Recently the Jim Evans Academy for Professional Umpiring has held an annual company bowling celebration. Often the occasion goes off like you'd imagine a company bowling event would with a little fanfare. But, not this time!
Each year, teams are generally constructed and fun names are chosen. Even so, this year one team went too far by picking a team name that attracted a similarity to the Ku Klux Klan. Therefore, shockingly, team members arrived in costumes which were reminiscent of clothing the racist group is known for and apparently using well-known slurs! While this kind of behaviour will make most people uncomfortable the school's only black employee felt a good deal of unease (Which I am sure is actually a mild way of putting it). Right after, photographs were distributed and news started to get out regarding what transpired that night. It did not take long for Minor League Baseball (and also MLB by extension) to take notice.
"We carried out an investigation, made our own queries, and we uncovered behavior that people discovered to be reprehensible." explained Pat O'Conner, President of MiLB. And the reprehension? MiLB won't longer take students from the Evans Academy which last year produced 14 recruits who have been formally evaluated by Professional Baseball Umpire Corp, a subsidiary of MiLB.
The issue seems fitting. Let's face it, why would the MiLB and MLB desire to be linked to group who believes this sort of action is simply "... a bad joke that was not designed to hurt anyone" (Jim Evans). To complicate the problem somewhat is the fact that Minor League Baseball launched its own competing Umpire School this coming year, that has been fodder for Evans and others, permitting them to point to that as a hidden motive.
MiLB doesn't have any contract with the Evan's Academy or virtually any Umpire School so I don't see this decision being altered at any time even if it becomes a legitimate matter. In the meantime, take the Jim Evans Academy off the listing of possible Umpire Schools.
Each year, teams are generally constructed and fun names are chosen. Even so, this year one team went too far by picking a team name that attracted a similarity to the Ku Klux Klan. Therefore, shockingly, team members arrived in costumes which were reminiscent of clothing the racist group is known for and apparently using well-known slurs! While this kind of behaviour will make most people uncomfortable the school's only black employee felt a good deal of unease (Which I am sure is actually a mild way of putting it). Right after, photographs were distributed and news started to get out regarding what transpired that night. It did not take long for Minor League Baseball (and also MLB by extension) to take notice.
"We carried out an investigation, made our own queries, and we uncovered behavior that people discovered to be reprehensible." explained Pat O'Conner, President of MiLB. And the reprehension? MiLB won't longer take students from the Evans Academy which last year produced 14 recruits who have been formally evaluated by Professional Baseball Umpire Corp, a subsidiary of MiLB.
The issue seems fitting. Let's face it, why would the MiLB and MLB desire to be linked to group who believes this sort of action is simply "... a bad joke that was not designed to hurt anyone" (Jim Evans). To complicate the problem somewhat is the fact that Minor League Baseball launched its own competing Umpire School this coming year, that has been fodder for Evans and others, permitting them to point to that as a hidden motive.
MiLB doesn't have any contract with the Evan's Academy or virtually any Umpire School so I don't see this decision being altered at any time even if it becomes a legitimate matter. In the meantime, take the Jim Evans Academy off the listing of possible Umpire Schools.
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