Odds & Ends: Strasburg, Cabrera, Waivers

I partially disagree. These players are being paid millions to be icons/role models to millions. Players should attempt to look presentable and not run around or play looking like homeless people. I don't have a problem with baggier uniforms or whether a player wants to play with a button unbuttoned or have a necklace or whatever, but when players start playing with hats that their team logo is unrecognizable or when their jerseys seem the size of mumu's, I think it can take away from the game.

If baseball has is truly becoming the business that everyone says it's becoming, the players should respect and acknowledge it.

Seriously though, I really liked that waivers article.

in the MLB**

i have to dress a certain way at my job, to maintain professionalism. same thing can apply here, no biggie. if I make 8 million a year, i would cut my hair.

Nrmax88, I completely agree. I do not have a problem with braided hair or *longer* hair, such that it is maintained. I think Manny's hair is ridiculous, but he is who he is.

I do think though that players need to realize they are on a team and that they should conform to some sort of professionalism. And my saying this, I am not directly talking about Hanley. I think he keeps himself fairly professional looking.

I believe the yankees are overly strict with the policy, but no one on the yankees complains loudly about it.

scribble - you don't want all little kids looking up to these guys.
" Johnny Damon looked like a complete bum when he was with the Red Sox. Randy Johnson looked like a greasy vagabond. Kevin Youkalis looks like a moron with that thing on his face."

I think it's fine...you can be individuals in other ways....Josh Hamilton and his tattoos. Though the Rangers won't let him show them.

"To further show how stupid playing the race card is, they made Josh Johnson cut his hair as well."

False, it only reinforces the racial undertones. The Marlins' front office hates Dominicans AND Anglo-Saxons. Time for a Title VII.

It has nothing to do with race, whatsoever. The reason that the Marlins jumped on the "respectable looking" bandwagon is because they just got their stadium approved, they are being hit hard by the economic downturn, and they want to attract a different type of fan base.

While I think it is unreasonable to spring it on players when there has not been a rule previously, it has nothing at all to do with race. The fact that Han-Ram is the face of their franchise, and happens not to be white, is pure coincidence. The Marlins have a long track record of being cheap, and the biggest contracts they have given in recent years have been to "non-white guys".

The Yankess have had a long-standing appearance and morality contract, but the players know this before they sign there. No beards, no long hair, no earrings, no partying during the week, etc. They also self-elect a "King" (team Captain) who stays in that role until he is "de-throned". It is not a far-fetched idea, or even a new idea. And once again, it has nothing to do with race. It just wouldn't work in all markets, and it will never be adopted my most teams.

The biggest thing the Marlins did wrong was try to change to a new policy in Spring Training instead of right after the offseason, and not having a team meeting to say what the new policy is and why, to get out any frustartions before they could go public.

And before someone childish decides to say that my comments are from a middle-class, Suburban, white-guy... I am of mixed-race.

Yeah, why don’t we just let everyone do anything they please and forget about all rules or images portrayed. I say open it up completely, individualism to the max! I want to see a player manning left field wearing a Flava-Flav clock around his neck in his right to ‘express’ himself as he chooses! Who will be the first to rip the sleeves off their jerseys ala Wild Thing?

The idea that certain grown men can not follow certain, reasonable, non-evasive rules (as long as they are with-in reason) without throwing a temper tantrum is foolish to me. (not directed towards Hanely Ramirez of course, but instead things from the past which have led up to this situation) If a company, much like every other company in the country, wants to portray itself to their clients in a consistent, respectable manor, then they are being the norm, not doing something out of line. An employee is lucky to have a job with said company to begin with, and if they decide they should not have to follow rules then they are the only ones who are out of line.

Besides, what is it going to take for players to realize that long hair (define, longer than shoulder length) probably isnt a good idea in baseball (or any sport) to begin with? Someone getting it caught in an outfield wall or another’s cleats in an on-field collision? Long hair, in any of the spots, is just foolish and ill advised from the very start. I once watched someone rip their nose open when they hit a basketball rim and it connected with one of the hooks. A braid or lock of hair getting caught is much more likely and a disaster for the game if it happens. I watch people getting tackled by their hair in football quite often really, how is that a good idea to express your individualism with?

