Why Don’t the Giants Have an African-American Heritage Night?

Posted in Uncategorized by Flavor on April 21, 2011

Leave it to Eric Byrnes to tackle the hard hitting social topics that even the greatest media giants won’t dare face. Last night on the drive home from a rousing 21-16 win on the softball field, I listened to Byrnsie on his Sportsphone gig as he listed off all of the “Special Events” that Baer and the Giants have meticulously planned for the coming season. Assuming I now know how to operate the *snipping tool* you can view this calendar here:

Now, what Eric Byrnes knows about racial equality could probably be fit inside a small sock–with room to spare. But in this case, it’s possible that he might have stumbled upon an actual point. The population of black player is at an all time low– according to a super quick internet search, it’s around 8%. Before the Giants called up Darren Ford, they had exactly zero black players on their roster. Now, I love beers as much as the next guy, but if we were going to sub out a *night* for an African American Heritage Night that could be the night to eliminate. Do we really need 2 Filipino Heritage nights?

Black players have left baseball behind for many different reasons. One way to chip away at that would be to donate money and resources to low socio-economic cities in the area in an effort to encourage more involvement in the sport. I am positive the Giants are already doing this. Why not take a night to trot out one of them big ‘ol checks and celebrate the contribution of African Americans to the history of this great game?

The Flap Fantasy Baseball Standings (Pawlie extends his lead, Denny makes a huge move, Ferrethead continues her decent but Ed is falling at a faster rate)

68 comments

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xootsuit said, on April 21, 2011 at 7:00 am

I agree.

btw, I am very intrigued by LSD Family Night on July 5 (which wisely is also Healthcare Night 3).
- Bozo said, on April 21, 2011 at 7:31 am
  
  xoot, that quote you posted yesterday from Turner, priceless.
  
  “Gentlemen, we have the only legal monopoly in the country,
  and we’re fucking it up.”
  – Braves owner Ted Turner
- Unca Chuck said, on April 21, 2011 at 7:41 am
  
  You dyslexic?
  - Unca Chuck said, on April 21, 2011 at 7:42 am
    
    Either that or the Mormons are really jazzing up communion . . .
  - xootsuit said, on April 21, 2011 at 8:26 am
    
    Look, I’m not gonna get into any arguments about religion — Angel Moroni, golden tablets, purple tabs, whatever.
  - Unca Chuck said, on April 21, 2011 at 8:51 am
    
    Hey, a little LSD might actually help to decipher religion. Water to wine, body of Christ, magic underwear, transmigration . . .
DJLoo said, on April 21, 2011 at 7:42 am

When’s Atheist night?
- Unca Chuck said, on April 21, 2011 at 8:49 am
  
  Every night is Atheist night . . .
  
  Swear to God . . .
  - Nipper said, on April 21, 2011 at 9:31 am
    
    BLEEP GOD!
- Nipper said, on April 21, 2011 at 9:26 am
  
  That would a wonderful night.
Bozo said, on April 21, 2011 at 7:43 am

“take a night to trot out one of them big ‘ol checks and celebrate the contribution of African Americans to the history of this great game?”
I agree completely.
willied said, on April 21, 2011 at 7:57 am

Nice thought, flav. SF could also help out cash strapped public high schools, where sports programs are probably near broke, and the parents have to basically foot the bill to keep the teams alive.
few years ago HS girls team i was coaching played in a preseason tourney vs. burton of SF…8 girls on the team, and the unis (top/bottom) didn’t match. some kids had different designed tops on (maybe JV or older unis). couple years ago Balboa HS did not field a girls bb team at all; no money for coaches and equipment and i’m sure eligibility issues, which happens in san jose too.
There’s been talk about cutting sports programs in san jose too for a few years. Man, playing ball changed my whole life in HS. coaching it today and watching kids grow and succeed is its own reward
Unca Chuck said, on April 21, 2011 at 8:49 am

WTF is tweetup?
twinfan said, on April 21, 2011 at 9:00 am

I knew you’d figure out the snipping tool…so much for Prospect of the Day, BTW. Next?
- TedSpe said, on April 21, 2011 at 9:07 am
  
  Did we run out? I found it inetresting
  - twinfan said, on April 21, 2011 at 9:10 am
    
    No comments. One of the ideas is to generate conversation.
  - xootsuit said, on April 21, 2011 at 9:19 am
    
    well, hell. I followed up on your leads with research of my own. I figured others were doing the same.
TedSpe said, on April 21, 2011 at 9:03 am

Do we really need 2 Filipino Heritage nights?
——————————————————–
Yes
- Nipper said, on April 21, 2011 at 9:32 am
  
