Yunel Escobar: “I don’t believe I’m that person”
Three days in the life of Yunel Escobar: On Saturday he didn’t swing on a hit-and-run and told inquiring reporters: “Talk to me when I get three hits.” On Sunday he got three hits and declined to speak. On Monday he was named the National League’s player of the week and did, with coach Chino Cadahia translating, speak with reporters and come across as a nice enough guy.
And that’s Escobar. (Or, as Cadahia calls him, “Esky.”) He makes you want to curse, and then he makes you believe he is, as Chipper Jones said Tuesday, both “an All-Star shortstop in the making” and “a great kid.”
Is this 26-year-old with the streaks in his hair a typical buttoned-down Braves? Well, no. But that doesn’t mean he isn’t worth keeping. Chipper again: “You do not want to get down on Yunel Escobar. He’s way too good.”
His mistakes and excesses, voluminously chronicled, aren’t solely a function of youth. There’s also a cultural disconnect. He’s Cuban, and he speaks only a bit of English. (He’s much better at reading English.) On Monday, according to Cadahia, Escobar told reporters “99 percent of his problems are due to language.”
Cadahia: “He’s got to continue to try and [improve his English] … But he has put tremendous effort into it. He’s come a long way … A lot of the stuff that happened probably wouldn’t have happened [if Escobar was fluent in English]. Reporters are hesitant to approach him.”
Have we in the English-speaking media been unfair to Escobar?
Cadahia: “That’s not for me to answer. There is a distance between him and the press. But he talked to Carroll Rogers [of the AJC] and Mark Bowman [of MLB.com] yesterday, and I saw that as a bridge over that distance.”
Said bullpen coach Eddie Perez: “If he could speak English, it’d be a way different story. He likes to talk about the game … But sometimes he doesn’t say things [on the field] because he doesn’t know how to say them.”
Asked if he communicates with his partner on the left side of the infield, Jones said, “Not much.” Think about that. Think how it would be if you were plopped down on a soccer pitch in Milan, and asked to coordinate the back four without knowing a word of Italian beyond “mamma” and “mia.”
Chipper: “He can play, but sometimes the antics that come along with that rub people the wrong way. But that’s the way Cuban players are. They play with a flair.”
Cadahia: “He’s always whistled. He’s always clapped his hands when he’s gotten a game-winning hit. He shows his emotions. But we’ve cut that down a lot over the years we’ve had him.”
It’s believed Escobar and his manager don’t get along. Not true, Bobby Cox said. “He’s a real good kid. I want him to be the best shortstop in the National League. I try to make players better.”
Loading ...Cadahia: “I know for a fact he’s not a bad guy … He’ll say, ‘Have I made mistakes? Absolutely. Do I regret them? Absolutely.’ But he has learned from them and is better for it.”
After batting practice Tuesday, Escobar responded to this question: Is it frustrating when you see yourself portrayed in a negative light?
Escobar (via Cadahia): “I don’t believe I’m that person. People can’t judge someone until they know you. The thing that frustrates me is that my mother [who lives in Miami] hears what people say.”
The belief here is that Escobar is not nearly a lost cause. The belief here is that, if the Braves can just be patient, we’ll soon hear only good things about Esky.
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130 comments Add your comment
37YearBravesFan
July 21st, 2009
10:07 pm
Someone, PLEASE buy this kid the Rosetta Stone for ENGLISH!!!!!
Three years here and he can’t speak or won’t learn?? Don’t get me wrong, I like him alot and Hoss is right he’s an All Star shortstop in the making.
But I am skeptical of the coming a long way (with English), when I have no doubt there are many opportunities for him to learn before now.
It sounds too convenient.
GO BRAVES!!!