Certain things, like longer than shoulder length hair and uniforms that are 4 sizes too big for you, are just illogical within the games themselves; presenting unnecessary dangers on top of the negative image they often portray to begin with. Want to be a rock star, become a rock star. Want to play a sport, then expect to have certain rules you would be smart to follow in the first place.

Well written post, SuzysMan.

Especially in the Marlin's culture where Han-Ram's salary for 2009 and 2010 is as much as their Opening Day payroll for this year. You want to be the 'Franchise', be a part of it, don't buck the system.

Johnny Damon with his long hair was perfect for the Red Sox they pride themselves on being dirtbags, but look at the fans they are trying to draw beer swilling idiots that think that the Dropkick Murphys are the best band evah. I guess it all depends on what kind of fans you are trying to attract to your ballpark.
Posted by: dpare71 | March 27, 2009 at 01:48 PM

Right, because the Yankee fans are much classier because their team has a hair policy. That's the most idiotic thing I've ever heard.

I get the argument that the front offices run the show and they want to present the organization as clean and respectable.

I just think that they're making the game less interesting, by forcing players to conform. I want the players to be themselves and keep the game interesting. As long as they're playing great baseball, the length of their hair really shouldn't be any concern to the front office. It gives the players more personality anyways.

Obviously it's far from a big deal, and not worth making a scene about, but I just think it's rather unfortunate that teams feel the need to force ballplayers to cut their hair, when it has no effect on their on-field performance, which is really what gets fans to the park. Like really, do the Marlins think that by making Josh Johnson cut his hair, more fans will come to his starts?

I am amazed whenever I see ANYONE support this sort of policy.

When it gets worst is when people claim it has anything to do with 'professionalism'.

According to whom?

The teams that I think look stupid are the ones who still think the year is 1958. The Yankees pride themselves on their mystique, and it certainly exists, but that is a good thing, since watching them on the field you see no character whatsover. If it wasn't for the pinstripes they would be the blandest team in the league.

I'm not a Red Sox fan (Go Jays!), but when Johnny Damon was the face of the team, they sure seemed a lot more likeable than their obvious rivals.

I'd just like to second nrmax's entire post. Very good.

Is that the best you got? You are grasping. Old people are so funny. If you don't do things the way we did back in 1930, then you have no class, no professionalism, and you are a thug/menace to society! It is very amusing. If anything, a fan base of Miami citizens (the group of people the Marlins are trying to attract, also a heavy populated Latino area), would probably be more annoyed that their team is pissing their favorite/best player off over his hair style, then they would be happy that the organization is moving in a more professional direction.

Dpare and Suzysman both use wild examples to make their point. They involve destroying the uniform, carrying huge props, or other completely unrealistic scenario's. How does wearing your hair in a way you enjoy in any way impact the type of person you are. This is probably why people hate America so much in general. No tolerance, too much of this whole "if you are different from me you are a thug or bad example, my way is the only way to do things" idea. It is really sad that anything slightly different is conveyed as bad.

Having your hair cut in a way you enjoy is doing whatever the hell you want? It isn't like Hanley asked if he could have machine guns in the locker room. All he did was wear his hair the same as he always has, and then one day, after being on the team for multiple years, people come and tell him he has to cut it? How much they are being paid has nothing to do with it, because they provide a talent that basically nobody else in the world has, so they should be paid a lot of money. You get paid what you are paid based on what you are good at in life. Being good at something a lot of people consider important, and thus, being paid handsomely for it really has nothing to do with this. Besides, since when are baseball players CEO's? Everybody says just be happy you are playing a childrens game for a living, but if that is the case, how come everybody is worried about him looking so professional? Do you think the kids that like Hanley Ramirez care what kind of hair cut he has? Do you think that they will buy more jerseys if he looks more "professional"(again, I still have yet to have on person tell me why dressing the way these restrictions require you to dress makes you professional)?

Guys chill out of a second...
It's just a rule.

