Flashback 2006: Keith Hernandez = Ron Burgundy
Well, look at what the cat coughed up! Keith Hernandez calling the Mets games in San Diego this weekend has made me recall his lowest, and most bigoted, moment as a broadcaster.
Once upon a time, there was a massage therapist named Kelly Calabrese, who was essentially a de facto assistant trainer for the Padres. Trainers are, of course, allowed to be in the dugout. The problem was somebody forgot to tell Keith...
"Who is the girl in the dugout, with the long hair?" "What's going on here? You have got to be kidding me. Only player personnel in the dugout."... "I won't say that women belong in the kitchen, but they don't belong in the dugout..."
This created quite a stir, which led to a swift yet awkward on-air apology by the former Met. In a bizarre and ironic twist, it was then-Padres CEO Sandy Alderson who fired the loudest shot....
"The San Diego Padres are disappointed in the remarks of Keith Hernandez on a Mets telecast this weekend involving Padres staff member Kelly Calabrese," Alderson said in a statement Monday afternoon. "Kelly, who is licensed by the Ohio State Medical Board and is certified by the National Strength and Conditioning Association and serves as the Padres full-time massage therapist, is a highly trained and professionally competent member of the Padres team, fully authorized by Major League Baseball to be present during games in the Padres dugout. Her competence and professionalism, not gender, are the important factors in her role with the club.
"Our society has made great strides in gender equity in recent years and that progress should be reflected as well in professional baseball. Keith's remarks were uninformed and were a disservice to Kelly and those women like her who have performed admirably in positions previously reserved for men.
"It is ironic that on the very night these unfortunate remarks were made, the Padres honored members of our military, among them Corie Bush, the recipient of a Purple Heart Medal for injuries she sustained while serving in Iraq. The roles of women in our society have indeed changed and we are all the beneficiaries."
This led me to dig up one of my first ever rants from my first ever blog. Luckily, I was in the habit of sending full-text versions to my friends in lieu of sending the actual links. Bear in mind, I was younger and snarkier and a less-accomplished scribe.
Via sent mail, April 2006...
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Dear Mr. Keith Hernandez,
As a baseball fan, I often enjoy your broadcast work and insight during SNY telecasts. I also enjoy the regular side conversations relating to baseball history (i.e. former players, classic games, etc.). As a Mets fan, I enjoy listening to both you and Gary Cohen converse about various events and people in Mets history. Often, the banter during breaks in the action is both witty and enlightening.
That being said, I do not agree with certain comments you made during the most recent Mets broadcast on Saturday, April 22, 2006. After a Mike Piazza home run, you were quick to offer an animated non sequitur about how there was a woman in the Padres dugout. When it was relayed to you that the woman was in fact Kelly Calabrese, a licensed massage therapist and member of the Padres training staff, you dismissed her importance and stated that there was no place for women in a baseball dugout. Despite your attempt to pass it off as a light-hearted joke later on ("I'm not about to say that women belong in the kitchen, but they shouldn't be in the dugout."), I believe you came across as being quite sexist and ignorant.
As a former player, you are probably aware that baseball has had its share of issues with minorities and prejudices throughout its history. The contributions of Blacks, Latinos, and Asians are too numerous to mention and have been vital to the game's growth and success.
When it comes to females, there are many instances where they have become a important part of male-dominated sports, especially baseball. There are several female trainers throughout the major sports. The San Francisco Giants' public address announcer is female. In fact, Renel Brooks-Moon became the first woman ever to announce a World Series in 2002.
Much was made of the fact that Wendy Selig-Prieb, former Brewers CEO, was the daughter of the commissioner. No one seemed to notice that she was the only female CEO at the time. Yankees' color commentator Suzyn Waldman is the second woman ever to hold such a position (Betty Caywood was the first, for of the Kansas City A's in 1964). In fact, when New York's sports-talk radio station WFAN went on the air for the first time on July 1, 1987, the first voice heard by listeners was Waldmans' as she gave the sports update.
Part of a broadcaster's job involves researching the teams involved in the games you are covering. Rather than blindly stating that Kelly Calabrese does not belong in the dugout, perhaps you'd be better served to discover the importance of her presence. I found an article by Tom Krasovic of the San-Diego Union-Tribune from March 21, 2006 which states the following:
"The Padres also are relying on their full-time massage therapist, Kelly Calabrese, who has earned a reputation for hamstring maintenance. Two players who came to the club with a history of hamstring problems, Jay Payton and Dave Roberts, suffered no DL-caliber hamstring injuries in their first season with the Padres. 'Kelly is phenomenal,' Roberts said."
If Dave Roberts is accepting of her role on the team, maybe you should reconsider your position. With your opposition towards women in a non-competitive role, I dare to mention the likes of goaltender Manon Rheaume and golfer Michelle Wie, who have actually competed with men. Softball pitcher Jennie Finch routinely engages in exhibitions where she pitches to (and usually strikes out) major league hitters.
I am not about to assume that Shaquille O'Neal is a better free-throw shooter than, say, Lisa Leslie. I am of the opinion that gender should not be a factor in deciding whether or not someone belongs in a sports environment. If Roberts' feelings are any indication, perhaps Calabrese is more worthy of being in a baseball dugout than you are broadcasting its games.
