Middle Infield, Addison Russell and the Redemption Song

[Tony-OH]

8 minutes ago, 7Mo said:

Not that my opinion matters but based solely on a Google search, I wouldn't want to bring Russell in. 

It doesn't take much of a search to see the Chicago media has a serious dislike for the guy. Now, I understand that when a guy leaves, it's convenient to trash him but this seems more severe. 

Add to that what seems to be a moody, sulking type attitude and a pattern of acts rather than a one time incident, combined with not knowing the signs after being with the team for 5 years, I'd prefer to look elsewhere. 

Accusations of abuse by Russell first surfaced in 2017, after which MLB commenced an investigation. The Florida native initially denied the allegations, but in a February media session he said (via the Chicago Sun-Times), “I’m accountable for my past actions. I am not proud of the person I was.”

 

“Without getting into details or specifics, I just want to own that what I did was wrong and inexcusable,” Addison said at the time. “And I’m sorry. Sorry for the hurt and pain I put Melisa through.”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2019/12/03/cubs-part-ways-with-addison-russell-who-served-ban-under-domestic-violence-policy/

Good riddance to Addison Russell, without whom the Cubs are instantly less offensive

From his character to his demeanor, from his comments during interviews to his performance on the field, Russell repeatedly fell short. If anyone embodied the Cubs’ regression since the 2016 World Series, it was the stumbling, mumbling one-time All-Star starting shortstop.

https://chicago.suntimes.com/cubs/2019/12/3/20994318/addison-russell-chicago-cubs-good-riddance-2019

He literally sounds very remorseful and speaks to the person he is now. This reporter sounds like some of the high horse sitting people in here. Good riddance... Put the Scarlet letter on him. Abuser, abuser. Awful human being because I read something that he did even though he is remoreseful about and has proven by his actions since that he's not that person anymore. People can't change and I can never root for a 26-year old who made  mistake. 

Such a crock of hypocrisy.

[Luke-OH]

1 minute ago, Tony-OH said:

I will end with this on this subject because we will get dangerously close to politics here at some point. But there is a hypocrisy from people who want to boo or attack a person for a mistake they made. I don't know the full story of the incident and neither does anyone else on here. It's just easy to sit on that high horse and claim the moral high ground and just drop him into the "domestic abuser" barrel and brand him with the Scarlet Letter.

Domestic abuse is abhorrent, but there is typically a lot  of the story that don't come out. I have no idea one way or the other whether Russell was a chronic abuser or women, or if he a relationship that went toxic and things went too far. I'm not trying to deflect any blame onto anyone else, but let's remember, he was not arrested. He clearly made enough of a mistake that MLB suspended him, but sometimes MLB tends to err on the side of PR to appease the very people who want to label him with the Scarlet letter as an abuser for life. He served that suspension, that relationship has dissolved, and his GM has publicly said Russell has gone to therapy and done everything to make sure something like that doesn't happen again.

He's only 26-years old. I'd be fine with cheering for the young man as he moves forward with his life.

 

Just want to be clear that I'm not booing or attacking him and I do wish him the best in improving himself and being a better person, I'd just prefer to cheer for someone else. 

[Roll Tide]

10 minutes ago, 7Mo said:

Not that my opinion matters but based solely on a Google search, I wouldn't want to bring Russell in. 

It doesn't take much of a search to see the Chicago media has a serious dislike for the guy. Now, I understand that when a guy leaves, it's convenient to trash him but this seems more severe. 

Add to that what seems to be a moody, sulking type attitude and a pattern of acts rather than a one time incident, combined with not knowing the signs after being with the team for 5 years, I'd prefer to look elsewhere. 

Accusations of abuse by Russell first surfaced in 2017, after which MLB commenced an investigation. The Florida native initially denied the allegations, but in a February media session he said (via the Chicago Sun-Times), “I’m accountable for my past actions. I am not proud of the person I was.”

