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1. Betancourt is underperforming. Fact.
2. He has not worked to improve his skills. Fact.
3. He has not listened to coaches or teammates. Fact.
4. Betancourt underperforms because he is lazy. He is a waste of time and space. Opinion. You might argue it is informed opinion but it is still an opinion. It is so heavily dependent on a cultural frame of reference that some people regard it as self evident.
5. I find statement 4 objectionable. Fact.
6. The reasons for objecting to 4 are bogus PC correctness. Opinion.
7. The reasons for objecting to 4 are valid. Opinion.
8. Some people value plain speaking. Fact.
9. Some people value civility and sensitivity. Fact.
Opinions will be heavily influenced by your culture and life experiences.
Let’s agree to disagree.
Peace

I don’t think anyone labeled anyone’s opinion “good” or “bad”; rather, it seems there is a more effective means of expressing displeasure with Yuniesky Betancourt.

His inability to maintain good physical condition and keep his body weight where it needs to be in order to be a MLB shortstop displays a lack of respect – for himself, his employer, and his co-workers – on his part. The terms “fat”, “lazy” and “stupid” might seem to be hurtful, in which case if we were all in a sensitivity training class then they would all be a big no-no.

However, the value judgment being made against Yuni to which you refer is based solely on his inability to:

a) perform his job as required
b) effort to improve his skills
c) effort to maintain his skills at their current level
d) maintain good physical condition

This is not a snap judgment based on one missed off-day BP session and a few poor decisions in the batters box in recent weeks – this has been going on for nearly two years, and four different managers and countless teammates have (as reported by dozens of journalists) tried and failed at inspiring him to do the bare minimum.

I understand the PC ideals, and it’s neat that you embrace it so dearly. But this isn’t a matter of making any kind of judgment on the type of person YuBet is outside of the baseball world. He might very well be a great buddy with whom fishing trips result in epic adventures and fantastic tales of impossibility. He might spend his off-season time teaching blind kids how to read braille. Maybe he mops the floor of the Sistine Chapel for free every Saturday in winter. Good for him if that’s the case.

But, in the world of baseball… he has become fat, and he has displayed laziness and stupidity on and off the field. Those traits have directly and adversely affected his ability to perform the duties of the job he was hired to do. He has efforted his way out of being an MLB-caliber baseball player.

It’s not really a debatable topic.

I have no beef with the management here. They provide the soapbox and have not censored anything I’ve written. I could not ask for more.

Utis,

You have committed the unforgivable sin of disagreeing with the management here. It’s worse than being a bad spellar.

Unfortunately there is a forest/trees problem with people not wanting to understand what you are trying to say. Instead they are twisting your words to mean what they want them to mean and using them against you.

Or maybe he just made a really bad argument. No? I’m not capable of thinking for myself? Oh. Well, okay…I guess you’re right. I am now sad.

[Hello. I am being a passive aggressive tool.

Love,
Jim H]

Hells. Yes. And AMEN.