The Reality of Aroldis Chapman
As of yesterday afternoon, both Aroldis Chapman and Kenley Jansen had been courted by the Yankees. Both had received offers. And both those offers were believed to exceed the four-year and $62 million deal that had just rendered Mark Melancon the most well-compensated relief pitcher in history.
Brian Cashman said his preference was for Chapman because, among other reasons, Chapman wouldn’t cost a draft pick, and the closer had pitched well in New York. Cashman told MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch that he “[didn’t] believe that Jansen would have any issues pitching in New York either, but it’s nice to have that box checked, too.” You have to figure Champan’s 100 mph fastball certainly helped matters.
Cashman got his wish. Chapman is a Yankee once again, to the tune of five years and $86 million. There are reasons the deal makes sense from a baseball point of view. It’s also possible that the spectacle of Chapman’s velocity will have some marketing value. Hal Steinbrenner himself has reportedly stated that he liked the buzz Chapman created at the stadium. By those criteria, it’s possible that they choose wisely, and I’ll address those points in a moment.
First, a personal note. As a writer, and as a human being, and as someone who grew up with a Yankees cap on my head, I have certain opinions on which players I’d like to see in New York. I was not a fan of the initial acquisition of Chapman, and I do not relish the fact he is now returning to the Bronx. I cannot reconcile his on-the-field dominance with the negative events of his private life.
It’s an offense for which he was punished, and one for which he’s been tried many times in the court of public opinion. But the court of public opinion isn’t governed by the laws of jurisprudence. Those of us who watch the game are permitted to retain lingering opinions and judgments. Fans have trepidations about players for many reasons, from steroid usage to old grudges born from walk-off home runs.
Domestic violence is different than those other offenses, however. It’s not the product of a dubious decision one has made to gain a competitive advantage, but rather the expression of something fundamentally damaged and upsetting inside a person.
And this is where my own personal feelings become relevant on a larger scale. Presumably, there are many Yankees fans who will not be pleased with Chapman’s return. There are many Yankees fans, many of them women, who will feel disregarded and disgusted, even if they’re not surprised.
So his reacquisition will leave a bad taste in the mouths of many. Yet to speak of this as if it is only the Yankees up to such things is disingenuous. The Cubs traded for Chapman at midseason to help their postseason push. There were other teams who sought his services, including the Dodgers, who decided not to trade for him this time last year after learning of the incident. The Mets put their fans through something similar to this when they brought Jose Reyes back, after he was also suspended under the league’s new domestic-violence policy. Now we’re about to find out how the Mets are going to handle a possible suspension of Jeurys Familia.
At some point, the internal calculus performed by teams revealed that, whatever public relations and moral qualms might arise from the acquisition of these players, they’re outweighed by the on-field benefits. And, to this point, there’s no evidence to say they’re wrong. That is a fact we as fans — and as human beings — must address on our own. It is not a new phenomenon, and it is not a pleasant one. According to the Yankees, Aroldis Chapman makes the most business sense for the Yankees — and the Yankees have appeared to prioritize business sense.
But let’s get to other side of that internal calculus — namely, the Yankees’ argument for choosing Chapman over Jansen. And how they arrived at the decision to make him the highest-paid reliever ever.
We’ll start here: the difference in overall performance — in a vacuum — between Chapman and Jansen isn’t significant. Steamer projects 1.5 WAR for Jansen in 2017 and 1.6 for Chapman. That’s a negligible difference — one that certainly falls within the margin of error of WAR’s precision. There are aesthetic differences on the radar gun, the hand with which they launch the ball in the general direction of home plate and the preferred pitch with which they make batters look ridiculous. One of them would come with a past suspension for domestic violence, as well as past success in a Yankees uniform. One of them would comes with draft-pick compensation attached. The Yankees would currently stand to lose the 16th-overall pick next summer.
Retaining that draft pick makes sense for the Yankees. Its value is likely to increase incrementally as teams ahead of the Yankees sign free agents who received qualifying offers and thus forfeit their first-rounders — as the Rockies did with Ian Desmond. Not only that, but there’s some question about how aggressively the Yankees should pursue a win-now strategy. The 2017 season looks to represent a wait-and-see year for New York, given that they’ll be fielding a team largely composed of youngsters and rookies getting their first extended big-league action. Gary Sanchez, Aaron Judge, Greg Bird, Clint Frazier, Tyler Austin, James Kaprielian, Chad Green and maybe Chance Adams are all going to see varying levels of time. The middle of the order is currently built around Sanchez, Bird, Matt Holliday and perhaps Starlin Castro.