Whether the players like the rule or not it doesn't matter. It will not cost any player anything to clean up their face and look. The FO is not asking for your first born child.
Individualism, be unique, make the game more fun, etc., how can you bring that up? They are being paid just like any other person in the country, to do their job and nothing else. They can do whatever they want off-field but while on-field they should abide by the rules. Period.

I'm sure all of you have been to college/university, and had jobs. Think of it this way, there are rules that you had to follow whether you liked them or not. Why can't owners have some of those rules too? Whether they are for professionalism or some other ulterior reason, they are still rules. No need to blow this matter out of proportion.

nrmax88,

I live in NYC too and I know what you mean and I agree with you to some extent. But look at it this way. The players are not regular people you see onthe streets. Heck, go to Wall St. and you will probably not see people wearing durags or anything like that. That's because what theydo require a image, not personality.

Let me clarify something, I could careless about you hair as long as it's not a distraction.

Also, how would you feel about players wearing durags and stuff a la ghetto?

“Like really, do the Marlins think that by making Josh Johnson cut his hair, more fans will come to his starts?”

Of course not, but I can’t imagine that was ever their intent to begin with. Realistically, there is a possibility they are experiencing a slight behavioral problem in the minors with a player or two, and just want to ensure that the organization as a whole has their standards in place, and enforced evenly, to try and maintain control. Unfortunately, defiance and behavioral issues are difficult to control if complete freedom is given, and bigger issues can develop from there.

Take Manny for instance. If Boston (and honestly Cleveland before that, they had major behavioral issues in the mid-90s as well) had been firmer with their expectations and attempted to present a more professional environment, would he have become the problem he eventually did? Manny’s “I do as I please” mentality is a black eye to the game, and only enables future similar situations to take place. Having boundaries in place before issues get out of hand is the correct thing to do, and is a very minor and easy step to take.

I like individualism just as much as the next person, but unfortunately certain things need to be regulated to keep the bigger issues in tact. And honestly, they should be done anyway. Like I said previously, hair and clothing can be a danger. Excessive jewelry can be an unfair advantage for pitchers, or possibly create a hazard on the field. Eliminating dangers and creating boundaries in an attempt to keep control and present the organization in commonly accepted positive light – where is the problem? The only possible problem would be one or two people that feel they should be able to do anything they please; showing themselves to be the bigger problems when you think about it. Can, and maybe should, things change? Maybe; and if Hanley Ramirez thinks it is time that his hair is accepted as the normal then maybe he should refuse to comply with the rules and walk away from the game in protest of the rule. He has the opportunity to take a stand, prove a point and go down in history attempting to bring about change. But he agreed to comply rather quickly, so maybe there is more to the rule then we think or it isnt as big of a deal as a few whinny people want to try and make it out to be.

"Nrmax88,

Your ‘racism’ and ‘old person’ arguments are reaching pretty far to begin with. As stated numerous times, everyone is affected by the rules, and a ‘white’ (as you like to refer to them as) has had to conform as much as any minority. Leaving the racism argument you attempted to play with no ground to stand on. The ‘old person’ argument is also illogical, as you have no clue as to anyones age that is in support of such boundaries being in place."

Since you obviously couldn't even do me the justice of reading my post in its entirety (or if you did, you lack in reading comprehension), I am not going to read yours either. All I have to say is I already clearly said I am not saying this is any bigoted act of hatred against Hanley Ramirez, just that it is funny that these white men have this crazy idea of what it means to be professional. Being on time makes sense as a rule. You hurt the team if you are not on time. Constantly consuming alcohol can have a negative effect on your team also. Breaking curfew as well. I have yet to see one person (still, even though I asked about 4 times) tell me how Hanley Ramirez having braided hair makes him less professional, makes him a bad role model, or effects his play. Any other example that anybody brings up includes having a negative effect on your team, and therefore your employer. Wearing your hair in a way you enjoy, and wearing a necklace or easing does not effect your game, and thus, there should not be a rule against it.