  How about three?
DJLoo said, on April 21, 2011 at 9:15 am

I bet a Failed Prospect of the Day would generate some chatter. Dick Estellle was a huge disappointment.
- Unca Chuck said, on April 21, 2011 at 9:18 am
  
  JR Phillips? Tony Torcado?
  - Nipper said, on April 21, 2011 at 9:30 am
    
    Bleep them!
- xootsuit said, on April 21, 2011 at 9:22 am
  
  You see this? This “pop critic” thinks it’s pretty hip to have a snide shrine in his chronicle cubicle.
  
  http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/parenting/detail?entry_id=87231
twinfan said, on April 21, 2011 at 9:23 am

We all know about Timmy in 2006. No other pick ( of 50) from that draft is in the bigs.
Flavor said, on April 21, 2011 at 9:23 am

my blog is linked to my facebook page and someone there read the post and wondered why it had to be a “heritage” night and I agree with him. I just used the word cause that’s the word the Giants use most frequently on these “nights”
they have. Really though, it could just as easily be a night to honor black history in baseball and end it with a big check that would go towards resources for under funded youth baseball leagues in the area….
- TedSpe said, on April 21, 2011 at 10:11 am
  
  I think you solved the mystery right there as well as came up with a solution. I believe the Giants are using the term “Heritage” strictly on a cultural basis. An African American “Heritage” night could come off awkward as relatively few African Americans celebrate their “African Heritage”. For reasons beyond their initial control, African Americans have assimilated their own American cultures as a sub-genre of their African roots (jazz, gospel, dance, language, etc.) which subsequently, after 100s of years, is embraced now by all other cultures internationally. Though it may be considered “Black”, it is not generally considered “African”.
  Therefore, instead of a “heritage” night, there should be a “Legacy” night. A celebration not of the African American’s cultural heritage but of their cultural contributions to all things American including baseball.
  - TedSpe said, on April 21, 2011 at 10:35 am
    
    There you go
- xootsuit said, on April 21, 2011 at 10:21 am
Nipper said, on April 21, 2011 at 9:29 am

How about a “Nanny night?” And a “Caregiver” night?
DJLoo said, on April 21, 2011 at 9:31 am

I see they’re celebrating Cinco de Mayo on Seis de Mayo, which is also Willie’s 80th.
twinfan said, on April 21, 2011 at 9:33 am

I seem to recall a Pest Control Night.
- Nipper said, on April 21, 2011 at 9:40 am
  
  Termites night!
Bozo said, on April 21, 2011 at 9:56 am

Sometimes the swag at these promotions can be so bad they become classics. Like the painters hat (that Chuck mentioned awhile back), it had these tiny Giants logos on it that you had to look real close at to make out, otherwise the hat looked like it was covered with bones or something. I don’t remember whose promotion it was.
- Unca Chuck said, on April 21, 2011 at 10:26 am
  
  They looked like little hotdogs . . .
Macdog said, on April 21, 2011 at 10:04 am

Too bad the Giants weren’t home yesterday, they could’ve held 420 night.
Rough Trade said, on April 21, 2011 at 10:22 am

So, G’s are skipping Zito’s spot after all this series. Vogelsong will go instead against his former team Pitts. Atlanta comes in hitting just .234, but they are still dangerous with Uggla, McCann and Heyward. Interesting comparison to the G’s. They have hit 20 hrs, but have only 5 SB. Should be a spirited series after what happened last yr.
Flavor said, on April 21, 2011 at 10:30 am

TWIN– I figured out the snipping tool to insert into a main thread but i still don’t know how to do it into a regular comment. Thoughts?
twinfan said, on April 21, 2011 at 10:45 am

I’ll have to talk to you later, Craig. Back to bed for me.
- twinfan said, on April 21, 2011 at 10:53 am
  
  I’m having a bad time of late. Sorry.
  - Unca Chuck said, on April 21, 2011 at 11:53 am
    
    Sorry to hear that.
    
    Rest up, Mike. It’s an off day . . .
Flavor said, on April 21, 2011 at 12:08 pm

yeah, totally, rest up. Get back to me whenever you have time.
TedSpe said, on April 21, 2011 at 2:10 pm

Take it easy twin.
Scott Ostler wrote a funny analogy today. He said, as neighbors, the A’s are the Ned Flanders to the Giants’ Homer Simpson
- Unca Chuck said, on April 21, 2011 at 4:29 pm
  
  The A’s are Fred and Ethyl to the Giants Desi and Lucy . . .
- TedSpe said, on April 21, 2011 at 4:51 pm
  
  The A’s are Frank and Margaret, the Giants are Hawkeye and Trapper
  (boy, I could just go on for hours)
  - SanDawg said, on April 21, 2011 at 5:08 pm
    
    It’s an off day, please do.
snarkk said, on April 21, 2011 at 4:33 pm

Sappy Selig has just said that MLB is moving “inexorably” to a 10 team playoff system in 2012. One more WC team in each league, so each league’s 2 WCs will play each other first, then that winner plays a division winner — I suppose the one with the most wins of all that league’s division winners. We can look forward to more November baseball if this goes through. Plan is AKA “the Red Sox and Yankees guaranteed post season appearance plan”…
- Unca Chuck said, on April 21, 2011 at 5:51 pm
  
  So, the div winners get 10 days off after the reg season? Beautiful. December baseball . . .
  