Watching The Braves Since '66
July 21st, 2009
10:11 pm
I MEANT CHER-HOLTZ… THE CHILD OF LOU HOLTZ AND CHER… FOR MAKING THE
tore
July 21st, 2009
10:17 pm
Escobar is one great player and I wish we had 10 more just like him. The problem with Cox and Wren is that they like players who are low key and don’t get overly excited. Well guess what, that is exactly why Cox has only one ring with the Braves. Low key players will not win the world series, it takes players like Yunel who play with a lot of heart and excitement.
bruce
July 21st, 2009
10:17 pm
Mark,
I think it is fabulous that you guys (the press… you, Carroll, DOB, Bowman, and maybe others) are taking the time and energy with humility to reach out to Escobar and help him communicate and begin to build his trust in the media. Your efforts will make him a better player because he won’t be distracted or concerned once he feels he can trust you to have both truth and his best interests in mind.It will also make for some great stories that he will tell you guys… Great job.
double d
July 21st, 2009
10:35 pm
At least Escobar has not been D.U.I he is a great player with lots of potential,and no one knows this more than Bobby Cox.
Rick
July 21st, 2009
10:47 pm
Baseball beat reporters need to learn to speak Spanish from now on . They are not qualified to do their jobs without it .
Mets Suck and is Philly ever gonna lose?
July 21st, 2009
11:05 pm
What has he done that is so bad. I think he plays with more emotion than any other Braves players. BTW the hit and run pitch he took was about 3 inches from his chest (Gumby couldn’t have hit that pitch) . AJC needs to write an article about whether the Braves can fix TP or BC NOT YE. YE is the best shortstop the Braves have EVER had.
Section 435 – Breaking News: Media Beats Off Over Self Importance; Escobar Continues to Kick Ass, Anyway
July 21st, 2009
11:15 pm
[...] There is not much worse in the world than when the media starts writhing around in a masturbatory tiff about their self-importance. And that’s what this whole Yunel Escobar not-talking-to-the-media enough non-story is. And yet Bowman is on it. Bradley is on it. [...]
BIG MAC
July 21st, 2009
11:18 pm
I have absolutely no sympathy for ANYONE who comes to this country, takes our jobs & money, but makes no effort to become a self-sufficient citizen. It ought to be a requirement of employment in the USA for all people to speak the official language. I was denied a teaching job in the Tampa area about 20 years ago because I was not bi-lingual and the same should apply to all immigrants today as well. If I were an employee of BMW & my job description called for me to interact with the engineers in Germany, don’t you think my boss would require me to speak the language? My 3rd grader learned to be fluent in Spanish in one year…is Escobar not smart enough to figure it out in 5 years of being in America or is he just too lazy? Shame on him AND the Braves for not fixing this problem!!
Roy Hobbs
July 21st, 2009
11:23 pm
Yunel Escobar is the MVP of this team.
chemdawg
July 21st, 2009
11:30 pm
Dear BIG MAC,
First point: it’s easier to learn spanish in 3rd grade than in your mid 20’s. Second point: How many languages do you speak? Third point: As a braves fan, I’d rather him spend his time working on baseball. Fourth point: Sure! if you were a BMW engineer and had to design cars with germans you should know german, but how is that relevant to a baseball player playing baseball. Fifth point: Trust me, we don’t need the government handing down any more mandates/regulations. Would the government “english police” go from office to office giving english tests?
your friend,
chemdawg
Mark Bradley
July 21st, 2009
11:33 pm
Chino Cadahia made that precise point, but I cut the quote for space reasons. He said, “It’s harder to learn a language the older you are.” Chino himself learned English at 11, FYI.
RHR
July 21st, 2009
11:35 pm
Although I think Escobar is a bit of a hot dog, which isn’t for everyone, my only concern is whether he’s an a$$hole. And my sense is that he’s a cocky Latino but not necessarily an a$$hole. Kind of an innocent until proven guilty thing.
evidently, you’ve never met any pro athletes. There are more cocky a-holes than not. My only concern is what they do on the field, i dont give a damn if they ever talk to mark or dob or anyone else. I’ll take a cocky chipper jones over a friendly jeff francoeur every day and twice on sundays, how about you?
jarvis
July 21st, 2009
11:38 pm
What does the Batman Carroll have to do with this?
RHR
July 21st, 2009
11:41 pm
And to add to what Mark said, I’ve never gotten the impression that DOB doesnt like Yunel, quite the opposite actually.
Mark Bradley
July 21st, 2009
11:43 pm
DOB is fully capable of speaking for himself, as we know, but I’ve never gotten the impression he doesn’t like Yunel, either.
RHR
July 21st, 2009
11:43 pm
Classy stuff there at 11:15.
BIG MAC
July 21st, 2009
11:58 pm
ChemDawg…
I don’t deny it’s ‘easier’, but it’s also critical to be able to be self-sufficient and fit into the workplace, whether it’s making $6 as a busboy or $6 million as a ballplayer. If I can’t communicate with my teammates or manager, I can’t be the best I can be as a person or a ballplayer. I speak one language because I’m not in a situation where it is a part of my daily interactions & I don’t travel and have the issue of being “misunderstood” like Yunel is, so it’s not a problem in my eyes. As far as your last point, let’s not talk politics. Yunel is a great player, but a immature one that is not able to develop without help and again, the Braves and MLB are just as guilty for not making it a higher priority to get these Latino players better prepared for the spotlight. Remember, many of these guys were 16-18 years old when signed and probably have the equivalent of maybe an 8th grade education in many cases…they need the guidance and structure in their lives that were not available when they were younger.
chemdawg
July 22nd, 2009
12:01 am
The bloggers write about Yunel because the topic is easy/ obvious… By the way, the reason he got called for that error is because it was A-rod at bat. It clearly was a hit.
chemdawg
July 22nd, 2009
12:10 am
Don’t worry BIG MAC. I’m just picking on you because you’re ignorant. I can’t stand frosted hair hispanics either. I mean if they’re going to steal all our jobs they should at least have the courtesy to cuss us out in english. Can I get an amen?
Paul Lentz
July 22nd, 2009
12:50 am
I’ve said this on other blogs for the past 2 months, and I’ll say it here. Yunel Escobar is WAY TOO GOOD of a player………and a HUGE BARGAIN salary wise……….to get rid of. Where else are we going to get a short stop who has a cannon of an arm……who can flat out hit and drive in runs…….who is 26 years old.and still one more year away from salary arbitration?
I think that some of Jeff Francoeur’s antics were more deserving of him being benched than Escobar’s have been. Fair or unfair, when you produce like Escobar does, you have earned the right to be given some slack.
Keep up the good work Yunel. I’ve been supporting you all year (and in previous years as well). Sure, I’ve criticized specific bonehead plays you’ve made. However, NOT ONCE have I advocated you being benched. Sitting someone down for a game to “get their attention over a series of mistakes” is one thing. However I would not support benching Escobar for a number of games.
Hopefully all this talk is behind us because Yunel is just TOO GOOD to be sitting on the bench. The Braves need him to win games.
jed
July 22nd, 2009
12:54 am
all the people on the blog calling for escobar to be traded? i know them, unfortunately. they’re imbeciles.
scottbravesfan
July 22nd, 2009
2:22 am
Frank Wren is not going to trade Yunel. If you can’t tell by now Frank Wren couldn’t give a crap about anything except results on the field. If you can play he wants you on the team and if you can’t you can hit the door.
Gov. Clinton Tyree
July 22nd, 2009
7:19 am
Has anyone else noticed that in the online layout the columnist above Bradley, Furman Bisher, has had the same “Braves farm system all dried up” headline for about two months? Kind of got a “Germans Bomb Pearl Harbor” feel to it.
Bradley has to blog 15 times a week. Apparently Bisher has a slightly lower threshhold. Don’t worry, Mark, in 37 years you’ll only have to blog a couple times a month and can harken back to Joe B. Hall and the glory days of Rich Brooks and Andre Woodson…
Gov. Clinton Tyree
July 22nd, 2009
7:22 am
If these Braves make the playoffs, you’ve really got to start talking about Frank Wren as executive of the year. This team was in UGLY shape last September. He made some seriously tough decisions and spent wisely.
