Sheffield Touches a Nerve

I'll be the first to say that Gary Sheffield says some infuriating things. When he suggested that Latin Americans were easily manipulated, I didn't hesitate to criticize him for doing so. In the past few days, Sheffield has once again stirred controversy by making comments about race and identity. In an interview on HBO's Real Sports, Sheffield told Andrea Kremer that New York Yankees manager Joe Torre "treats black players differently from white players." Here we go again, right?

It's almost too easy to dismiss Sheffield's comments because he has a history of being so outlandish. ESPN's Buster Olney argues that not only should we ignore Sheffield, but that these comments are "sharp and vicious." He adds, "You cannot on one hand indicate that Torre treats black players differently than white players, and on the other hand say that he is not a racist. That makes no sense, and it is irresponsible." Olney does not, however, explain why or how Sheffield is being irresponsible.

To be sure, the timing of the revelation is odd. Nevertheless, if he's telling the truth it merits a serious discussion. Not surprisingly, Torre wants none of it. When asked to comment, he replied, "I don't even want to answer those kinds of questions. I'm more comfortable not answering." Does this suggest Sheffield is right? Of course not, but it's awfully evasive, no?

Meanwhile, blogs and chatrooms have quickly jumped all over Sheffield (see the response to Olney's post here). It strikes me that in our haste to label Sheffield an idiot, we might be missing the possibility that Torre, or others in baseball, in fact treat minority players differently. Sheffield has earned his lack of credibility over the years, and this moment serves as an important reminder that being taken seriously is affected by public perceptions of character. Nevertheless, what a shame it is that an opportunity to have a legitimate conversation about race has once again been squandered by a collective rush to judgment that confronts only Sheffield as a person, not the words he has spoken. After all, the speed and intensity with which Sheffield's critics have responed suggest that he may have touched a nerve.