Report: 'No way' Singer can save his job ESPN.com news services NEW YORK -- Bill Singer's new job with the Mets appeared in jeopardy amid speculation he would be let go following his racially insensitive remarks last week to a Los Angeles Dodgers executive. Reports in New York area newspapers said Singer, hired as a superscout Nov. 6, could be fired or asked to resign this week. "He's still employed by us at the moment, but the matter is under organizational review," Mets spokesman Jay Horwitz said Sunday night. "No decision has been made." Singer and the team have apologized for racially insensitive remarks to a Los Angeles Dodgers' official during the general managers' meetings this week. Singer's apology is not likely to save his job, however. The Mets have already begun looking for his replacement, according to a story in the New York Daily News on Sunday. And sources told the newspaper there is "no way" that Singer will survive the controversy. Singer made the comments to Dodgers assistant general manager Kim Ng at a hotel bar in Arizona on Tuesday night, prompting Yankees general manager Brian Cashman -- Ng's former boss -- to step in, sources familiar with the conversation told the Daily News. The Los Angeles Times also reported that Singer confronted Ng, citing unnamed baseball officials who were present. After the incident, Singer met privately with Mets general manager Jim Duquette and claimed that he had been on a low-carbohydrate diet, which caused him to suffer a chemical imbalance in conjunction with consuming alcohol, the Daily News reported. "That didn't wash with Jim and it sure as hell won't wash with [owner] Fred [Wilpon]," a Mets source told the Daily News. "Plain and simple, there's no excuse for that kind of behavior, and there's no saving this guy." Singer issued a statement released by the Mets on Friday. "I am embarrassed by what I said when I met with Ng on Tuesday evening," Singer said. "My comments were truly inappropriate and I'm truly sorry. I have apologized to her and hope she will forgive me." According to The Times, Singer approached Ng as baseball people gathered in the hotel bar after attending an instructional league game Tuesday. Two officials within earshot described the exchange, which Singer initiated, to The Times as follows: Singer: "What are you doing here?" Ng: "I'm working." Singer: "What are you doing here?" Ng: "I'm working. I'm the Dodger assistant general manager." Singer: "Where are you from?" Ng: "I was born in Indiana and grew up in New York." Singer: "Where are you from?" Ng: "My family's from China." Singer: Nonsensically mock Chinese, then "What country in China?" "There was a situation," Ng told the Daily News. "I've talked to Jim Duquette about it. That's all I'm going to comment about it." Cashman declined to comment to the Daily News. "His conduct was inexcusable and extremely disappointing," Dodgers GM Dan Evans told the Times. "Kim handled the entire situation in a professional manner, and we addressed the matter with the New York Mets the next day. I would prefer to keep that discussion with the Mets confidential." Singer, 59, a two-time 20-game winner during his 14-year pitching career in the majors, joined the Mets as an assistant and talent evaluator. "We learned of the matter recently and have addressed it with Bill Singer directly," Duquette said. "While I cannot share the particulars of that discussion with you, suffice it to say that his comments were entirely unacceptable and inconsistent with the values and standards of our organization. We have extended our apologies to Kim Ng and to the Dodgers organization. "Bill continues to be employed by us at the moment. However, this entire matter continues to be under review by the organization. We are reserving judgment on this." Ng became the second female assistant general manager in the majors when she was hired by the Yankees in 1997. At 29, she was the youngest assistant GM in the majors. Ng resigned from the Yankees in 2001 after her contract expired, and was hired by the Dodgers a month later. Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
ah yes, the ol' where are you from question... I had a similar, less discriminating experience. One of my co-workers, a really nice woman next to me, and I were chatting about the hot new york weather when she said, "well, it shouldn't bother you that much." I asked why and she asked, "well where are you from?" and i said that i was raised in jersey most of my life. She then asked "where are you really from" and getting the drift I said, "well, now i live in New york and DC and sandiego in the summer" she asked again where I was from before new jersey and I said I spent some years in PA and Delaware. Again she asked where I was before that, obviously not getting my hints that i was annoyed at the question. I said i spent some time in jersey and paulo alto when i was really young. SHe then asked where my parents were from, and I said hong kong, in which she replied, "See, you should be used to the hot weather because its hot there!" what puzzled me about this was this woman was African-American, I wondered if she would be corgial if she was in the same situation. besides this situation, she was very nice to work with and i know she meant no harm by it, but it just goes to show that there is still a little bit of public ignorance or a lack of acceptance towards some americans. I don't know though if it is as prevalent in other work places. does anyone have any similar experiences? is this a common occurance for certain minorities or is it just me? (sidenote: and the funny thing is, since im mixed and culturally american, whenever im in asia, they know im not from there.)