Orlando Man
July 22nd, 2009
7:31 am
Nice article! I have kept telling my Brave fan friends that their is a huge communication gap and that’s it! Well, toss in a little immaturity but every 25 year old male has that…I live in the true melting pot of this country and there are TONS of communication issues here which lead to a lot of negative perceptions. However, it is a lot easier to deal with it when you understand that’s what the problem is. I think Yunel is a great kid! Very emotional which just means he has a big heart. As he matures he won’t be so misunderstood and will be a fantastic ball player.
Larry A
July 22nd, 2009
7:37 am
Well, now that Francoeur is gone, have to have someone else to pick on. Johnson is in AAA on rehab so can’t write negative articles about him so let’s focus on Escobar and see if we can run him out of town…
Willy
July 22nd, 2009
7:40 am
It seems the majority of the voices on this blog have it right. Escobar is a huge talent who hits in the clutch. Anyone who would like some perspective on his idiosyncracies should check out the book, “Clemente: The Passion and Grace of Baseball’s Last Hero,” by David Maraniss. Clemente is a hall of famer who had a rough time adjusting to the American style of the game, and was known as a whiner and had a rocky relationship with the baseball press, especially in Pittsburgh. Look at his numbers, at the impact he had on his team. I’m not saying that Escobar is Clemente, but they are similar in that they had to learn a new language, adjust to a new culture and perform at the elite level. I welcome the fire that Escobar brings to the game. This town needs a baseball team that is energized and has a love for the game.
Drixie
July 22nd, 2009
7:59 am
Right on, Willy!
61 year Braves Fan
July 22nd, 2009
8:09 am
I agree with “Watching the Braves since 66″. Trade Chipper before Escobar who will become a star.
Also fire Cox and bring in Ned Yost or John Farrell (pitching coach of the Red Sox) as manager.
Curtis Jones
July 22nd, 2009
8:15 am
Did DOB and Tim Hudson ever make up?
carl
July 22nd, 2009
8:51 am
Shouldn’t those in the baseball media learn Spanish, given there are so many Latin ballplayers? Or is it easier to beyatch and moan when a translator isn’t provided? If Escobar should learn English to help him in his job, shouldn’t Mark Bradley learn Spanish to help him in HIS job? Works both ways…
Herschworld
July 22nd, 2009
8:51 am
I think I need to post a youtube video with sheets behind me and I’m crying and really upset and all I’m saying is leave Escobar alone.
Don
July 22nd, 2009
9:01 am
Enter your comments here
Don
July 22nd, 2009
9:07 am
Bobby Cox continues to ruin the team with his incompetence every year he manages – He makes terrible in game strategy moves, refuses to adjust the batting order to take advantage of hot bats, refuses to have his best players in the lineup, does a terrible job of managing the bullpen, and above all has no concept of teaching, emphasizing, demanding the most essentil thing in offense – working the count and making the opposing pitcher throw a lot of pitches. BUT NOW, SURELY they will now allow him to ruin the team for years to come by following his desire to trade Escobar, a potentila All Star for years to come.
carl
July 22nd, 2009
9:18 am
At some point Prado will cool off for at least a couple games. At that point Bobby Cox will reinsert Kelly johnson at 2b. Believe me, Cox is chomping at the bit to get “his guy” back in there despite the obvious superiority of Prado in every phase of the game. Listen to Cox talk of Prado, it is always a “he is hot right now so he is in there” type of attitude.
Arthur
July 22nd, 2009
9:37 am
Yunel is well worth keeping. He has the most raw talent of any player on the team. If Bobby Cox or Frank Wren had floated in from Cuba and not been able to speak English, their attitude might be a little different. Yunel needs understanding and help, not anger and criticism. We have many players and coaches who speak Spanish. Cahadia speaks Cuban Spanish. I see this as a management problem not an Escobar problem. Eddie, Snitker, and Cahadia need to get with the program. So do Cox and Wren. Escobar may turn out to be one of the greatest shortstops ever..