 

“Without getting into details or specifics, I just want to own that what I did was wrong and inexcusable,” Addison said at the time. “And I’m sorry. Sorry for the hurt and pain I put Melisa through.”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2019/12/03/cubs-part-ways-with-addison-russell-who-served-ban-under-domestic-violence-policy/

Good riddance to Addison Russell, without whom the Cubs are instantly less offensive

From his character to his demeanor, from his comments during interviews to his performance on the field, Russell repeatedly fell short. If anyone embodied the Cubs’ regression since the 2016 World Series, it was the stumbling, mumbling one-time All-Star starting shortstop.

https://chicago.suntimes.com/cubs/2019/12/3/20994318/addison-russell-chicago-cubs-good-riddance-2019

Well ....

 

To Err Is Human asserts that sometimes good people do bad things.

 

If he does something like this again then it’s not a mistake. 
 

By the way I have no interest in Addison Russell on this team making 4 or 5 million dollars. It will just piss me off more that we have Villar away to save a few million more.

[weams]

29 minutes ago, Frobby said:

At least outwardly, he seems to have accepted responsibility for his actions.    I’m assuming he actually was abusive, since MLB investigated and have him a 40-game suspension, and he has publicly apologized for his actions.   So, I don’t base my willingness to give him another chance on any doubts about whether he actually abused his ex.    Just on his concrete steps to make amends and avoid a repeat episode.    

The union would have never permitted his suspension, longer than Chapman's, without that. 

[weams]

29 minutes ago, Luke-OH said:

It was a year and a half ago. I understand your point of view. I just see it a little differently, which is okay. 

I do too. And that's ok. 

[Aristotelian]

How cheap do you think we can get Russell?

[Frobby]

10 minutes ago, Luke-OH said:

Just want to be clear that I'm not booing or attacking him and I do wish him the best in improving himself and being a better person, I'd just prefer to cheer for someone else. 

I think that’s reasonable.   For me, it’s more about the baseball side of things.    If he was a good medium to long term fit, I’d consider him.   If there are better alternatives, or if he’s really just a short-term plug in, then I’d rather look elsewhere.    

[MurphDogg]

7 minutes ago, Aristotelian said:

How cheap do you think we can get Russell?

 

[atomic]

15 minutes ago, Tony-OH said:

He literally sounds very remorseful and speaks to the person he is now. This reporter sounds like some of the high horse sitting people in here. Good riddance... Put the Scarlet letter on him. Abuser, abuser. Awful human being because I read something that he did even though he is remoreseful about and has proven by his actions since that he's not that person anymore. People can't change and I can never root for a 26-year old who made  mistake. 

Such a crock of hypocrisy.

I think you are minimizing this.  The reason that so many  people get upset about domestic abuse is that they lived through it either themselves or saw their mother, their sister, their daughter or their friend go through it. 

Even if you think he deserves a second chance.  It will upset a lot of fans of the team.  It will bring back traumatic experiences in their lives.  I don't see why we should have to deal with the Addison Russell experience.   

I am not sure where your hypocrisy statement comes from.  Sure we have all made mistakes.  I am not saying he doesn't deserve a team to pick him up.  I just don't want it to be the Orioles.   

I know you were pretty upset about NFL players sitting for the anthem.  To me that was pretty meaningless as it really had no effect on anyone.  Yet you were upset about it and stopped following the Ravens for a while.    You don't think Addison playing on the Orioles will have an affect on how the team is seen in the community.

[Enjoy Terror]

I’m all about forgiveness. I’m also all about not allowing someone who needs forgiveness for something to continue in an esteemed public facing role such as that of “professional athlete”.

As much as the highest level of professional sports is an earned position, it’s needs to be treated more as a privilege, one that is granted to exemplary members of our society. 

Through his good works I can forgive Addison Russell, and he can move forward in his new career selling insurance.

[atomic]

I feel like we are doing the same argument we had on here a few years ago about Ray Rice.  I said he should be suspended for 8 games.  A lot of other posters were saying no suspension. Giving similar arguments that I see now.

  Then he got a slap on the wrist and the whole thing erupted and Ray Rice was effectively banned from football for life.  You would think people would learn by now that this would bring down a lot of negative attention on the team.   Addison might ended up being released before he plays a game and the team takes a big negative publicity hit for zero reason. 

[Frobby]

13 minutes ago, atomic said:

I think you are minimizing this.  The reason that so many  people get upset about domestic abuse is that they lived through it either themselves or saw their mother, their sister, their daughter or their friend go through it. 

Even if you think he deserves a second chance.  It will upset a lot of fans of the team.  It will bring back traumatic experiences in their lives.  I don't see why we should have to deal with the Addison Russell experience.   

I am not sure where your hypocrisy statement comes from.  Sure we have all made mistakes.  I am not saying he doesn't deserve a team to pick him up.  I just don't want it to be the Orioles.   

I know you were pretty upset about NFL players sitting for the anthem.  To me that was pretty meaningless as it really had no effect on anyone.  Yet you were upset about it and stopped following the Ravens for a while.    You don't think Addison playing on the Orioles will have an affect on how the team is seen in the community.

I think it will be pretty minimal.    I don’t remember much uproar about Delmon Young or K-Rod.    There’s a statue of Ray Lewis outside the Ravens stadium despite his off-field issues.    I don’t live in Baltimore, so I don’t know how much of an uproar there was locally about Ray Rice.    My impression is there haven’t been a ton of details put out there about what Russell allegedly did.    It’s not like the Rice situation where everyone saw the video of him hitting his wife.     That was a real game changer in public opinion about Rice.

[theocean]

8 minutes ago, atomic said:

I think you are minimizing this.  The reason that so many  people get upset about domestic abuse is that they lived through it either themselves or saw their mother, their sister, their daughter or their friend go through it. 

Even if you think he deserves a second chance.  It will upset a lot of fans of the team.  It will bring back traumatic experiences in their lives.  I don't see why we should have to deal with the Addison Russell experience.   

I am not sure where your hypocrisy statement comes from.  Sure we have all made mistakes.  I am not saying he doesn't deserve a team to pick him up.  I just don't want it to be the Orioles.   

I know you were pretty upset about NFL players sitting for the anthem.  To me that was pretty meaningless as it really had no effect on anyone.  Yet you were upset about it and stopped following the Ravens for a while.    You don't think Addison playing on the Orioles will have an affect on how the team is seen in the community.

Major League Baseball is an entertainment product. People don't want to root for someone who is connected to beating up their wife. Like atomic said, domestic violence is a sensitive issue because so many people have been impacted by it - and it leaves scars physically and emotionally.

For too long, domestic violence was swept under the rug and not given the seriousness it deserves. For years, men who beat up women have been protected by the typical takes we always hear: "we don't know all the facts" or "women exaggerate" or "what did she do to start it." It's absolutely ridiculous. People are finally taking a stand against it - and if the O's sign Russell, they're going to have the same problem the Ravens had with Ray Rice.

I hope Russell learns from his mistakes and moves on from here. But, he can do it outside a baseball diamond. No one is taking away his right to make a living. He's 25 years old and can find work somewhere else like the rest of the people in the world. He already got a second chance from the Cubs anyway.

 

[atomic]

5 minutes ago, Frobby said:

I think it will be pretty minimal.    I don’t remember much uproar about Delmon Young or K-Rod.    There’s a statue of Ray Lewis outside the Ravens stadium despite his off-field issues.    I don’t live in Baltimore, so I don’t know how much of an uproar there was locally about Ray Rice.    My impression is there haven’t been a ton of details put out there about what Russell allegedly did.    It’s not like the Rice situation where everyone saw the video of him hitting his wife.     That was a real game changer in public opinion about Rice.

You don't think the Astro's have had issues because of picking up a domestic abuser?  They are currently being investigate by MLB for issues related to the whole ordeal.   And a VP was fired. 

[jerios55]

35 minutes ago, weams said:

There are many terrible people in baseball. And in life. But abuse is a real question mark. And "she drove me crazy" "she made me do it" never blanches a resurrection tour. 

It certainly wouldn't make me think it wouldn't happen again.  When you can blame someone else it's easier to do it again.  Spouses/kids will test your patience, happens to us all.  But abuse doesn't happen across the board.  That's because many have control of themselves and know it is within them to maintain control. 

I haven't followed this story much, so I can't speak for Russell.  I could very much understand why people would boo him and not want to root for him if he blames others for such things.  Those 2 quotes are fairly damning and lack any level of remorse.