I remember being asked this question in school, too. After about ten years, folks would start to preface it by saying, I'm not being racist or anything, and now 30 years later, it's finally unacceptable. Unless your name is Shaq... But Singer does have a future awaiting him on the Howard Stern show. I imagine Howard and Robin will be defending him ( they really seem to hate East Asians. )
It is absurd that a man would lose his employment over this. I've seen this skit on SNL before. They got paid to say these things.
He went up to her face and made fun of her for no reason. He embarrassed the orginization. I wouldn't stand behind this guy if he worked for my team/company.
Is that the fancy way of saying "I was a drunken fool." Dude just got hired to represent the Mets at a baseball meeting and he is acting like he's at some massage parlor in Thailand. Way to embarress his ball club. Dumbass.
Even the "overheard" version by the "witnesses" is not as hostile a version as yours is. Do you really think he targeted her for embarassment or humiliation? If you saw this scene depicted on SNL you would laugh. It happens in life and you want the guy to get fired. I'm not saying that his behavior is not boorish or that he shouldn't apologize, but these are careers here. BTW, SNL is life.
I don't even know where to start. SNL is a skit, they make fun of people, it's for entertainment purposes and everything in there is known to be fake. I would even be ok with Shaq as he was trying to be funny (while still being insensitive) on TV. But to have some one come up to you and insult you in private is a completely different thing. It showed complete lack of respect and racism. What do you think it would happen if she quote said something like stupid redneck honky back at him? It's ok to make fun of rednecks in video games or on TV, but to call some one a redneck and heckle them in private is a completely different matter.
You have arrived at the wrong conclusion using faulty logic. You will truly stop at nothing in an attempt to slander me. I guess it wasn't enough for you to merely call me a vulgar name yesterday. You needed to follow that up with a racism charge today. Nice. The double standard accusation lays the blame on the people who let Shaq and Dusty Baker off the hook for their racially insensitive remarks. I abhor racism and racial preferences/quotas and I have stated this repeatedly.
I don't know if you're responding to me, but you're wasting your time if you are. You are on my ignore list to stay Trader_Jorge. This will be my last post to you on this BBS. Thank God.
Is it okay to laugh at those skits? If you laugh at those skits and call for this guy's ouster, does that make you a hypocrite? You have escalated this private moment with a severe lapse of judgement into a pre-meditated ("some one come up to you and insult you in private...") and wanton attack. His comments are in poor taste, but they do not merit a loss of his job. It almost sounds like she is the only Asian woman working in the white-collar world of baseball. Can anybody verify? His opening remark allegedly was "What are you doing here?" He thought she was out of place. He said something he thought was funny while tipsy. Why not just hang him?
Rocker received a suspension for his comments and was crucified in the court of public opinion. His career has never been the same. The same can not be said of Shaq or Baker, hence the double standard.
Would anyone want this clown to work for them? This guy definitely deserves to be fired. He was representing the club in a front office position at a baseball exec gathering. By acting like a fool, he drew negative publicity to the Mets. His lack of professionalism is just cause to can him. Way to impress the boss during his 1st week on the job.
