MLB rears its hypocritical PC head during World Series

A lot was made this week of Houston Texans owner Bob McNair comparing kneeling NFL players and team ownership after blurting out the common and often used expression, “Inmates running the prison.” (McNair later distanced himself by explaining that he meant players and the NFL Commissioner’s Office)

Many called it racist, reinforcing a stereotype and unfair to lump millionaire NFL players in with domestic abusers, violent felons, drug users, and even murderers walking the penitentiary yard — all criminal character flaws which we know that saintly and law-abiding NFL players have over the years proven to be just plain untrue. 

And Ray Rice, Adrian Peterson, Ray Lewis, Josh Gordon, Adam Jones, Joe Mixon, Dalvin Cook… have a bridge to sell ya.

Anyway, now along comes the World Series and Major League Baseball’s chance to throw shade over the NFL fallout from the kneeling controversy … and they are blowing it. 

Don’t let the exciting fall classic between the Dodgers and Astros fool you. While commissioner Rob Manfred is publicly banging his drum about that tired, age-old PC diversion — doing away with the Indians’ Chief Wahoo mascot — as a smoke signal smokescreen, MLB is sweeping some their own dirty issues under the Astroturf (they still have that at Minute Maid Park right?)

On Saturday, Manfred announced a five-game suspension without pay for Astros slugger Yuli Gurriel after cameras caught the first baseman making a “slant-eyed” gesture and saying the Spanish word “chinito,” a slang term for “little Chinese guy,” in reference to the Japanese-born Dodgers pitcher Yu Darvish after hitting a home run.

Yuli Gurriel under fire after gesture made in dugout after homering off Yu Darvish: https://t.co/CoY4gEYRDG pic.twitter.com/TmF1HJNUTo

— Deadspin (@Deadspin) October 28, 2017

Manfred’s punishment was quick and decisive.

Too bad it will be served next year at the start of the 2018 season.

Manfred said it was important not to penalize the Astros’ other players for Gurriel’s inappropriate gesture and there was always that roadblock known as appeal but, just like his justification, the punishment was weak and self-serving.

“I felt it was unfair to punish the other 24 players on the Astros roster,” he said. “I wanted the burden of this discipline to fall primarily on the wrongdoer.”

So, instead of sending a real message to players right now, the whole incident will probably be a forgotten Astro burger by next season.

Gurriel went on to apologize to Darvish, the Astros, the Dodgers, MLB and fans and— more sincerely and likely — secretly thanking the commish. 

Darvish took the higher road and said on social media: 

“No one is perfect. That includes both you and I. What he had done today isn’t right, but I believe we should put our effort into learning rather than to accuse him. If we can take something from this, that is a giant step for mankind. Since we are living in such a wonderful world, let’s stay positive and move forward instead of focusing on anger. I’m counting on everyone’s big love.”

Which brings me back to the kneeling.

Bruce Maxwell was the only player in MLB this year to take a knee during the national anthem to protest racial injustice — which is within his rights. But it seems the Oakland As catcher took it to another level when he used his political stance to claim an Alabama waiter last week denied him service at a restaurant for taking that knee during the anthem. 

Maxwell said the waiter recognized him for being the only MLB player who knelt and then claims that the waiter then said he voted for Donald Trump, supported the President's views and would not serve the athlete before asking the manager to have another server handle the group.

A story the waiter, Matt Henry, says was completely untrue.

“He is outright lying. This is really upsetting as he was given full service, I didn’t even know who Bruce Maxwell was," Henry said.

And now fresh off that public display, Maxwell has been arrested after a female food delivery person alleged he pointed a gun at her.

Scottsdale police said officers went to Maxwell’s home Saturday night after getting a call about a person with a gun. Maxwell was booked on charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and disorderly conduct. Now he'll be taking a plea.

I don’t know if the inmates run a prison in the NFL but they just might run the burgeoning asylum in MLB.

Let's see how warden, I mean, commissioner Manfred handles this.