Regards,
Brian Scala
Once upon a time, there was a massage therapist named Kelly Calabrese, who was essentially a de facto assistant trainer for the Padres. Trainers are, of course, allowed to be in the dugout. The problem was somebody forgot to tell Keith...
"Who is the girl in the dugout, with the long hair?" "What's going on here? You have got to be kidding me. Only player personnel in the dugout."... "I won't say that women belong in the kitchen, but they don't belong in the dugout..."
This created quite a stir, which led to a swift yet awkward on-air apology by the former Met. In a bizarre and ironic twist, it was then-Padres CEO Sandy Alderson who fired the loudest shot....
"The San Diego Padres are disappointed in the remarks of Keith Hernandez on a Mets telecast this weekend involving Padres staff member Kelly Calabrese," Alderson said in a statement Monday afternoon. "Kelly, who is licensed by the Ohio State Medical Board and is certified by the National Strength and Conditioning Association and serves as the Padres full-time massage therapist, is a highly trained and professionally competent member of the Padres team, fully authorized by Major League Baseball to be present during games in the Padres dugout. Her competence and professionalism, not gender, are the important factors in her role with the club.
"Our society has made great strides in gender equity in recent years and that progress should be reflected as well in professional baseball. Keith's remarks were uninformed and were a disservice to Kelly and those women like her who have performed admirably in positions previously reserved for men.
"It is ironic that on the very night these unfortunate remarks were made, the Padres honored members of our military, among them Corie Bush, the recipient of a Purple Heart Medal for injuries she sustained while serving in Iraq. The roles of women in our society have indeed changed and we are all the beneficiaries."
This led me to dig up one of my first ever rants from my first ever blog. Luckily, I was in the habit of sending full-text versions to my friends in lieu of sending the actual links. Bear in mind, I was younger and snarkier and a less-accomplished scribe.
Via sent mail, April 2006...
---------------------------------------
Dear Mr. Keith Hernandez,
As a baseball fan, I often enjoy your broadcast work and insight during SNY telecasts. I also enjoy the regular side conversations relating to baseball history (i.e. former players, classic games, etc.). As a Mets fan, I enjoy listening to both you and Gary Cohen converse about various events and people in Mets history. Often, the banter during breaks in the action is both witty and enlightening.
That being said, I do not agree with certain comments you made during the most recent Mets broadcast on Saturday, April 22, 2006. After a Mike Piazza home run, you were quick to offer an animated non sequitur about how there was a woman in the Padres dugout. When it was relayed to you that the woman was in fact Kelly Calabrese, a licensed massage therapist and member of the Padres training staff, you dismissed her importance and stated that there was no place for women in a baseball dugout. Despite your attempt to pass it off as a light-hearted joke later on ("I'm not about to say that women belong in the kitchen, but they shouldn't be in the dugout."), I believe you came across as being quite sexist and ignorant.
As a former player, you are probably aware that baseball has had its share of issues with minorities and prejudices throughout its history. The contributions of Blacks, Latinos, and Asians are too numerous to mention and have been vital to the game's growth and success.
When it comes to females, there are many instances where they have become a important part of male-dominated sports, especially baseball. There are several female trainers throughout the major sports. The San Francisco Giants' public address announcer is female. In fact, Renel Brooks-Moon became the first woman ever to announce a World Series in 2002.
Much was made of the fact that Wendy Selig-Prieb, former Brewers CEO, was the daughter of the commissioner. No one seemed to notice that she was the only female CEO at the time. Yankees' color commentator Suzyn Waldman is the second woman ever to hold such a position (Betty Caywood was the first, for of the Kansas City A's in 1964). In fact, when New York's sports-talk radio station WFAN went on the air for the first time on July 1, 1987, the first voice heard by listeners was Waldmans' as she gave the sports update.
Part of a broadcaster's job involves researching the teams involved in the games you are covering. Rather than blindly stating that Kelly Calabrese does not belong in the dugout, perhaps you'd be better served to discover the importance of her presence. I found an article by Tom Krasovic of the San-Diego Union-Tribune from March 21, 2006 which states the following:
"The Padres also are relying on their full-time massage therapist, Kelly Calabrese, who has earned a reputation for hamstring maintenance. Two players who came to the club with a history of hamstring problems, Jay Payton and Dave Roberts, suffered no DL-caliber hamstring injuries in their first season with the Padres. 'Kelly is phenomenal,' Roberts said."
If Dave Roberts is accepting of her role on the team, maybe you should reconsider your position. With your opposition towards women in a non-competitive role, I dare to mention the likes of goaltender Manon Rheaume and golfer Michelle Wie, who have actually competed with men. Softball pitcher Jennie Finch routinely engages in exhibitions where she pitches to (and usually strikes out) major league hitters.
I am not about to assume that Shaquille O'Neal is a better free-throw shooter than, say, Lisa Leslie. I am of the opinion that gender should not be a factor in deciding whether or not someone belongs in a sports environment. If Roberts' feelings are any indication, perhaps Calabrese is more worthy of being in a baseball dugout than you are broadcasting its games.
Regards,
Brian Scala
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