Baseball fans, spare me the Roberto Osuna trade indignation

[Omar 382]

Roberto Osuna was traded to the Astros today for Ken Giles, David Paulino, and Hector Perez. I heard the news from going to Fangraphs.com, one of my favorite websites, and reading this article on their front-page: Astros Trade for Elite Closer Currently Suspended for Domestic Violence | FanGraphs Baseball.
I then went and Googled the trade, and read this article The Astros Didn’t Have to Trade for Roberto Osuna
and this article Roberto Osuna Acquisition Could Get Awkward For Houston Astros.

All that is to articulate that I am not building a straw-man argument. People- maybe a lot of people- are upset/disappointed/outraged/etc. by the Astros' trade.

First off, let me just say that I am not necessarily anti-PC. I do believe that words- though they may break no sticks or stones- do have impact, sometimes serious impact, on people's lives. I try not to get too worked up about it one way or another if the words do not affect me or are not directed at me, but I'm not one to just chalk everything up to SJWs/liberals/feminists when people are upset by words. I've personally removed the word "faggot" from my lexicon in the past three years in my day-to-day interactions with people in real life.

Of course, Roberto Osuna's issue isn't with words- but domestic violence. And I take that very seriously. But MLB suspended the guy for 75 games. He has a court appearance on (I believe) this Wednesday.

That is the price that Osuna is paying/has paid for his actions. If he has to go to jail or if new information comes to light and MLB decides they want to suspend him further, that will also be his payment to society.

But criticizing the Astros is completely fucking ridiculous. This line from Jeff Sullivan is one that really stood out to me:

Many fans don’t want to think about anything beyond the basics. They see sports as an entertaining distraction from everything else. You’re happy about wins and you’re annoyed about losses. It’s never any more complicated than that.

For the fans for whom it is more complicated, the Astros today have scored an own goal. They made a trade they didn’t need to make for a player still looking ahead to a court date. The Astros know exactly what they’re doing. That’s kind of what makes this so difficult to stomach.

No, no, no. Fuck that. It is not any more "complicated" than trying to enable your team to have a better chance to win. What is a front office, coaching, and 25-man roster's job? To win. You could argue that for the shareholders/owners it's to make more money, but the front office- who made this trade- is focused solely on winning.

Roberto Osuna will certainly help this team win if he pitches. That's all that matters. I can see how MLB might not want these players in the limelight, but the Astros are not MLB, and furthermore MLB already made their declaration when they suspended him 75 games.

I also keep hearing how the trade "didn't have" to be made- that there were plenty of other available relievers the Astros could have traded for this deadline. So, using that rationale, the trade isn't ok because there were other options? What if there were no other options this deadline- then is the trade ok? Fans and writers are already balancing winning vs. taking a moral high ground themselves.

Fuck that balance. For a team, your sole goal is to win a World Series. And from my vantage point, this trade puts the Astros in a better spot to do that.

 

[Fountain City Blues]

No mention of the Astros zero tolerance policy I see.

 

[Omar 382]

No mention of the Astros zero tolerance policy I see.

I know that the Astros mentioned it in the press release- what's your point?

 

[fordman84]

I know that the Astros mentioned it in the press release- what's your point?

"zero tolerance" means none. It's odd to see someone talking about their zero tolerance policy in a presser about a guy they specifically went out to get, who is a wife beater.

 

[podsox]

 

[podsox]

 

[Ojb81]

Osuna deserves nothing less than to be beaten in the crotch with a tire iron, relentlessly

 

[Used 2 B Hu]

Osuna deserves nothing less than to be beaten in the crotch with a tire iron, relentlessly

But if he strikes out the side in the ninth to win the pennant, he will be cheered.

 

[Ojb81]

But if he strikes out the side in the ninth to win the pennant, he will be cheered.

Whatever. Doesn't change what I said

 

[SlinkyRedfoot]

"zero tolerance" means none. It's odd to see someone talking about their zero tolerance policy in a presser about a guy they specifically went out to get, who is a wife beater.

Perhaps they're changing their policy to "some tolerance depending on team needs."

 

[Used 2 B Hu]

Whatever. Doesn't change what I said

Of course.

Then, who will beat forcefully, in the crotchal regions, those thousands who would have cheered him in the event that he does aid them in winning the pennant?

Because I would imagine those people would be pretty horrible themselves, cheering on a wife-beater like that

 

[Used 2 B Hu]

Perhaps they're changing their policy to "some tolerance depending on team needs."

Or maybe they meant zero tolerance re: future events?

