In the post-Ray Rice day we are in; domestic violence cases with athletes won't get the benefit of the doubt. We all thought Ray Rice wasn't serious until we saw the video. Even if Osuna's isn't as serious, the public isn't going to make that mistake again until all the facts are out. And there are multiple articles and social media posts that prove a lot of fans and media people aren't happy with this deal. It isn't just @Hey Now! This is the court of public opinion. Let them be upset. Let them deal with the conflict in their minds and hearts. It might be annoying to read or hear but people have real issues with this. In the end, it will play out. We'll either learn to love him or hate him until he gets released.
What difference does it make? No one has been able to tell me how that makes it any better or worse? How does his suspension ending one week AFTER the Astros trading for him making any material difference than if it ended one week PRIOR to the Astros trading for him? It makes no difference, the accusation is the same and the punishment is the same as well. Major League baseball already has punished him, they suspended him for half the season. The second longest domestic violence suspension this off season. Further, the Rockets traded for Ty Lawson when he had not received his punishment for DUI assessed yet. He hadn't had his day in court yet either. Hell, Lawson had two DUI's hanging over his head when the Rockets traded for him.
That sort of thinking is just so anti-American. “One athlete hitting wife video was awful, so they all must be!” “No second chances for anybody!!” Nobody has to love or hate him. I like that the Astros improved their closer situation and I firmly believe the team has a culture and structure to help rehabilitate guys even more than they already have been. I also don’t believe this team is capable of being “poisoned” by one malcontent... that’s how confident I am in the Astros system. At no point should this ever be a moratorium on where people stand on DV. Everybody is against it. Everybody believes they should serve the suspensions handed down to them. At that point, you either believe that they should never be given another chance (ludicrous) or you don’t. And just because some may believe in second chances should in no way implicate those individuals as being soft on DV.
You're getting buried in semantics. They traded pennies on the dollar for an elite closer because of a domestic abuse charge/suspension, Nook. This isn't a terribly difficult concept. Maybe I'm being too much of a snowflake. You know what? I am. Screw it - I can't wait to take my daughter to a game so we can cheer for Roberto Osuna! Together!! YEA!!! You're equating DUI to domestic violence?...... Like.... seriously?
But...but...what if he only restrained her from hitting him and injured her in the process? I'm sure he was advised that appealing or fighting it would still only result in a suspension since the police was called. Maybe he is remorseful and knew he was in the wrong since the police had to be called. The fact is that you don't know, I don't know, and no one else except the people that room know. You are awfully defensive about this for some unknown reason. All I'm saying is that ANY outcome is possible in this. You're resigned to the fact that he went Ike Turner on her but no one knows that yet.
#1 It isn't semantics, I believe you and several other posters made a big deal out of the fact that the Astros traded for him when he was still serving his suspension. It isn't material. If you are mad or upset that the Astros traded for someone that is accused of hitting a woman then keep it at that. All this extra outrage over the fact that he was still serving the sentence doesn't really matter. #2 You and a few posters are the ones that made a big deal out of the Astros trading for a player that is suspended or facing suspension. I gave you an example of an athlete in the SAME city in the last 3 years that was traded with pending charges against him and still had a punishment to serve. #3 It really isn't relevant, but yes DUI can be worse than domestic violence. If you don't think so, I know someone that lost his mother and father and only brother to a drunk driver. So if you want to get into semantics, a DUI can be every bit as bad as domestic violence. If you just want to be outraged that the Astros added a player accused of hitting his girlfriend...... I understand. It is all these other crap that really is over the top. I makes no difference if the Astros gave less in prospects because Osuna has legal problems...... it makes no difference that the suspension ended a week after the Astros traded for him. Also you keep saying "second biggest domestic violence suspension in baseball history!"........... Well it is the second largest suspension THIS YEAR. The league is far more sensitive to optics and is taking domestic violence more serious than in the past (does the league really care? I highly doubt it, it hasn't cared about anything other than money and appearances).
"One athlete hitting wife video was awful, so they all must be!” “No second chances for anybody!!” LOL You seriously couldn't have gotten that from my post. I said people probably won't give the benefit of the doubt until they see the facts. They may even assume the worst until they get more information. This isn't about not giving him another chance. This is about suffering negative PR (which doesn't mean much in the big picture) for trading for a player before his punishment is complete and while the case is still going on. We just elected a president who had an open fraud case, allegedly harassed women, and was tip-toeing on line of racism and sexism. Inspite of all the outrage, he still got elected. I think the Astros will survive this. I know we've killed the what-ifs in this thread enough but what if a video is released and it looks worse than we think. Even if it's just him spitting on his significant other; that may not carry much in the court of law but you better believe he's not going to be popular in the club house or media anytime soon. Has anyone accused you of supporting domestic violence because you like the trade? Serious question. You don't have a problem with it. Some do (and I don't see how anyone is terribly surprised that some have a problem). The Astros HAD to know that trading for a guy DURING suspension for a domestic violence case would create some backlash. They made the trade anyway and they're enduring some backlash. As expected. It'll die away soon enough. Hopefully.
