Roger McDowell: A good pitching coach is in deep trouble
McDowell's accusers: The Quinn family of Fresno, Calif., and attorney Gloria Allred. (AP photo)
Roger McDowell, who’s a very good pitching coach, is in deep trouble because he engaged a round of verbal volleying at AT&T Park over the weekend. Four days later, McDowell has been forced to apologize and the Braves have been moved to offer a statement expressing “concern” and even Bud Selig has weighed in.
At the heart of McDowell’s side of the repartee is, according to a family being advised by the famous attorney Gloria Allred, a volley of anti-gay sentiment. The Lakers’ Kobe Bryant was just fined $100,000 by the NBA for directing a gay slur at a referee during a game, but McDowell’s alleged outburst doesn’t seem a heat-of-the-moment thing.
For one thing, it apparently took place before Saturday’s game. For another, it doesn’t appear to have been a one-time salvo. The Quinn family of Fresno, Calif., alleges that McDowell’s side of the dialogue went on for a while and involved physical threats and even the suggestive use of a bat.
Lest we forget, the Braves have been forced to answer for expressed intolerance before — after John Rocker’s infamous Sports Illustrated rant of December 1999. Bad as that was, it was basically just one loudmouth venting. These allegations are worse: At best they involve unprofessional behavior toward paying customers, and at worst they leave this organization open to the charge that its has a homophobe wearing its uniform.
In his apology, McDowell expressed his regret for responding “to the heckling fans” but offered no clue as to what bit of heckling might have served as a trigger. But what could anyone have said to warrant the sort of response the Quinns maintain McDowell offered?
Selig, the commissioner of baseball, released a statement saying “the allegations are very troubling to me.” Also, and ominously, he said: “After I have all the facts, I will make a determination of how to proceed.”
McDowell is alleged to have said: “Kids don’t belong at the [censored] ballpark.” That alone would be enough to make Selig spit out his soda. Hasn’t baseball spent the past century positioning itself as the game for families?
McDowell has done well in following the illustrious Leo Mazzone, and he’s considered a major asset by the Braves. That status is in peril. If these allegations are found to have merit, McDowell will be lucky to keep his job.
By Mark Bradley
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351 comments Add your comment
bigdawg
April 28th, 2011
6:38 pm
Delaware’s only Braves fan: Real Braves fans don’t want your hateful, bigoted self to be a fan. Why don’t you and Donald Trump go play in the traffic together!
bigdawg
April 28th, 2011
6:41 pm
Also, he seems to be straight as he is pictured with his family, Delaware. You might want to actually READ and pay attention to the article before revealing your hatred and fear of gays (must be closeted yourself…those who protest the most usually hate themselves b/c they are what they hate!).
tim
April 28th, 2011
6:57 pm
And the Quinn family needs an attorney for……??
MitchC
April 28th, 2011
7:06 pm
Do any bloggers on this blog remember an incident.. or incidents, where soon to be Hall of Famer Bert Blyleven gave crowds that were heckling him, the finger, after being removed from games, on, supposedly two occasions? I dont recall what action, if any, was taken against Blyleven for those incidents.
Dream fan
April 28th, 2011
9:00 pm
For those of you who don’t follow him, check out Darren Rovell (CNBC’s sports business reporter) on Twitter. He has an “Empty Stadium Series” in which he tweets photos of how there are lots of empty seats in stadiums thoughout the country. Maybe Roger should be sent some of those photos before he starts talking about who should be at the ballpark and who shouldn’t.
Larry
April 28th, 2011
9:02 pm
Maybe now we can get a pitching coach for the Braves. Something that has been lacking since the days of Leo!
Brava
April 28th, 2011
9:03 pm
The only thing that I can clearly understand from your article is that anyone who is ‘anti-gay’ is a homophobe, and regardless of whether they object to the homosexual lifestyle and its effects on loved ones or friends matters not; you will attempt to skewer them with your own intolerance. ab intitio
Really? You didn’t get the part where Roger McDowell allegedly made obscene gestures with his hips and a bat, made gay slurs toward paying customers at AT&T Park and threatened a dad who objected with bashing his teeth out with a bat?
No, I get it, all you got from it was a chance to rant about the homosexual lifestyle. I’m very curious though, what effect exactly has it had on your loved ones or friends?
Here’s another bit of news, if you consider yourself anti-gay, you are probably a homophobe. Otherwise, there would be no reason to be anti something that is none of your business, such as who other people love and have intimate relations with.
jimbob
April 28th, 2011
9:11 pm
Free Roger!
He should have to go to GLBT sensitivity training, but I don’t support firing him. If he establishes a pattern of gayphobia, attacking them, or inciting hatred of them, then I’d support it.
just wondering
April 28th, 2011
9:20 pm
Skitty Fritty I was being sarcastic i do not think rice a roni when i think san francisco
Mark Bradley
April 28th, 2011
9:24 pm
Al’s follow at the horn is waved away. Hawks 62, Magic 55. One period remaining.
