Ramos: Baseball needs to do more about sexual violence
From SABR member Jen Mac Ramos at The Hardball Times on August 3, 2017:
Recently, Pablo Sandoval was designated by the Boston Red Sox for assignment, only to return to his first team, the San Francisco Giants, on a minor league deal. For some Giants fans, myself included, the homecoming was not particularly welcome, and it wasn’t just because of his rapidly eroding skill set.
In 2012, it became public that Sandoval had been accused of committing sexual assault. Though the sheriff of Santa Cruz (Calif.) County determined that Sandoval “did not sexually assault” the accuser, and no charges were filed, the incident left a bad taste in the mouths of several fans, some of whom are sexual assault survivors.
When Sandoval re-signed with the Giants, the story again made its rounds on social media, and it became increasingly evident that the incident was far more significant than it originally seemed. For many, this was the first time hearing about the accusations. But for those who knew his history — and more specifically baseball’s history — his continued presence in baseball comes as no surprise, his name joining a long list of other such players. This shock and resignation, though, point to mechanisms in baseball that allow its players to commit violent crimes against women without facing many repercussions.
Read the full article here: http://www.hardballtimes.com/baseball-needs-to-do-more-about-sexual-violence/
Originally published: August 3, 2017. Last Updated: August 3, 2017.