And once again, I will bring this up again, since none of you "professionals" seem to have an answer. Since you all seem to be of the idea that, "hey, it is their team, they own it, they can do with it what they want", then would it be okay if a black man bought a baseball team, and made a rule where instead of being cleanly shaved and having a nice, short haircut, everybody had to wear their hair braided, because this owner felt like this made the team look more professional, and hey, it is his team, he can do with it as he pleases. This is literally the same thing as some guy saying that his idea of professionalism is having guys with no facial hair and short hair cuts. Why is one guy any more entitled to his opinion then the other?

nrmax88,

Look up Donald Watkins. He was trying to buy the Expos, and then Twins and Angels. The purchases fell through after one of his business associates got arrested for fraud and ruined his company assets.

He is a middle aged 'Black Man', and if you read his ointerviews on how he would run a baseball team, the first things he said is 'You have to run it like a business'. In his excerpts from the proposal to buy Montreal and move it to D.C. earlier in the decade, he himself cited the Yankees as how a baseball operation should be run.

The Yankees have the strictest dress and morality code of all 30 teams.

He is the anti-typical baseball owner you keep describing, yet he wanted to instill policies that you seem to think do not fir in Professional Sports.

He wears his hair short, has a mustache, and wears a suit every day. It is not just "middle-aged white guys in Corporate America" that think your appearance reflects Professionalism.

This whole arguement reminds me of when Nick Swisher grew his hair out to donate it to cancer victims. Unrealist idea warning...teams should let players grow their hair out only if they do a similar thing to what swisher did. I just thought i'd through a positive thought into this little cat fight. Who really cares if a guy making millions of dollars has to cut his hair?

for cub fans who might be curios,cubs stats so far this spring
CHICAGO CUBS INDIVIDUAL BATTING
-------------------------------

PLAYER AVG G AB R H TB 2B 3B HR RBI
------ --- - -- - - -- -- -- -- ---

C Gaudin 1.000 6 1 0 1 2 1 0 0 0
C Zambrano .667 4 6 3 4 9 2 0 1 4
N Spears .600 4 10 4 6 8 0 1 0 3
J Mota .500 1 2 1 1 2 1 0 0 2
J Adduci .500 4 6 2 3 3 0 0 0 2
M Bradley .483 12 29 6 14 27 4 0 3 6
R Theriot .404 18 47 11 19 24 3 1 0 7
G Soto .400 6 10 4 4 5 1 0 0 2
K Hill .385 13 39 7 15 21 3 0 1 6
T Wright .375 4 8 1 3 5 2 0 0 2
P Bako .367 13 30 4 11 16 2 0 1 5
J Fox .364 21 55 13 20 37 5 0 4 16
M Fontenot .362 19 58 12 21 38 4 2 3 11
B Scales .350 21 40 9 14 19 5 0 0 11
W Castillo .333 9 9 5 3 9 0 0 2 5
R Dempster .333 5 3 0 1 1 0 0 0 0
R Johnson .328 20 58 8 19 29 3 2 1 11
A Soriano .320 19 50 6 16 31 3 0 4 12
A Blanco .311 23 45 7 14 18 1 0 1 8
M Hoffpauir .309 24 68 13 21 40 5 1 4 18
A Ramirez .289 16 38 4 11 19 2 0 2 6
B Snyder .286 14 21 7 6 14 0 1 2 8
A Miles .283 15 46 6 13 15 2 0 0 6
J Gathright .275 16 40 12 11 11 0 0 0 2
S Fuld .269 16 26 8 7 14 1 0 2 3
S Taguchi .250 24 36 8 9 13 2 1 0 10
D Lee .244 14 41 4 10 15 2 0 1 5
D Deeds .243 15 37 7 9 14 3 1 0 5
E German .235 12 17 4 4 4 0 0 0 1
J Dubois .235 12 17 2 4 5 1 0 0 0
M Johnson .235 13 17 2 4 5 1 0 0 0
L Rivas .231 15 26 2 6 6 0 0 0 1
C Koskie .200 3 5 1 1 2 1 0 0 0
C Fox .200 10 5 0 1 1 0 0 0 0
D Barney .188 11 16 2 3 3 0 0 0 1
R Robnett .158 10 19 2 3 5 2 0 0 4
A Guzman .000 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
K Kadokura .000 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
R Chirinos .000 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
R Roquet .000 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
J Stevens .000 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
K Gregg .000 9 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
E Caridad .000 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
J Ascanio .000 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
N Samson .000 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
M Atkins .000 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
L Vizcaino .000 8 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
J Sellers .000 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
K Hart .000 9 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
R Wells .000 8 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
J Samardzija .000 6 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
C Robinson .000 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
C Marmol .000 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
M Mateo .000 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
J Waddell .000 9 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
N Cotts .000 9 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
M Freed .000 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
D Patton .000 9 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
N Perez .000 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
M Stanton .000 9 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
S Marshall .000 7 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
S Clevenger .000 5 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
T Campana .000 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
D Johnston .000 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
B Guyer .000 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
A Cashner .000 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
M Camp .000 3 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
J Mathes .000 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
J Rosa .000 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
R Harden .000 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
J Berg .000 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
E Campusano .000 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
B Schlitter .000 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
A Heilman .000 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Oh, and that is a reply to the first post you gave, but I think it pretty much covers everything you attempted to say in the second as well, so its enough… I will reply to this specifically though:

