By Jeff Moss
DetroitSportsRag@GMail.com
December 5, 2014
My favorite book of all time is “In Cold Blood” by Truman Capote. I have probably read it six or seven times. I have also repeatedly watched the original movie of the same name starring the dude who allegedly killed his grifter wife.
I have also viewed both films about Capote that focused on “In Cold Blood.” You know, the great one with the late Phillip Seymour Hoffman and the shitty version with that creepy looking guy who most definitely didn’t win an Oscar for Best Actor.
But I am not so obsessed with that book that I take it literally. I don’t invade the homes of nice, unsuspecting families, look for a safe full of money and then kill the family when said safe doesn’t exist.
The only book that inspires that kind of insanity seems to be the Bible — and maybe “Catcher and the Rye” — which uninformed bigots use as an excuse to spew all kinds of nastiness.
This brings us to the latest Torii Hunter controversy, which arose at the press conference for his “I Am Coming Back to Minnesota Where We Are Going to Really Stink and I Am Going to Probably Kill Myself Trying to Play Right Field at Target So I Can Eke Out Another 10.5 Million Dollars” tour.
Look, I don’t like Torii Hunter. I haven’t since he infamously said the following in-between his introductory presser with the Tigers and his first game in Detroit ….
For me, as a Christian…I will be uncomfortable because in all my teachings and all my learning, biblically, it’s not right. It will be difficult and uncomfortable.
That was in response to a question about playing with a homosexual teammate. “Good Guy” Hunter later said that his quote was taken out of context — it was not — and that he would NEVER talk about this issue again.
But after already making it more difficult for a gay baseball player to come out of the closet with his asinine words, Hunter STILL couldn’t help himself this offseason. It would appear Hunter is confused by the meaning of the word “never.”
This is Pine Bluff native and Major League Baseball Player Torii Hunter. I’m asking you to vote for my friend Asa Hutchinson for Governor. Dr. King said that men should be judged by the content of their character. Today we too often prejudge political candidates by their party label. I’m asking you to consider Asa for his actions.
As a lawyer, Asa fought for more majority African-American districts in the state legislature. Asa is committed to the principles we hold dear, like a strong faith in God, equal justice for all, and keeping marriage between one man and one woman. Asa wants all children to have access to computer science, to expand charter schools, and bring more jobs and small businesses into our communities. Asa won’t take your vote for granted. Let’s make real change in our community by casting party labels aside and voting our convictions.
You see, Hunter wasn’t satisfied that gays are kept from earning gainful employment in MLB; he also wanted to insure that they couldn’t get married, share benefits, adopt children or have spousal rights when their significant other is incapacitated in a hospital.
“But Torii Hunter is a good guy,” they all say. Why? Because he is always joking around? Because he is nice to the media and gives them a good quote? Have we not learned ANYTHING from O.J. Simpson, Oscar Pistorius, Bill Cosby and others? We have no fucking clue who the good and bad guys are. WE DON’T KNOW THESE PEOPLE!!!
All I really know about Torii Hunter is that he feels VERY strongly about keeping gay people in the closet without basic civil rights. Based on a book of fiction that was written 2,000 years ago.
During the above-referenced Twins presser, Mike Berardino of the Saint Paul Pioneer-Press asked Hunter a couple of questions about this sensitive subject that Hunter didn’t appreciate. They were extremely respectful queries that led to Hunter calling Beradino a “prick” five times. Ya know, the kind of behavior that you’d expect from a heathen atheist like myself.
Anyway, noted weasel Michael RosenNebbish chimed in this afternoon about this kerfuffle because I guess he hasn’t yet figured out a way to strip Rich Rodriguez of his Pac-12 Coach of the Year trophy.
Here was RosenDweeb’s defense of Hunter:
For me, though, this is one of those moments where you start to understand how somebody you like can hold views you don’t respect at all. Hunter grew up a devout Christian in Arkansas. His father Theotis is a crack addict. Hunter would probably say that he would not have made his journey to baseball stardom without his religious beliefs, and he was taught that homosexuality is a sin.
If he had grown up in a non-religious but loving family in New York or Northern California, Hunter would probably feel differently. I hold out hope that his views will evolve over time, and he will come to understand that homosexuality is not evil or a threat. But Hunter may feel this way for the rest of his life.
At what point do we stop forgiving bigotry based on a book that makes “Game of Thrones” seem like non-fiction? A tome to which Torii Hunter is a slave even though he would still be in shackles today if the Bible were always interpreted literally.
Except Hunter REALLY isn’t THAT dependent on the Bible; he supposedly has FOUR children by FOUR different women. That we know about. I guess he is devout until he gets horny.
That hypocrisy is what is most galling about Hunter’s anti-gay marriage crusade. It would still be awful if Hunter had these views and actually walked the walk of modern-day Christianity. But he doesn’t. Not even close.
In Hunter’s world, he can fuck whomever HE wants, but [Trout] forbid two consenting adults want to be monogamous in their relationship.
And for Hunter to become indignant over Berardino’s two questions about his well-known views is even more absurd. The reporter asked him if he thought he took a near 20% pay cut because of his outspoken views and later asked if he would continue his anti-gay crusade in Minneapolis.
What Hunter should have said in response is: My anti-equality take had NOTHING to do with my lesser contract. Did you see me play right field in Detroit last year?!?!!?!? Did you look up my defensive runs allowed numbers???
Instead, Hunter called Berardino a prick repeatedly and unleashed this gem …
“I think whoever believes in that sabermetrics stuff never played the game and won’t understand it. There’s no way you can measure playing outfield. Only your eyes can do that, and the (Paul) Molitors or the guys that play this game can only measure ‘if he can play the outfield or not.’ “
Holy shit, am I glad this guy doesn’t play for the Tigers any longer. What a fucking flat-Earther on EVERY subject.
And the second query regarding whether or not Hunter will continue to broach subjects related to gay rights? Hunter said hell no — which means he probably won’t chime in until at least May.
And people wonder why it is news when Umpire Dale Scott announces to the world that he is a gay man who is married.
I know it won’t happen because Scott is probably a good human being who can separate these sort of things, but I would love to see him squeeze Hunter at the plate this season when he is behind the dish.
Oh, get your minds out of the gutter. I meant expand his strike zone, you fucking sickos.