Adam Jones: Banana thrown his way at AT&T Park

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http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mlb-big-league-stew/adam-jones-banana-thrown-way-t-park-024414128.html

 

 

Just last week, a statue of Jackie Robinson and Pee Wee Reese in Brooklyn was vandalized with racist slurs and Hitler references. It was another reminder — like we needed one — that "post-racial America" is a fairytale until further notice.

A statue, made of stone, is bad enough. But Adam Jones of the Baltimore Orioles is a person, and what happened to him at AT&T Park on Sunday was just as unacceptable. Jones, who is black, said somebody threw a "banana towards my direction" in the ninth inning of Baltimore's 10-2 victory against the San Francisco Giants.

Bananas have been used, time immemorial, in racist depictions of blacks as being subhuman. In 2011, a white fan threw a banana peel at NHL player Wayne Simmonds, who is black, during a game in London, Ont. Canada.

Worse than graffiti, what happened to Simmonds and Jones is tantamount to being spat upon, with an added insult of racism. In 2013, such behavior cannot be tolerated.

Jones expressed his feelings on Twitter, using (understandably) NSFW language:

 

I want to thank whatever [slapd---] threw that banana towards my direction in CF in the last inning. Way to show ur class u jackass.

In a way, Jones is being kind by using a (NSFW) slang term used to describe a dunce who doesn't quite know what he or she is doing. After sending his tweet, Jones fielded replies from more ignorant fans defending the banana thrower. As a result, Jones says:

Good chance this means I get off social media soon

That would be a shame. Nobody deserves to be taunted with racism, especially not Jones, who — with the occasional exception — engages fans on Twitter and in real life in a consistently friendly way. He's not perfect, but Major League Baseball needs more guys like Jones on social media, not fewer.

Update: The Giants say, via the San Francisco Chronicle, that they're reviewing surveillance video.

Hopefully, between ballpark security cameras and any live witnesses, the Giants can figure out who threw the banana and ban him from games. He or she should be — and needs to be — embarrassed. And Adam Jones is owed an apology.

 

In the city where Willie Mays played you would not expect this.

[Robjr83]

Maybe they thought he needed more potassium?

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ha Oh so rolling nodding off.

[Geronimo]

Maybe they thought he needed more potassium?

How would a fan know what a player is in need of? Or is that a classless joke that was made in your clan meeting and you thought it would be funny to post?

[dc.]

I'll take a guess that it was a joke. You can argue about it's classlessness.

[cravnravn]

How would a fan know what a player is in need of? Or is that a classless joke that was made in your clan meeting and you thought it would be funny to post?

 

How would a fan know what a player is in need of? Or is that a classless joke that was made in your clan meeting and you thought it would be funny to post?

 

What is it with you and the clan meetings?

[deeshopper]

Recruiting?

[Robjr83]

I don't know what the big deal is.... just a club like any other. We have Longenberger Bingo on Thursdays if anyone's interested?

[deeshopper]

lol.

[cravnravn]

I hated Longenberger baskets, always wanted to put my foot through them.

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Now the guy says this was not in any way racist. A banana just happened to be the closest thing around. Ah. I see bananas laying around standiums all the time.

[Robjr83]

I hated Longenberger baskets, always wanted to put my foot through them.

 

Sorry but we couldn't afford Coach purses for giveaways.

 

 

Now the guy says this was not in any way racist. A banana just happened to be the closest thing around. Ah. I see bananas laying around standiums all the time.

 

Maybe he wanted him to slip on the peel?

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http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mlb-big-league-stew/banana-tossing-giants-fan-says-gesture-wasn-t-001648859.html

 

A San Francisco Giants fan stepped forward on Monday, claiming responsibility for tossing a banana on the field Sunday and drawing the ire of Baltimore Orioles outfielder Adam Jones.

The fan — identified by the San Jose Mercury News as Alexander Poulides — says the incident wasn't racially motivated as most, including Big League Stew, interpreted. Tossing bananas at black players isn't something we see often in America, but it's a well-known sign of racism at European soccer matches.