Trey
April 28th, 2011
9:39 pm
Good lord. Everyone is ready to fire McDowell. Why not allow McDowell to give his side of the story before you condemn him folks? In fact, other Giants fans have come out to say that they were at the game around the area when this happened, and they told their side of the story. Especially since they have Gloria Allred.
Trey
April 28th, 2011
9:46 pm
“Here is a comment on the SF Chronicle website from a guy who says he was there when this incident occured,
“I was there and was about 2 people away from this guy with the complaint. He was actually the one being the instigator. It all started with McDowell and David Ross being heckled by 3 guys in the bleachers because they wouldn’t throw batting practice balls into the stands. McDowell had a bat with him and was hitting the BP balls back to the infield. McDowell then turned to them and asked if they were a “gay couple” or a “threesome”. He then took the bat and made stroking motions with it and thrusting his hips and he asked the 3 hecklers if that was what they were going to do to each other later that night. Everybody in the stands were laughing. Then a few minutes later, this Quinn guy yells “hey coach, my kids want to know what that means”. Then he was saying that McDowell shouldn’t be doing that stuff in front of kids. Then Quinn yelled out “come over here and say it to me”. That is when McDowell started walking over to the wall. Quinn’s family then started to pull at him and told him to stop. Quinn then turned to his wife and said “what’s he going to do? come up here?”. Then McDowell was telling him that if he didn’t want his kids hearing stuff like that hen he should have said something to the 3 hecklers that started the whole thing. Quinn just kept going on and calling McDowell a “joke” because he should know better. McDowell told Quinn that he should tell the 3 hecklers to not say anything if he was so offended and Quinn said back “where are they?” as if he never even heard the heckling himself which would be outrageous since everyone in the bleachers heard the hecklers. Not once did Quinn look like he feared of getting harmed since he was the one that called McDowell over to him plus the fact that Quinn was in the bleachers and at least 5 ft higher than McDowell. Quinn instigated the whole thing.
Yes, McDowell was wrong doing that stuff but this guy Quinn is crying wolf about being a victim when he instigated the whole confrontation. And getting Allred to represent him and calling a press conference is a complete joke.”
Someone posted this from what they read on the San Fran Chronicles.
Brava
April 28th, 2011
10:12 pm
Trey, that comment, if it’s actually from someone who was there, doesn’t disprove the allegations against McDowell. If anything it supports his alleged crude and unprofessional behavior. It does leave out the threat with the baseball bat, but since the guy went and filed a report with the police, I tend to believe there may be something there. It is a felony, after all, to make false reports to the police.
The proper action for McDowell to have taken when being heckled, was to ignore it and go about his duties. I’ve seen many hecklers at games, but have never seen a player or coach engage them in any way.
Trey
April 28th, 2011
10:18 pm
Brava, I know it was there. He did say the jokes are inappropriate, but we all make inappropriate jokes to get a chuckle. The only person who seemed to have a problem with it is that dumb-ass with his family in the photo above. Anyway, why didn’t this dude just ask the hecklers to quit?
It is a felony to file a fake police report but people still do it. People do a lot of things that are felonies and crimes. Hell, what about that family who lied about that kid being in that balloon? This is all about getting attention.
Trey
April 28th, 2011
10:19 pm
lesser crimes*
KJ
April 28th, 2011
10:29 pm
If what Trey posted is true, McDowell should be given a few games off, and that pathetic POS who hired the lawyer should die in a grease fire.
Brad Komminsk
April 28th, 2011
10:36 pm
Will someone please tell this pathetic excuse for a man who hired Gloria Allred that he needs to grow a pair and quit acting like a little girl? I mean, come on. I guess it shouldn’t surprise anyone, given the effeminate twinkle toes metrosexual that’s currently residing in the White House. Enjoy the show folks, the sun is setting on the last best hope of the world…
ab initio
April 29th, 2011
12:26 am
“Really? You didn’t get the part where Roger McDowell allegedly made obscene gestures with his hips and a bat, made gay slurs toward paying customers at AT&T Park and threatened a dad who objected with bashing his teeth out with a bat?”
Which anyone can get driving around town during rush hour. Again, you don’t know the whole story and until you do, you’re just speculating like the rest. Or pushing an agenda.
“No, I get it, all you got from it was a chance to rant about the homosexual lifestyle. I’m very curious though, what effect exactly has it had on your loved ones or friends?”
None of your business, kid.
“Here’s another bit of news, if you consider yourself anti-gay, you are probably a homophobe. “Otherwise, there would be no reason to be anti something that is none of your business, such as who other people love and have intimate relations with.”
