Comments on: Dan Uggla is “blue collar?”

By: kathybaseball

kathybaseball — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 23:13:34 +0000

Maybe I’m naive but this thought NEVER even occurs to me when I hear an athlete described as blue collar. I think about the way the individual plays the game, not their skin color.

By: Walk

Walk — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 14:27:32 +0000

Pirates and braves ss of old, rafael belliard. I remember him hitting what i believe was his only hr but that guy seemed to work hard on every play. I never saw him jog on dp grounder or even a pop up. Definetly someone i would call blue collar, to me any player that hustles like that is a blue collar type player regardless of any natural talent.

By: tomemos

tomemos — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 20:09:22 +0000

I understand the sentiment, but this isn’t “turning into a race issue”–it’s already a race issue. Bringing it to the surface can be uncomfortable, but ultimately pointing out these unconscious stereotypes is the way you get rid of them.

By: kathybaseball

kathybaseball — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 19:42:20 +0000

I hate when things turn into a race issue

By: tomemos

tomemos — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 18:48:42 +0000

“maybe it’s because most white people like me have no athletic ability”

Most PEOPLE have no athletic ability, regardless of race, at least not enough to play professional sports. This is the problem: there’s this presumption, going back at least to the integration of the Majors, that black people have natural, untutored athletic ability that they don’t have to work to develop, whereas white people have to earn athletic success through hard work. I’m not accusing you of having that presumption, and I think it’s generally unconscious, but you are unwittingly perpetuating that narrative. The problem with the narrative is that it doesn’t give nonwhite people credit for hard work. No one makes it to the Majors without a combination of amazing natural talent and hard work.

Also, does it strike you as ironic that you complain about “the media always playing the race card” when this is Craig *complaining about the media* unselfconsciously repeating a stereotype?

By: Ari Collins

Ari Collins — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 18:11:37 +0000

The problem is that non-whites are very rarely identified as “giving it everything they have.” By saying that white athletes “outplay” their natural ability, you’re saying that non-white players lack that work ethic.

Of COURSE it’s admirable when a player succeeds despite lesser physical tools. But the media predominantly focuses on the white players like this, very rarely calling anyone non-white “a gamer” or “gritty” or anything like that and trashing players like Manny, who, despite the impression he gives off, actually worked hard on his defense (god, who knows how much worse it’d have been otherwise!) and spends more time training in the batting cage than practically anyone.

By: metalhead65

metalhead65 — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 16:47:32 +0000

why do the media always have to the race card when there is no need to?maybe it’s because most white people like me have no athletic ability and when we see somebody like a uggla giving it everything he has we see him as 1 of us. a much better paid one of us to be sure but we can identify with him.if this makes me a racist fine I can live with that,but why is it ok for black people to identify with guys of their race and not be held to the same standard?

By: Old Gator

Old Gator — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 16:17:14 +0000

Oh yeah, and Beinfest. Time we had him tested for encroaching senile dementia. This trade has all the hallmarks of a very badly defective gene.

By: Old Gator

Old Gator — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 16:13:23 +0000

I’m mixing the hemlock even as we speak, although I haven’t figured out yet how to slip it into his Dom Perignon without letting all the bubbles out.

The Chihuahua is easy, though. I just throw the little bastard to my Salvador monitor lizard. Friendo isn’t quite big enough to do the job yet.

By: Ari Collins

Ari Collins — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 16:13:16 +0000

I think in that case, there’s an understood “… you know, for a pitcher!” added. It’s really just another way to talk up a pitcher without saying, “He’s good at baseball.”

By: Chris Fiorentino

Chris Fiorentino — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 15:39:02 +0000

White players are generally lesser athletes so whenever one of them does well, they are “blue-collar” because they had to work harder. Non-white players are better athletes, so whenever one of them does well, it is expected. Manny Ramirez was probably the best pure right-handed hitter of the last 25 years, yet nobody called him “blue-collar” because it came natural and he loafed around when he wasn’t hitting. But when David Eckstein gets a game-winning hit, he’s blue collar. Why? Because if he wasn’t “blue-collar” he would suck like the rest of us white guys.

There are exceptions…I never felt Chase Utley was “blue collar”. Same with Jayson Werth. Those guys are just flat-out good athletes white, black or purple. But I have heard the term “blue collar” applied to J-Roll, Raul Ibanez and Valdez. Especially Valdez. Quite a few times, we heard how “blue collar” Valdez is because with less talent he did pretty well in place of J-Roll when he was hurt.