But Poulides tells the Merc's Daniel Brown it was a frustrated toss by a frustrated Giants fan upset by a season that gets more frustrating by the game for the defending world champs. According to the story, Poulides discovered on Monday morning that his banana toss had become a big deal and "his heart sank."

"Oh, my god,'' Poulides said. "I threw a banana on my way out."

Poulides, 42, said he grabbed a banana off a catering cart and hurled it toward the field in disgust at

the Giants

near the end of a 10-2 loss at AT&T Park on Sunday. The banana apparently sailed toward Jones, who tweeted about the incident after the game ...

Above all, Poulides stressed repeatedly that the incident was not a racially motivated, as some had speculated. He was upset at the Giants, not Jones.

"I'm embarrassed and shocked by the outcome,'' the Northern California resident said. "In hindsight, I wish I didn't do it and I apologize. I'm very sorry."

 

The Giants also issued an apology saying the team had a "a zero tolerance policy against this type of behavior." It had not, at the time, identified the fan in question.

The whole story sounds like something of the Larry David universe: Guy gets upset at favorite baseball team. Guy tosses nearest fruit onto the field as he storms out of the stadium. Guy learns the next day he's been pegged as a racist. Can't you just see an exasperated George Costanza explaining the story of how he became an accidental racist? (We're not talking about you, Brad Paisley)

Though, if you're thinking this whole thing sounds too much like fiction, then you're not alone. Friend of the blog and Giants scribe Dave Tobener (aka @gggiants on Twitter) wasn't exactly convinced the story is on the up-and-up:

 

Question: where are there catering carts with bananas in CF?

— DT (@gggiants) August 12, 2013

How far can you really throw a banana? If he "grabbed it off a cart" then he wasn't in the stands, he was at least on the walkway. — DT (@gggiants) August 12, 2013

Part of me wants to go outside and see how far I can actually throw a banana for reference.

— DT (@gggiants) August 12, 2013

There's no possible way that dude flung a banana that far. An apple, maybe. Even a plum. But a banana? No. — DT (@gggiants) August 12, 2013

All interesting thoughts. Unless, of course, our banana-throwing fan was recently Rowengartner'd, in which case, he might be able to replace Barry Zito in the Giants rotation.

Here's another question: Is anybody going to ask Poulides to pay for the banana?

[Robjr83]

Could have been worse... he could have thrown a "banana hammock" at him

[cravnravn]

Sorry but we couldn't afford Coach purses for giveaways.

 

 

 

 

Maybe he wanted him to slip on the peel?

Ill donate the mrs Vera Bradley collection, and she thinks I have bad habits

[oldcrow]

WE'RE NOT FALLING FOR THAT "BANANA IN THE TAILPIPE" THING

[deeshopper]

WE'RE NOT FALLING FOR THAT "BANANA IN THE TAILPIPE" THING

 

That's what she said.

[oldcrow]

http://www.google.com/imgres?q=old+man+in+a+banana+hammock&sa=X&biw=1284&bih=595&tbm=isch&tbnid=N5OEWllC_8EUSM:&imgrefurl=http://www.backintheboxjarvo.com/1/post/2011/07/jarvo-dons-the-banana-hammock-for-his-dash-to-glory-and-suffers-severe-bruising.html&docid=XHN1_h5OQZp3WM&imgurl=http://www.backintheboxjarvo.com/uploads/6/3/2/5/6325615/276753.jpg&w=183&h=275&ei=vcAKUsCMJofn2wX42YGQDQ&zoom=1&ved=1t:3588,r:10,s:0,i:111&iact=rc&page=1&tbnh=168&tbnw=118&start=0&ndsp=19&tx=50.2381591796875&ty=90.04763793945312

Could have been worse... he could have thrown a "banana hammock" at him

here's cravn sporting his

 

wuddup?????

[deeshopper]

That's just wrong

[cravnravn]

Ignore her dee, moonshine is legal in Tennessee

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLnZBZopwZM