming out. … [It’s about] being able to tell [Latin players] what to do — being able to control them. Where I’m from, you can’t control us.”

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2897303

Lone Star Ball thread on Torii’s choice of words

It’s kind of sad really. I occasionally go over there to read some of the stuff they post and thought they had some smart commenters. I guess the smart ones are outnumbered by John Lackey’s half-breed cousins more than I originally thought. All of this vitriol towards Rev, Torii and our site because of some PC Vulture Fest in the media.

And for the record, that picture of Feldman and Adam Kennedy isn’t even a good fight picture. Feldman’s punch is being deflected and Kennedy is doing…whatever the hell he’s doing. I guess after years of being 2nd at your best, things like that are all you can be proud of.