  Crock of shit.
  
  Yeah, that’s it entirely , Snarkk. It’ll be a cold day in hell before the Yanks and Boston both miss the playoffs.
macdog said, on April 21, 2011 at 5:09 pm

As the MLB regular season moves inexorably to NBA/NHL-like relevance.
SanDawg said, on April 21, 2011 at 5:19 pm

The A’s are Higgins, the Giants are Magnum.
The A’s are Goldstein, the Giants are Salami.
The A’s are Grady, the Giants are Fred.
The A’s are Mark Green, the Giants are Doug Ross.
- DJLoo said, on April 21, 2011 at 5:44 pm
  
  This reminds me of a little game we used to play on the Splash 3-4 years ago back when……….you know. Mostly we used the actual posters in the comparisons. Our old pal SOAD especially loved it. Sometimes they were pretty clever. Can’t remember any of ’em. Chuck, Flav, Twin and Ferret might recall it.
- TedSpe said, on April 21, 2011 at 5:50 pm
  
  SOAD?
  - Unca Chuck said, on April 21, 2011 at 5:53 pm
    
    Son of a douchebag. He was a poster who ended up going off the deep end . . .
  - TedSpe said, on April 21, 2011 at 5:58 pm
    
    That appears to be the fate of many a Splasher. Here? Just me.
TedSpe said, on April 21, 2011 at 5:43 pm

The A’s are Sollozzo, the Giants are Corleone
The A’s are Earl Keese, the Giants are Vic
The A’s are Potsy, the Giants are Fonzie
The A’s are The CW, the Giants are HBO
The A’s are Cheap Trick, the Giants are The Beatles
The A’s are Pauley Shore, the Giants are Richard Pryor
The A’s are Matthew Brock, the Giants are Bill McNeal
Flavor said, on April 21, 2011 at 6:07 pm

Loo– no recollection. Ted, good one. If I get inspired later I’ll take a whack at it. Maybe via Haiku……
twinfan said, on April 21, 2011 at 6:15 pm

SOAD (or B) was to become Yogi, or John in Walnut Creek.
- TedSpe said, on April 21, 2011 at 6:17 pm
  
  Oh, so he’s still around then. Just with different monikers.
- twinfan said, on April 21, 2011 at 6:18 pm
  
  Bit of an update on B.
Flavor said, on April 21, 2011 at 6:23 pm

Oakland fans. Elsewhere.
Giants fans. Celebrating.
Sabean beats Beane…..
- TedSpe said, on April 21, 2011 at 6:28 pm
  
  Good one. That last line actually looks pro what with tthe 3 bea’s
snarkk said, on April 21, 2011 at 6:59 pm

Oakland.
No there, there.
SF everywhere, basking…
- TedSpe said, on April 21, 2011 at 8:52 pm
  
  Cute. But check the rules on haikus
  Fuck it, I’ll just tell you:
  1st line 5 sylls
  2nd line 7 sylls
  3rd line 5 sylls
  
  All else doesn’t matter including rhyming or any other shit but stay on target as Flav did with his extra points on the 3rd line.
  
  Snarkk, you a smart dude. I know you can do a smart haiku. I’m going to come up with a stupid one after this
  - snarkk said, on April 21, 2011 at 9:14 pm
    
    Baseball, no crying.
    Flap Haiku.
    No rules…
- TedSpe said, on April 21, 2011 at 11:24 pm
  
  Point taken. Apologies.
TedSpe said, on April 21, 2011 at 8:54 pm

Right field weak as shit
Cody Ross, Rodeo Clown
0 for 4? Oh shit
- snarkk said, on April 21, 2011 at 9:12 pm
  
  Prediction success…:)
  - TedSpe said, on April 21, 2011 at 10:12 pm
    
    ok
    no r
    speak
    mega fawn fuk
    
    Goodnight, gentlmen, question mark
Kevin said, on April 22, 2011 at 5:50 pm

On Chronicle Live they are debating whether Chipper Jones belongs in the HOF. Duh!!