Some juicy ass stuff from Mather here (Not meant for public)

[Sibelius Hindemith]

Q: Baseball today has a lot of players from other countries, obviously from the Caribbean and Venezuela, but now from Korea and Japan, etc. What does the club do to help these players learn English?

KM: Some clubs are better than others. 20 years ago, if we signed a 16 year old in the Dominican, we’d send them to a dumpy old academy with no hot water and a lousy rock-filled field. Then when he was 18 or 19, we’d send him to Peoria, Arizona, put him up at the Hampton Inn, and give him $30 a day. He doesn’t even know how to make change! $30 a day for per diem, and surprise surprise they’d get in trouble because they wouldn’t know how to speak the language or make change or even buy dinner.

Condescending perhaps, but hardly racist. You disagree?

[Petert]

WhyTF is Mathers making public commentary (a player’s language capabilities, an opinion on a player’s salary worth, etc) using his personal opinion as a basis ? If he says it behind closed doors, panting it on top of his wife, screams it into his pillow, whatever, it’s one thing. He’s entitled to that.

If he speaks in public, he owes allegiance, and every fucking breath to the concept of promoting and retaining talent, the philosophy that his own appointed front office (indeed with his support) has driven toward for several years, and ultimately to the fan base in the dedication to placing a winning product on the field.

Any public utterances to the contrary show that his own opinion matters above the fan base and those committed to winning. It reminds me of Steve Ballmer’s idiotic, ‘listen to me’ comments about MS stock being ‘over-valued’, back in 2000, or whenever it was. A person in a high enough position eventually perceives their own opinion as being more important than the organization they serve.

And that’s when they need to go.

Mather has shown he doesn’t belong as an executive committed to bringing a winning team to the field because he perceives his own opinion supersedes that of the team’s welfare.

[D-train]

Q: Baseball today has a lot of players from other countries, obviously from the Caribbean and Venezuela, but now from Korea and Japan, etc. What does the club do to help these players learn English?

KM: Some clubs are better than others. 20 years ago, if we signed a 16 year old in the Dominican, we’d send them to a dumpy old academy with no hot water and a lousy rock-filled field. Then when he was 18 or 19, we’d send him to Peoria, Arizona, put him up at the Hampton Inn, and give him $30 a day. He doesn’t even know how to make change! $30 a day for per diem, and surprise surprise they’d get in trouble because they wouldn’t know how to speak the language or make change or even buy dinner.

Maybe it was the way he said it, but it didn't come off to me as insensitive as it does now that I read his words.

Definitely not saying I know his intentions either way either, could be a complete ahole, but the way I heard it he was just stating the reality of the times and how they're much better off now.

Yeah its great that it is better now but why would you share that you EVER sent kids to a place with no hot water??? I mean that was the late 1990s not the 1790s.

[Sibelius Hindemith]

When Iwak was here they had about a $150M payroll. $75k is like a small business with 3 employees and a $150k payroll complaining about having to pay $75 a year extra for an employee's benefits. Just bizarre to be focused on it.

It may have been just one of many such expenses or he may have had an issue with it on principle. I haven't been able to watch most of the video yet. Did he make those remarks with an air of derision?

[D-train]

Q: Baseball today has a lot of players from other countries, obviously from the Caribbean and Venezuela, but now from Korea and Japan, etc. What does the club do to help these players learn English?

KM: Some clubs are better than others. 20 years ago, if we signed a 16 year old in the Dominican, we’d send them to a dumpy old academy with no hot water and a lousy rock-filled field. Then when he was 18 or 19, we’d send him to Peoria, Arizona, put him up at the Hampton Inn, and give him $30 a day. He doesn’t even know how to make change! $30 a day for per diem, and surprise surprise they’d get in trouble because they wouldn’t know how to speak the language or make change or even buy dinner.

Condescending perhaps, but hardly racist. You disagree?

Would they have sent 16 yo Americans to a place with no hot water? I don't know if it meets my definition of racist but I can see how some might say it is.

[D-train]

When Iwak was here they had about a $150M payroll. $75k is like a small business with 3 employees and a $150k payroll complaining about having to pay $75 a year extra for an employee's benefits. Just bizarre to be focused on it.

It may have been just one of many such expenses or he may have had an issue with it on principle. I haven't been able to watch most of the video yet. Did he make those remarks with an air of derision?

He seemed legitimately annoyed by it.

[bpj]

When Iwak was here they had about a $150M payroll. $75k is like a small business with 3 employees and a $150k payroll complaining about having to pay $75 a year extra for an employee's benefits. Just bizarre to be focused on it.

It may have been just one of many such expenses. I haven't been able to watch most of the video yet. Did he make those remarks with an air of derision?

I think the reason it's a big deal if it is at all is that Iwakuma wanted to come back and I doubt the scouts themselves make much more than 75k

[Sibelius Hindemith]

Condescending perhaps, but hardly racist. You disagree?

Would they have sent 16 yo Americans to a place with no hot water? I don't know if it meets my definition of racist but I can see how some might say it is.

He wasn't a baseball executive 20 years ago so how could that reflect on him?

[D-train]

Its a big deal for me because if he is worried about $75k we are going to miss out on top FAs over peanuts.

[D-train]

Condescending perhaps, but hardly racist. You disagree?

Would they have sent 16 yo Americans to a place with no hot water? I don't know if it meets my definition of racist but I can see how some might say it is.

He wasn't a baseball executive 20 years ago so how could that reflect on him?

He has been with the team for 25 years if you can believe that.