Baseball GM With Jewish Mom Signs Player Accused of Anti-Semitism
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Amaro Jewish Arn Tellem CBSSports.com Delmon Young Delmon Young anti-Semitism Joel Wolfe Philadelphia Phillies Phillies baseball Ruben Amaro
Delmon Young playing for the Detroit Tigers. Photo: Wiipedia
The Philadelphia Phillies baseball team signed former number 1 draft pick Delmon Young Tuesday despite initial reservations by the team’s general manager, Ruben Amaro.
The reason for his concern was that last year, while Young was a member of the Detroit Tigers, he had a high-profile altercation in New York in which he was accused of uttering an anti-Semitic slur while roughing up a tourist (who turned out not to be Jewish).
Young, who had no prior arrests, was sentenced to 10 days of community service for the incident. Amaro, whose mother is Jewish, expressed his reservations to CBSSports.com about signing Young, saying that the fact that anti-Semitism played a role in the arrest was a major issue for him.
“I’m part Jewish, so it’s a concern to me,” Amaro said in an interview.
But after meeting with Young he decided that it was an isolated incident.
According to CBSSports.com, Amaro said he talked to rabbis from Philadelphia and Detroit (the Detroit rabbi knows Young well, according to Amaro), the Philadelphia Anti Defamation League and Young himself before giving the player a chance.
“I certainly feel comfortable with the due diligence we put together. But it’s really up to Delmon to prove us right,” Amaro said.
Amaro pointed out that Young’s two agents, Arn Tellem and Joel Wolfe, are Jewish. But the key for Amaro was a meeting with Young, a “very long” meeting the two had a few weeks before signing him.
“I got a good feel for the player,” Amaro said.
“He’s not an anti-Semite. He made a mistake,” Amaro told CBSSports.com . “Hopefully, he can move on from that.”
8:45 pm
The reporting here is not very good. It’s pretty vague to say that he uttered an “anti-Semitic” slur. What exactly did he say?
If any public person in our society had ever once uttered the word “Nigger” he would never be forgiven. We can’t even say the word anymore or even write it.
Jimmy the Greek disappeared for his rather benign remarks.
What kind of a ridiculously idiotic excuse is it to say that his agent is Jewish?
5:35 pm
He may be a murder and a thief…but If he can hit 300 and play third ….
1:16 am
Didn’t the French designer Galliano do the same thing under the influence of liquor? Liquor loosens the inhibitions. If this ball player has done Teshuva it will be clear when there will be no more anti-Semitic actions.
10:51 pm
We Jews believe in a little thing called Teshuva. Both Arn Tellem and Joel Wolfe have told me that Delmon is a good kid. He made a mistake. He was drinking. I’m glad he got signed by Philadelphia and wish him well (unless my Detroit Tigers are facing the Phillies in the World Series!).
6:00 pm
Isn’t that kind of what all anti-Semites say?