“And accepted by who? Who just decided that wearing braids and diamond earrings is not proper?”

Again, almost all of the country – and more. Businesses have dress codes. Almost all of them are the same, and the Marlins new dress code is extremely similar to it. Don’t like it? Oh well, you are fighting basically all of the companies in the country there. Complaining because it is effecting one baseball player of dark skin (but not saying anything about it affecting the white player) while telling us that you too selectively decide things you feel are professional or not. Well, seems you are worse off them the thing you are arguing is somehow some major offense.

PS, why are you not complaining about players being forced to wear a sports coat and slacks when exciting the stadiums after the game? What if people of “black/brown” skin don’t want to wear a sports coat because they don’t like it? This is something that each team abides by as far as I know though, and definitely would not affect the team in any way at all. Why is this not included in your complaints about “the white man” forcing his beliefs on everyone or whatever.

PPS, my apologies, did not see there was a second page until after posting. Ironic that it wasn’t a white man who wanted the rule.

Ha, Suzysman still can't bring up an example that isn't completely extreme. First he brings up guys wearing enormous props, then he brings up David Wright growing his hair down to his ankles, then he starts bringing up players from, the early 1900's, still, without ever addressing or answering any of the questions I asked. What a surprise. Debate the parts that you have answers to, ignore what you can't debate. Suzy, so would it be okay with you if I owned a team, and I made it policy for everybody to have gold caps put on their teeth and braids in their hair, because I thought it looked more professional?

And I keep bringing up race because everywhere you look, whether it is on this blog, sports radio shows, the site where the original piece was written, you have absurd comments with people saying things like..... "good, he should cut his hair, he looks like a wannabe pimp", or "so what if he has to cut his hair, baseball is not meant for gangsters", etc. Why is it that if a person of color wears their hair a certain way they are a thug? And if this isn't the case, and there is nothing wrong with braided hair, and it doesn't make you look like a thug, then why make a rule against it? And I never said there should be a rule for alcohol, or a curfew, etc. I just said I could understand why there would be. These things could possibly impact a team, they may not, but it is feasible that they could. The way a person wears their hair could never possibly have any effect on the way a team performs (waiting for you to come up with something else extreme, like how a fan could grab a players long hair going for a foul ball and cost them a world series, since everything else you post involves something extreme and completely unrealistic). If a rule is solely to help a team, or to prevent players from impacting a team in a negative manner, whether I agree or disagree with the rule itself, I can understand why it is there. I have still (again, despite asking about 6 times by now) heard one of you give me any reason at all how A) long/braided hair isn't professional, and B)how it could ever possibly negatively effect a team or a game. I am not holding my breath though, since you already replied to about 5 of my posts and each time you evade and sidestep the questions I bring up.