 

[SlinkyRedfoot]

Roberto Osuna was traded to the Astros today for Ken Giles, David Paulino, and Hector Perez. I heard the news from going to Fangraphs.com, one of my favorite websites, and reading this article on their front-page: Astros Trade for Elite Closer Currently Suspended for Domestic Violence | FanGraphs Baseball.
I then went and Googled the trade, and read this article The Astros Didn’t Have to Trade for Roberto Osuna
and this article Roberto Osuna Acquisition Could Get Awkward For Houston Astros.

All that is to articulate that I am not building a straw-man argument. People- maybe a lot of people- are upset/disappointed/outraged/etc. by the Astros' trade.

First off, let me just say that I am not necessarily anti-PC. I do believe that words- though they may break no sticks or stones- do have impact, sometimes serious impact, on people's lives. I try not to get too worked up about it one way or another if the words do not affect me or are not directed at me, but I'm not one to just chalk everything up to SJWs/liberals/feminists when people are upset by words. I've personally removed the word "faggot" from my lexicon in the past three years in my day-to-day interactions with people in real life.

Of course, Roberto Osuna's issue isn't with words- but domestic violence. And I take that very seriously. But MLB suspended the guy for 75 games. He has a court appearance on (I believe) this Wednesday.

That is the price that Osuna is paying/has paid for his actions. If he has to go to jail or if new information comes to light and MLB decides they want to suspend him further, that will also be his payment to society.

But criticizing the Astros is completely fucking ridiculous. This line from Jeff Sullivan is one that really stood out to me:

Many fans don’t want to think about anything beyond the basics. They see sports as an entertaining distraction from everything else. You’re happy about wins and you’re annoyed about losses. It’s never any more complicated than that.

For the fans for whom it is more complicated, the Astros today have scored an own goal. They made a trade they didn’t need to make for a player still looking ahead to a court date. The Astros know exactly what they’re doing. That’s kind of what makes this so difficult to stomach.

No, no, no. Fuck that. It is not any more "complicated" than trying to enable your team to have a better chance to win. What is a front office, coaching, and 25-man roster's job? To win. You could argue that for the shareholders/owners it's to make more money, but the front office- who made this trade- is focused solely on winning.

Roberto Osuna will certainly help this team win if he pitches. That's all that matters. I can see how MLB might not want these players in the limelight, but the Astros are not MLB, and furthermore MLB already made their declaration when they suspended him 75 games.

I also keep hearing how the trade "didn't have" to be made- that there were plenty of other available relievers the Astros could have traded for this deadline. So, using that rationale, the trade isn't ok because there were other options? What if there were no other options this deadline- then is the trade ok? Fans and writers are already balancing winning vs. taking a moral high ground themselves.

Fuck that balance. For a team, your sole goal is to win a World Series. And from my vantage point, this trade puts the Astros in a better spot to do that.

Personally, I like it when companies take a stand on an issue regardless of how it will affect the bottom line, and that whether I agree with the stand or not. Chic Fil-A not opening on Sundays and Dick's Sporting Goods not selling guns to sprats come to mind. I don't necessarily agree with those decisions, but I'm impressed that those companies made them.

Now, it's one thing for a team to not make these kind of statements and trade for every wife beater in the league, but when a team talks about it's zero tolerance policy, and then clearly demonstrates that they don't give a fuck, I think that's complete bullshit.

Fuck the Astros. Mealy-mouthed, wife-beating fucks.

 

[SlinkyRedfoot]

"We've decided as a franchise that moving forward, we will be taking a strong, some tolerance policy as it relates to domestic violence."

-Houston Astros

 

[SlinkyRedfoot]

Then, who will beat forcefully, in the crotchal regions, those thousands who would have cheered him in the event that he does aid them in winning the pennant?

Maybe we should split the duties. I could volunteer for an afternoon.

 

[Used 2 B Hu]

Maybe we should split the duties. I could volunteer for an afternoon.

I call 6AM-Noon shift

 

[wazzu31]

Osuna has never once been accused of doing any wrong doing as an Astro so technically they are complying with their zero tolerance policy.

 

[msgkings322]

Osuna has never once been accused of doing any wrong doing as an Astro so technically they are complying with their zero tolerance policy.

Obviously this whole thing isn't about technicalities. It's the oldest story in sports, if you are a very good player, you get away with shit. Plain and simple.

 

[The Q]

Amazing how we don’t actually let the legal system play out before (self) righteous condemnation is launched.

 

[The Q]

Also,

Considering Chapman and Steven Wright were both suspended under the DV policy without actually laying a hand on the alleged victim, and Foster the Niners LB got suspended for his chick getting in a fight with another woman (with VIDEO PROOF) and her blaming him....I don't give much credence to these clown car investigations.