A person can be anti-gay and not be a homophobe. There are plenty of Americans who have family members or friends, or peers who are gay, who have told gays that they don’t agree with their lifestyle, and continue to be members of families, friends or peers with gays.
That you think this is a one-way street says more about you and your agenda. But that wasn’t your real aim at all was it. You don’t want to be tolerant, unless you dictate the terms, as you tried to do in your pathetic comment to me.
Grow up and deal with it.
acbwcmm
April 29th, 2011
1:11 am
The people that are on this blog talking about freedom of speech and the right to disagree with a “lifestyle” are so off base!!
This is not about either of those things. This is about a man that is AT WORK behaving in an inappropriate manner. This is about a man making threatening statements to another person. Freedom of speech does not cover threats.
I’m really annoyed that people are saying this is a “gay-slur” issue and opening the door for the bigots of the world to weigh in. That family in the picture are not gay. The men that he referred to as “homo’s” are not in the picture! I’m a lesbian and I am not offended by the word “homo”, just like most of you would not be offended by the term “hetero”.
The Braves (the employer) will make the decision of what should be done for inappropriate behavior at the work place and that should be that.
ab initio
April 29th, 2011
1:30 am
“The people that are on this blog talking about freedom of speech and the right to disagree with a “lifestyle” are so off base!!”
I assume this was directed at me, and I will respectfully enjoin your argument.
People who write blogs for a major news organization that use charged words like ‘intolerance’ and ‘homophobe’ to paint a picture of a person without knowing all the facts in the case are off base as well, and that is what my point was. That I got sidetracked by someone who couldn’t critically think about my comments, and tried to employ the same tactics as the author, is not germane to this discussion.
This ‘us’ vs. ‘them’ mentality of journalism has got to stop, or George Thomas’, ‘The Works of Sallust’, which has warnings about factions destroying societies will be as true regarding ours and it has for others. Solzhenitsyn has also spoken at length about this practice in Harvard in 1978, in which has turned into a most prophetic work.
I hope this gives a good accounting, and I agree with much of your statement.
braves rule
April 29th, 2011
2:41 am
just suspend him a couple of games—no big deal.
gogiants '11
April 29th, 2011
3:50 am
Another John Rocker? … Roger must be fired if it’s all true …
Don’t like the idea of Gloria Allred’s involvement though
Tron5000
April 29th, 2011
4:10 am
More trouble. D. Lowe currently being processed in Atlanta Detention Center for suspicion of DUI. My friend Adam Krohn of the Gainesville Times broke the story.
RT @gtimesakrohn “Braves pitcher Derek Lowe arrested in Atlanta http://www.gainesvilletimes.com/section/33/article/49705/“
John10:10
April 29th, 2011
5:29 am
Homosexuality is a demonic abomination (Romans 1st chapter) that mocks God but Coach McDowell didn’t speak with Jesus’ authority. Give him a break but keep him on a short leash.
Suenah
April 29th, 2011
7:43 am
LEO OH LEO!!!!
douglas
April 29th, 2011
8:04 am
Bring some fags onto the field to stroke some bats and all will be forgotten
crossdawg
April 29th, 2011
8:12 am
Roger’s a good coach & I hope the Braves have the guts to keep him. Calling a spade a spade or a gaaay a gaaay appears to fall under freedom of speech.
Dinkdunk
April 29th, 2011
8:14 am
Bottom feeder Gloria Allred wants a check-thats all.
Seriously!!!
April 29th, 2011
8:19 am
The photo opp with this jerk sitting there with his family all pious and innocent! Seriously!!! What sort of profanities and insults was he hurling at McDowell to set him off? Every story has two sides and it’s always the retaliation that gets noticed not the provocation.
Mr. Quinn is probably a professional heckler and enjoys insulting visiting players and coaches and does so proudly to the enjoyment, I’m sure, of his family and the fans nearby.
He can dish it out freely and not take it? Not taking up for McDowell for his unwise choice of words or any prejudices he may be harboring but this Quinn guy is a creep.
Man up.
BravesFan
April 29th, 2011
8:22 am
He has to go. The homophobia is bad enough, but he went way, way overboard. He needs to be fired by the Braves and fined by MLB. This is not acceptable behavior.
Not A Hewitt Fan
April 29th, 2011
8:34 am
Inmates runnin the asylum…….isnt it funny that free speech only applies to “minorities” of any type. So it isnt really “Free” speech is it?
Big Grant
April 29th, 2011
8:45 am
A pitching coach isn’t worth the distraction. Cut him and let’s move forward.