Again…those are rare exceptions. The basic equation is this…White = “blue-collar” and Non-White = “Athlete who should be doing what he is doing anyway” It’s quite a racist smack in the face either way you look at it.

By: BC

BC — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 15:30:46 +0000

There were many nights – until he ran into injury issues – where I and many others thought Jim Edmonds was the best athlete on the field. I could name many other white position players that I’d say were great athletes.
It’s totally a social predisposition and borderline prejudice but unfortunately the opinion exists. It’s the same reason Larry Bird was called “blue-collar” and “hard-working” – when in fact he was one of the two or three most athletically gifted players of his time (OK, except the dunking).

By: RickyB

RickyB — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 15:15:48 +0000

The only white guys in baseball that ever get referred to as athletic are pitchers, it seems to me. John Smoltz comes to mind — announcers would rave about his athleticism. Or perhaps it was simply that he was a great athlete, which may or may not be the same thing.

By: Jonny 5

Jonny 5 — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 15:14:55 +0000

Black peoples and hispanic peoples have natrual talent, and white guys have to work really extra hard to be good enough for the MLB. That’s got to be it! I don’t know, I think it really doesn’t mean much. And I really don’t think that anyone really cares. It’s not as if it’s done out of spite or harmful or anything.
Dan Uggla on the Braves. I look forward to the upcoming season very much.

Loria has something to say to everyone. He requested this be sent to as many people as possible.

By: packattack95

packattack95 — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 14:54:15 +0000

If you listened to many Braves games this past season, Martin Prado and Infante was referenced as “blue collar” players by Bobby Cox all season long, especially Prado who was characterized “as tough as they come”….

By: Mr. Jason "El Bravo" Heyward

Mr. Jason "El Bravo" Heyward — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 14:40:09 +0000

No one in baseball is blue collar. In fact, they are closer to white collar than anything. Now why am I just finding out Uggla is a Brave? Damn work and it’s trappings…but anyway, HELL YES!

By: churchoftheperpetuallyoutraged

churchoftheperpetuallyoutraged — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 14:30:00 +0000

Something doesn’t seem right here. If you are basically giving him away, why not call the Red Sox to see if they have anything to offer. Uggla would be cheaper than Beltre, you could keep Youk at first with Scutaro and Pedroia managing the other two spots. He’d be a type A next year so you could offer him arbitration or watch him leave and take the draft pick.

Or maybe Loria is trying to do enough to see if Old Gator will kill him…

By: nps6724

nps6724 — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 14:24:43 +0000

I never hear non-whites called blue-collar or gritty. I also never hear whites called athletic. The white guy is always hardworking and smart while the non-white guy is blessed with great athleticism. Though I have heard DL and OL in football (regardless of race) called lunch-pail guys.

By: chrisny3

chrisny3 — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 14:14:27 +0000

By the way, Uggla loves Backman, and said he’d run through a wall for him. He can’t say enough good things about him. Just sayin, since some don’t understand why Mets fans think Backman would make a good manager.

By: rawstalk

rawstalk — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 14:13:55 +0000

This is a reach, but maybe Kirby Puckett was called blue-collar? Or was he more of a “lunch bucket” kind of guy? Maybe I’m mixing up lunch bucket with fire plug…

By: proudlycanadian

proudlycanadian — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 14:08:45 +0000

I would describe Alex Gonzalez as blue collar, but I doubt that anyone else has. There certainly does seem to be a racial factor in play here.

By: PanchoHerreraFanClub

PanchoHerreraFanClub — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 14:07:59 +0000

Uggla is also in the best shape of his life.

By: jasonc2300

jasonc2300 — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 14:01:51 +0000

Expanding on Craig’s final point, are there any nonwhite players commonly described as “blue collar”?

By: Panda Claus

Panda Claus — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 13:39:34 +0000

Something else I hadn’t considered when this story broke yesterday. If the Marlins were going to have “free Dan Uggla” event, wouldn’t you think they’d give him to some other team so they don’t have to be reminded of their frugalness 18 games per season?

Interesting take on the whole “blue collar” image and how that’s portrayed by fans and media. You probably have a good point.

By: Craig Calcaterra

Craig Calcaterra — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 13:33:22 +0000

I lol’d.

By: Ari Collins

Ari Collins — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 13:32:18 +0000

He doesn’t have the natural strength of those dark-skinned brutes. He pulled himself up by his bootstraps you betcha and has that home run power thanks to hard work and the willpower of our fairer race.