Escobar out of Toronto’s starting lineup (Yahoo! Sports)
2012
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) -- Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Yunel Escobar was kept out of the starting lineup after serving a three-game suspension for wearing eye-black displaying an anti-gay slur written in Spanish during a game last weekend against Boston.
Farrell plans talk with Escobar following ban (Yahoo! Sports)
2012
NEW YORK (AP) -- Toronto Blue Jays manager John Farrell plans to have a talk with Yunel Escobar before the shortstop is eligible to return from a three-game suspension on Friday night and said he's had past discussions with him regarding ''baseball things.''
NEW YORK (AP) -- Toronto shortstop Yunel Escobar was suspended for three games Tuesday by the Blue Jays for wearing eye-black displaying an anti-gay slur written in Spanish during a game last weekend against Boston.
Yunel Escobar suspended three games for gay slur, says message in eye black was ‘just a joke’
2012
Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Yunel Escobar has been suspended for three games without pay for "his decision to display an unacceptable message while participating in a Major League game."
The punishment was announced in a press conference on Tuesday afternoon. Escobar made headlines on Monday when a Toronto-area photographer pointed out that Escobar had played Saturday's game with "tu ere maricon" (sic) written on his eye black strips. The message can translate to "you are a faggot," though one Spanish professor told the Toronto Star the term can be interpreted a few negative ways though not all of them come with a homophobic slant.
Presented with that way out, Escobar told reporters that the message was "just a joke" and that "maricon" is a meaningless word that's often used among Latin players. You can indeed hear the word in many major-league clubhouses without waiting long, though to write it off as a word without meaning isn't accurate. At best, it's an insult that has become so common that its derogatory nature isn't readily apparent to those who use it. ("Gay" and "retarded" are similar examples that you sometimes hear from players who predominantly speak English.)
[Also: Time to give Buck Showalter's reputation a rest]
Escobar was backed during his apology by Toronto GM Alex Anthopolous and manager John Farrell at the press conference. Both men attributed the situation to a cultural difference and Escobar's lack of understanding that what he did would be construed as offensive. The native Cuban will undergo sensitivity training and his lost salary will be donated to You Can Play and the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation.
"I agree with the suspension. I don't have any problem with that," said an 'embarrassed' Escobar. "I'm sorry for my actions the other day. I don't have anything against homosexuals. I have friends who are gay."
Escobar also probably doesn't understand that "I have friends who are gay" isn't a defense that really works anymore. But like Anthopolous said, education is key in making sure Latin players know that gay slurs — intentional or not — don't fly on the field in a Major League Baseball game.
Here's what Bud Selig had to say in a statement about the situation:
"I consistently say that Baseball is a social institution with important social responsibilities and that I expect those who represent Major League Baseball to act with the kind of respect and sensitivity that the game's diverse fan base deserves. Mr. Escobar has admitted that his actions were a mistake and I am hopeful he can use this unfortunate situation as an opportunity to educate himself and others that intolerance has no place in our game or society."
As a positive aside, it would seem that Selig and Major League Baseball have made some strides in their stance against homophobia since then-White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen was only fined and sent to sensitivity classes after he went on a vitriolic rant against Jay Mariotti in 2006, calling the controversial writer a "[bleeping] fag." Three games isn't a lot of time, but Escobar will be forced to think about what he's done while a strong message is sent to the league's other players: Homophobic messages aren't acceptable on or around the diamond.
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Yunel Escobar’s eye black contained gay slur
2012
Yunel Escobar has always been a controversial player, though the source of the public's angst has mostly been derived from the difference between expectations and actual production.
The Toronto Blue Jays shortstop, however, finds himself in a bit of hot water as it has been pointed out that Escobar took the field on Saturday with a gay slur printed in Spanish on his eye black. The "tu ere maricon" (sic) can be translated to "you are a faggot" and was first pointed out by @james_in_to_, a Jays fan who took a similar picture from behind the Toronto dugout. One Spanish professor tells the Toronto Star the term can be interpreted a few different ways though none of them are acceptable:
"It is derogatory, but it's not necessarily homophobic," said Maria Cristina Cuervo, a professor of Spanish at the University of Toronto.
Escobar has some explaining to do, but there is some reason to reserve judgment. Former Jays pitcher Dirk Hayhurst believes it to be a clubhouse prank and that someone else may have written the term on the strips— which basically just means there's a different source for such blatant homophobia within the Jays clubhouse. There's also the fact that Escobar sometimes wears eye black with funny sayings, so this could be out of character. (These, for instance, read "CHILLING")
Here's the thing, though: Eye black now comes in a strip or sticker form and players can write motivational sayings (think Tim Tebow) before applying themselves. There would be no need for Escobar to ask another player to write on his face. The handwriting in the "CHILLING" picture also matches the handwriting from the photo above.
No matter the explanation, it goes without saying that Escobar needs to address this and apologize if necessary. The Blue Jays released a statement on Monday night saying "the Toronto Blue Jays do not support discrimination of any kind nor condone the message displayed by Yunel Escobar during Saturday's game. The club takes this situation seriously and is investigating the matter."
Escobar is expected to attend a 3:30 pm ET news conference on Tuesday with GM Alex Anthopoulos and manager John Farrell in attendance.
UPDATE: Escobar has been suspended for three games without pay for "the result of his decision to display an unacceptable message while participating in a Major League Game." Escobar will attend sensitivity training and his lost pay will be directed toward You Can Play and the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation. More to come.
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Escobar has 5 RBIs to lead Jays over Yankees 8-5 (Yahoo! Sports)
2012
NEW YORK (AP) -- Yunel Escobar got a much-needed break last week when he took three days off for the birth of his child.
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