DawgDad
April 29th, 2011
8:52 am
While I agree having this Allred attack dog on your heels is not a good thing, it occurs to me we probably don’t know all the facts and are likely getting a very slanted view of the story. If McDowell stepped over the line and embarrassed MLB by his comments that would deserve what? First offense, fine and possible suspension. He didn’t harm or endanger anybody physically, so it’s hard to see how this should cost him his job. Embarrassing MLB is actually a pretty hard thing to do – after all, they’ve been known to tolerate (coddle or market if you will) intravenous drug users, illegal drug users, drunks, wife beaters, sex addicts, convicted felons, you name it. They are known to be a bit touchy on racial-toned comments, hard to say how they’ll rate this.
Ready when you are CB
April 29th, 2011
8:58 am
In the world we live in today, just the allegation that has been made, regardless of the facts, is enough to provide a distraction for the Braves for the rest of the season; they need to fire McDowell or at least suspend him for the remainder of the season if they want to be successful this year.
Thad Mumau
April 29th, 2011
9:14 am
Is Leo Mazzone being fitted for a uni?
fred
April 29th, 2011
9:25 am
stupid statement Big Grant. How do you know what a pitching coach is worth… just stupid .
fred
April 29th, 2011
9:31 am
ready CB…you don’t fire some one on allegations without facts. What if someone made alligation against you and you were fired without facts and most important you were innocent. Thats not justice! That’s the left talking.
What does other Braves players with Mc at time have to say?
Another blow to the Braves: Derek Lowe arrested for DUI | Mark Bradley
April 29th, 2011
9:32 am
[...] sorting out what to do about pitching coach Roger McDowell wasn’t difficult enough, the Braves awoke this morning to learn that Derek Lowe, who has [...]
fred
April 29th, 2011
9:33 am
However if guility then thats a different story?
Mark
April 29th, 2011
9:35 am
This isn’t the first altercation for McDowell – he did spit a lugey on Kramer when he was still playing for the mets.
Seriously – anyone who hires Gloria Allred has zero credibility, looking for a payday. Drop it!
Dom
April 29th, 2011
9:44 am
And people actually wonder why this country is going to hell in a handbasket. This hypocritical PC insanity is destroying our culture and people’s lives.
The best part is how the closed-minded gay bullying mafia members of the media demand open-mindedness for their gay friends but if anyone dares to offend them then off with their heads!
This disgusting attention chasing hobag attourney and shameless father are exploiting 7 year old children?
And same on you Mark for justifying this with a story.
Jborodawg
April 29th, 2011
10:18 am
Where was Allred when B.Bonds was juicin up and being a shameful example to kids? Whole thing smacks of possibly being disingenuous; hiring a lawyer when you have a coach say something to ya at a ballgame? IF he said or did anything. But, IF he said and did everything that’s been alleged, then make him take sensitivity training or something; and a warning. Another “episode”, he’s outa here.
Just hard to believe a pro who’s been in and around BB for so long, and seen and heard every type of screaming, yelling, and off-color comments from fans…would “fold” in this one situation. Just saying…
Bring Me the Head of Deforest Kelley
April 29th, 2011
10:19 am
From other comments on this page, people’s defense of McDowell seems to be based on one or more of these premises:
1. Gloria Allred is a horrible person. By extension, anyone who would employ her is also a horrible person and forfeits all credibility.
2. San Francisco is a horrible city where no “normal” person should want to live. Therefore the standards for professional conduct which apply everywhere else, shouldn’t apply there.
3. Being gay is unacceptable. So making remarks against this lifestyle IS acceptable.
The problem is that it is McDowell’s conduct that has been called into questioned here, not Gloria Allred, not the city of San Francisco, not the gay lifestyle. The reality is none of these premises justify McDowell’s actions, regardless of whether anyone individually subscribes to all, some or none of them.
you make my point for me, Mark
April 29th, 2011
10:45 am
As I was saying, I suspect the above poster would have zero issue had the “victims” been white, heterosexual Christians. Just a hunch.
Bring Me the Head of Deforest Kelley
April 29th, 2011
10:59 am
The person launching the complaint against McDowell is:
1. White – please refer to the photo at the top of this article.
2. Presumably heterosexual, considering he has a wife and two daughters – again, refer to the photo.
I have no idea about his religion. Is it presumed he is not Christian? Does this matter?
James
April 29th, 2011
11:13 am
Fire McDowell and bring Leo Mazzone back.
you make my point for me, Mark
April 29th, 2011
12:26 pm
This is only news since its being labeled as “anti-gay.” It really isnt that difficult to understand.
Pierson Brave
April 29th, 2011
2:37 pm
Leo Mazzone is not coming back. Get over it! The Braves already have a pitching coach. He just needs to load his brain before shooting of his mouth. Much like many of the posters on the AJC sports blogs.
J. Rocker
April 29th, 2011
11:04 pm
What’s the big deal?
BigHorn
May 1st, 2011
8:46 pm
I am sick and tired of the chronically offended. This political correctness stuff is way out of control. I