Nrmax88,

The problem is that you have not posed a single, solid question. You brought race into a situation where it doesn’t belong (stating that because there are racist people in the world, you think you have to turn everything into a racist conversation). You yourself have taken the racist side of the debate you are attempting to wage however, solely complaining about the “guy with brown skin who likes to braid his hair” who now cant wear braids under his hat when he is on the field, but ignore the “white man” who has been affected as much, if not more, then Ramirez. You also show your racism complaining about the “old white man” who wanted this rule in place on the Marlins, despite the fact that it is a middle age man with dark skin that actually did so. You then attempt to try and give absurd comparisons like a black man buying a team and forcing all his players to adopt styles which are a rather done by a rather extreme minority of the population and put it up against the most recognized and commonly accepted professional appearance definition, much like comparing apples to super rare plants that only grow in a 12 foot radius of some third world company. You claim I am pointing to extremes, ignoring the fact you are doing it yourself though. What you propose is just as extreme in the eyes of the mass majority of the world, and 100% your personal idea as to what would be an acceptable professional appearance; not unlike if I was to ask employees to wear their shoes on their hands.

But it just doesn’t seem you really know what you are arguing against anyway, because you are either arguing against Ramirez being able to have long hair (which everyone is affected by) or his ability to wear his hair a certain way solely while in the process of doing a job his employer is paying him to do (while he is able to wear it in that style while not at work without issue). Then, I propose this question to you (which you have ignored previously) – why are you not fighting against all the rules which infringe on a players (or anyone’s) being able to do whatever they want? Why are you not fighting against players using alcohol or having a curfew, or having their entourage in the clubhouse? You claim those ‘could’ affect their ability to perform their job – but they ‘could not’ affect their job as well, so why are you limiting everyone’s freedom just because it may or may not be an issue? But ok, if you don’t want to address that, how about you address the dress code. Why is it that players must wear sports coats and slacks when leaving the field, but this is not in your attack? It does not affect on field play. Or how about players being forced to maintain themselves in a proper way? I know for a fact that there has to be rules within each organization that states a player must keep his teeth brushed, nose hair trimmed, fingernails clean and many other minute personal care issues. Why are you not fighting against all these things as well? What if a player doesn’t want to brush his teeth, trim his nose hair or fingernails? That fact that you almost certainly agree that these things are acceptable to be able to expect from a companies employees shows that you are just as selective in what you deem acceptable professional appearance as anyone else, the difference is that you are simultaneously showing a hypocritical approach with your fighting for the extreme majority to control what is acceptable in the world.

So why are you not fighting for all forms of a persons individual professional appearance rights? Why is it one “guy with brown skin who likes to braid his hair” that you feel so compelled to protect with the racist attitude you have displayed, while ignoring everyone else who could be affected by rules they don’t agree with across all jobs within the sport, and honestly out as well. Why are you not out picketing Hooters until they allow bald women to be Hooters Girls as well? Why are you not arguing for the person that doesn’t want to brush their teeth to be able to work the register at the local Sizzler? The only thing you are doing here is singling out a small portion of the commonly accepted personal appearance standard and telling us that it affects a small portion of the population while ignoring everyone else affected in a countless number of ways (including the same way you are complaining affects the “guy with brown skin who likes to braid his hair”, but you discriminate and ignore the others affected).

The only thing I can really say to you at the end of the day is this – sorry you don’t like the commonly accepted professional appearance standards, but you cant pick and choose those you do think should be enforced, cant pick and choose to defend a small portion of those that are affected by them and if you want to change the majority of the business worlds beliefs then complaining solely that one “black/brown skin” guy that wants to wear braids is asked not to on a baseball message board is the most illogical way of going about doing it. Really, don’t like the commonly accepted personal appearance standard, go to a country that has no rules for their employees to follow.

The most ironic part of this entire thing though most likely comes in the fact that I myself am not yet 30 with hair past my shoulders and a full beard who is married to a minority. For all we know you are a business exec who wears a suit and tie daily with freshly trimmed hair each week and a bi-weekly manicure that just, for some strange reason, feels that he should yell and scream racism anytime a minority is affected by anything what so ever solely because racism does exist in an ever decreasingly amount of people in the world. The fact that you are fighting perceived racism with racism and selecting picking and choosing stances really does show the strength of your stance though, I must say that.

For the record (if anyone is keeping score at home about it being a 'White Man' rule):

Cuban-Born Manager Fredi Gonzalez instilled the rule on the Marlins entire team, including clubhouse personnel.

"We want to look professional," Gonzalez told the Sun-Sentinel. "Nice and neat."