Arthur
Joey
July 22nd, 2009
9:47 am
I’m worried about that too Carl. Last night I was watching Prado handle grounders and double plays with such ease and remembered how Kelly just made you hold your breath on routine plays and never seemed to be at ease.
y2knole
July 22nd, 2009
10:01 am
There was an article in the Sunday AJC about Prado, and in it he discussed how important it was for him to learn english so that he could communicate with his teammates… Ive been thinking about that in the last few days with relation to the Braves, and the Mets who had a cultural fire in their clubhouse a year or two ago… Prado said he didnt want to be cornered into one clique cause those were the only guys he could talk to… I cant fathom defecting to a spanish speaking country and not learning the language… Why hasnt Escobar? The kid is an incredible athlete, and may be a good guy too, I dont know, never met him… but his inability to pick up English has probably got alot to do with the issues hes had. cant communicate with his teammates, his manager, the media, the club house attendants, the valet, etc etc etc… Im not gonna go on a John Rocker ‘SPEAK ENGLISH’ tirade, but it seems that he could help himself alot by picking up the language… just my $.02
Mike is back
July 22nd, 2009
10:05 am
Great piece on a Great Guy…Yunel could be the next BIG THING FOR THE BRAVO. It’s niece to hear Chipper go to bat for Yunel…he was a young hot shot himself…he know what it like being young and processing that kind of swagger.
This has caught my eye…they look like a team on the rise…GO BRAVES!!!!
y2knole
July 22nd, 2009
10:11 am
I love how the temperature in here changes. Based on comments in these blogs in June, I’d have never expected the braves to win again… Now its a team loaded with potential all stars who have no excuse for not winning a ring…
its a long grind of a season. cant get too up or too down…
bobby cox
July 22nd, 2009
10:25 am
Million dollar arm and a 10 cent brain. Regardless, way too good to trade. One of the few hitters on the team.
Leonard Parent
July 22nd, 2009
10:27 am
Escobar type players don’t grow on trees. It would be much easier to replace the manager than Esky!
John
July 22nd, 2009
10:28 am
So he’s misunderstood because of his “hair”, and he “whistles” and “claps”. I still don’t see the evidence that he’s this bad guy, thus the need to write a column to say that he isn’t.
BILLYDEE
July 22nd, 2009
10:41 am
ESCOBAR and PRADO are two of the most exciting Braves players to watch and I hope to see them play together as Braves for several years to come.
ijudgenot
July 22nd, 2009
10:45 am
I don’t know if Wren’s moves had this intent or not, but by trading gor McClueth, sending Schaeffer down,putting KJ on DL, and trading away Francoeur, he has made Cox’s job easier. Cox is called a player’s manager because he is extremely loyal to players who have started for him in the past.It took Wren’s moves to force Cox to stop pencilling in Schaeffer, Kelly and Francoeur in the lineup everyday. I too am worried about what will happen when Kelly gets back. I am worried Cox will go to a lefty/righty rotation with Prado and Kelly eventhough Prado hits right handers well. Though I think Norton is a better player coming off the bench to hit, I would rather see Blanco coming off bench to leadoff and play centerfield so McClueth could go to right for a few games and be dropped down to 7th in batting order until he gets his stroke back.
jgon
July 22nd, 2009
10:53 am
Chipper is right about the kid. Bobby sees the talent and knows he can be real good.
LivinIn AL
July 22nd, 2009
10:56 am
I would take a whole team of Escobars
Swaga1
July 22nd, 2009
11:04 am
If the braves trade Escobar they can forget about me spending another dime in that boring azz ball park/fans. I’m glad that Esky is not “button down” boring like the rest of those robots on the team. That’s exactly what the braves need is someone with a personality and fire who wants to him….god forbid a player like that playing for those business like braves….that style is outdated and stale and its time for a change. That’s the primary cause of us sweeping philly then going and losing 2 out of 3 to the nationals, the team has no killer instinct or emotion. If we lose the division u can look back to the series with the nationals.
chris
July 22nd, 2009
11:07 am
Shut up and play, that is all you gotta do. When you are the last one standing and you hoist that hardware, then you can celebrate. Escobar has more talent than anyone on the big club, but his brain is the size of a bb.