If the Astros and Jeff Luhnow REALLY want to be arrogant, they would have a formal press conference introducing Roberto Osuna and having him put on an Astros jersey with Justin Verlander sitting next to him. On a serious note, I am curious to see how Osuna handles the press. He has a very interesting upbringing..... and dropped out of school by his 11th birthday. He knows baseball but not so sure at 23 that he knows the press.
Following sports is not a civic duty. If the Astros trade for players who have down aborrent, violent things to people in their lives, fans have a right to oppose that. I'm sure you are all about giving people second chances, but most fans don't preach this understanding for the wellbeing and compassion for athletes unless they are a) really good and b) can help their team. The "Astros system" aren't in the business of rehabilitating this man- management showed themselves to be just another franchise run by unprincipled assholes like the Yankees, or Cubs. Roberto Osuna can get his second chance elsewhere as far as I'm concerned. I also take issue with the idea that there is some consensus about DV- look at Ohio State fans right now! Because Urban Meyer is in trouble for not reporting that one of his coaches, Zach Smith, he *knew* had been beating his then-wife Courtney *for years*, Buckeyes fans are accusing *her* of making the domestic violence story up! For many people, the impulse is still to blame the victim.
I don't see anybody giving Osuna the benefit of the doubt. He did something. I see plenty presuming he did something worse than choking a female and shooting a gun in the air because his suspension number was more. Plenty presuming he did the "second worst DV assualt in sports history" because he got the second longest suspension. That sort of error in logic should be avoided.
LOL... I never said you had to watch this team. Never said it was a civic duty. The Astros are in the business of WINNING BASEBALL GAMES. That literally is their business. They do not have to conform to some ethic system/code and only employ guys who have never been arrested... any more so than teams shouldn't conform to hiring only certain races or certain aged players. If you don't feel he deserves a second chance, that's your opinion... I think its pretty myopic and truly obtuse, especially since he's served his suspension for the crime he committed... and that would be my opinion of your opinion. Its also hilarious that in a business where the goal is to win it all... the "unprincipled assholes" end up winning quite a bit more than the ones who don't have the stones to take on risk. And you took it too far to make the connection that those who are willing to give him a second chance, and those who feel he can help the Astros, are somehow condoning DV. THAT accusation deserves you to be ridiculed and mocked ruthlessly.
Doesn't speak English all that well from what I've seen, I would guess he'll go straight Spanish translator for a while. I would.
Dude, you are the one who is bending over backwards to rationalize obtaining a player who just got suspended for 75 games for domestic violence. You don't have *any* qualms about this trade? Really? You don't get, at all, why people are uncomfortable about this? If you think I "deserve to be ridiculed and mocked ruthlessly" because I think the Astros trading for Osuna sends the wrong message about domestic violence then you are foolish, at best. There is a reason the Astros are catching hell over this.
In the court of public opinion, benefit of the doubt isn't a guarantee or required. I don't see anyone saying he needs to be in jail. It's all that Astros shouldn't have traded for him. If people are comparing him to Chapman, you can blame the MLB for that. If we're going by "punishment fits the crime" then you can see how people would say Osuna's crime was probably worse. Maybe it is, maybe it isn't but MLB must want us to think that it is. The more reason why we shouldn't be surprised that the media aren't huge fans of the trade.
Curious since you didn't really address it--but do you feel that those willing to give Osuna a second chance or think he can help the team, or simply just choose to look at this purely as a baseball move (I really don't understand when/how MLB became the moral standard to look up to) are condoning DV? Also, did someone really just trivialize drunk driving in favor of an ambiguous DV case? Both are bad, BOTH. I don't think putting them on an equal footing is unreasonable. I understand some of you are really inexplicably upset over this move and only this move for whatever reason, but wow. DUI's aren't in vogue anymore I guess.
He's been in the majors for 3+ years...in the AL East, no less. I'm sure he has some experience dealing with the press.
Postseason career for Roberto Osuna 17.1 innings pitched 7 hits 2 runs 1 HR 1 BB 16 SO 1.04 ERA Ken Giles postseason 7.1 innings pitched 12 hits 10 Runs 5 BB 10 SO 3 HR 11.74 ERA
