How Should Yankees Players Handle Domingo German? | Sports Takes & News | TooAthletic.com
The New York Yankees are expected to have the services of pitcher Domingo German for the 2021 season. Yet, despite the fact that the righty hurler may be able to contribute to the team’s success, some of his teammates are less than excited to have him back in the clubhouse after he served a suspension for domestic violence. One of those teammates, reliever Zack Britton, came out with some very blunt talk about German, leading many to ask how those in the Yankees’ clubhouse should welcome back German, or if they will at all.
Zack Britton is not shy about expressing his opinions about anything he is asked, so when the question of Domingo German’s return came up in a Zoom chat with the Yankees’ media group, the lefty admitted it was a “tough question.” Britton did go on to tell reporters:
“Sometimes you don’t get to control who your teammates are, and that’s the situation. I don’t agree with what he did. I don’t think it has any place in the game or off the field at all.”
When asked what Britton is expecting from German now that the Yankees have opened their spring training camp, the pitcher replied, “I don’t think he owes anything to me. I think it’s off the field stuff that he needs to take care of. My job is to go out there and pitch and do my job … But he doesn’t owe me anything. I think that’s something that he’s going to have to deal with on his own and make better choices going forward.”
Sports is a difficult business since not only do your customers know more about your health and personal life than in almost any other line of work; but so, too, do your coworkers. There have been plenty of championship teams who have disliked each other, including many that currently play on the Yankees.
As the saying goes, you can choose your friends and your enemies; but you can’t pick your family. Britton added to that by correctly pointing out that baseball players, like most of us, can’t pick our co-workers.
Britton and German can go the entire season without saying a word to each other if one of them chooses to. So perhaps the question I’m asking is if Britton or any other Yankees players should engage German in some way. This, of course, is tough since no one wants to appear to be supporting someone who did an awful thing; but we already know fans would cheer for the devil if he was starting a midseason baseball game, so cheering for German won’t be difficult.
For those who see Domingo German in the clubhouse, on team flights and around the ballpark, however, knowing what to say or do is awkward at best. I find myself asking if I would support a co-worker who admitted to committing an act of domestic violence and I don’t truly know if I could. However, I hope I would be a good enough person to at least listen to them if they wanted to talk to me, if for no other reason, to maybe prevent it from happening again.
The New York Yankees should and hopefully will provide the professional help Domingo German needs to admit his mistake, prevent it from happening again, and hopefully assist the person he injured and scarred for life.
As for his teammates, I think every player in that locker room should do what is most comfortable for them regardless of how it makes German or the front office feel. They should not be forced to talk to German or field and answer any questions about his life if they don’t want to since, after all, they don’t owe him anything, just as German doesn’t owe anyone in that clubhouse anything.
Maybe the true lesson here is if more players like Zack Britton spoke out against their teammates, those players will better understand that the time to disrespect women is long over, and by doing so, you only make yourself look small and unworthy of wearing a Major League uniform, stepping on a field, or being “one of the guys” anymore. Then, maybe, the shaming that comes with what Domingo German did will finally hit home, and he, or the next player who might snap, may understand that only bad things can happen when violence is your only answer to a problem.
About TooAthletic
TooAthletic Takes is the News division of TooAthletic. Launched in 2019, TooAthletic Takes is a source for all your sports takes. TooAthletic Takes will make you laugh, cry, get mad, and even call us “idiots.” We strive to give our readers another viewpoint on any sports situation, and we look forward to disagreements with the hopes that it leads to healthy discussions and debates.
TooAthletic Takes aspires to be the #1 source for all sports takes, and become a leader in sports media.
Categories
“What If” Takes
Boxing Takes
Dumb Sports Takes
Either/Or Takes
ESPN Takes
Fantasy Football Takes
Fox Sports Takes
Funny Sports Highlights
Funny Sports Takes
High School Highlights
Lists
Memes & GIFs
MLB Takes
NBA Highlights
NBA Takes
NCAA Sports Highlights
NCAA Takes
NFL Highlights
NFL Takes
NHL Takes
Predictions
Question Takes
Racing Takes
Rafael’s NFL Betting Picks
Sports Gambling Takes
Sports Movie Reviews
Sports News
Sports Quotes
Survivor Pool Picks
TooAthletic Takes
UFC Takes
Voting
Worried/Not Worried About Takes
XFL Takes
How Should Yankees Players Handle Domingo German? | TooAthletic.com
The post How Should Yankees Players Handle Domingo German? appeared first on TOOATHLETIC TAKES.
Source: TOOATHLETIC TAKES