In light of their youth — and given that the Red Sox just turned themselves into a juggernaut — the Yankees are going to be looking at a Wild Card spot, at best. These young players are going to need time to stumble and fall, and the team will need time to assess which of these men figure into the franchise’s long-term plans.
In other words: the New York Yankees are still rebuilding, so there’s no sense in punting a draft pick just yet. If this were the 2018 offseason and the Yankees were confident that they were ready to party, that’d be one thing. But Cashman has another chance to grab some first-round talent before the Yankees start going for it, and that’s an opportunity he shouldn’t pass up.
On the other hand, this deal isn’t above criticism strictly in terms of wins and losses, either. The Yankees just threw nearly $90 million at a relief pitcher. Chapman can opt out after the first three years of the five-year deal, and he’ll have a full no-trade clause for those three years. He’s in unknown territory in terms of what his aging curve may look like. How does a fastball like his hold up past 30? We’re going to find out. If he can still throw gas for strikes, Chapman may opt out. If he can’t, the Yankees are going to be saddled with a lot of money for someone who isn’t going to be in the business of throwing very many innings.
In addition, the team is probably going to be pretty good again in three years. They’ll have ironed out the kinks with their many premium prospects, and they may very well have Bryce Harper, too. If Chapman is still good, he may be headed out the door right when things are really kicking into gear, unless he feels especially motivated to stay in New York. There’s an awful lot of risk in this contract, and it was given out by a team that’s not currently operating in win-now mode.
This brings us back to Steinbrenner’s sentiment. In this sense, Hal truly is his father’s son. He wanted the flashy player who’ll put fans in seats and jerseys on backs, and he got his man. He wanted a player who can create buzz in a stadium, as if a small army of top prospects weren’t going to do that. Chapman is a Yankee to close ballgames, but he’s also a Yankee to sell tickets and merchandise. Kenley Jansen doesn’t have Chapman’s gaudy fastball. He doesn’t have the name recognition or the pre-established favor of the Bronx diehards. Chapman is a perfect storm for Steinbrenner.
But if Steinbrenner is looking to appeal to his fans, he’ll also have to understand that he’s alienating some of them at the same time. Consider: on October 6, the Yankees tweeted out a brief PSA featuring Joe Girardi. Its message was in support of the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence.
Tonight Yankee Stadium will go purple because we’re #NotAFan of domestic violence. Wear & share purple to help raise awareness #NYCGoPurple pic.twitter.com/cByY4LbqIL
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) October 6, 2016
That’s the sort of thing teams do, of course. As a fan, you appreciate the sentiment, even while recognizing that it’s also serving as a public-relations maneuver. That said, it’s harder to appreciate and believe the sentiment when, two months later, the club has made Aroldis Chapman a member of their team for a second time. We know why they did. We know what they’re fans of: winning and profiting. From that standpoint, this is a pretty good deal for the Yankees. Whether it was a good deal from a the standpoint of decency is another matter.
Nick is a columnist at FanGraphs, and has written previously for Baseball Prospectus and Beyond the Box Score. Yes, he hates your favorite team, just like Joe Buck. You can follow him on Twitter at @StelliniTweets, and can contact him at stellinin1 at gmail.
As someone who has spent considerable amount of time in the DR, Cuba, and South America I can say with certainty that the mindset there regarding domestic abuse is much more lax. It is routinely joked about on TV, and sitcoms resemble the shows in the USA from 60 years ago where the husband always slapped the wife. While that in no way excuses anything, it just gives a bit more background.
Absolutely. Which is why Mr Stellini is at best self-serving or at worst hypocritical. He needs to consider his own history and his own misdeeds before judging others
Yeah, How dare he cast aspersions on a guy for merely shooting at his girlfriend and trying to choke the life out of her? Have you no sense of decency, Mr. Stellini?
Can you please provide me with any evidence that he tried to shoot at his girlfriend? I will wait…
It’s doubtful he shot at her because, if he had, he’d have killed her. It should should be obvious, however, that he fired the gun many times in an attempt to threaten and intimidate her. Trying to minimize that is the worst form of rationalization.
Do you know how to read? None of what you stated happened. The victim admitted she embellished (lied) and Chapman shot at a wall. The police interviewed witnesses and found her account as not credible. You’re as bad as Mr Stellini. Making judgments while ignoring the facts. The supposed victim retracted her statement after the police investigated and she was faced with the prospect of filing a false police report.
Note also that the same woman is still with Chapman. We live in a society where evidence matters and witnesses had given multiple statements that were contrary to hers.
It’s part of the legal record but you and Mr Stellini choose to ignore it.
I just want to point out that this is indicative of nothing, as many women stay with their abusers, even after multiple incidents. Abused women also recant their statements after considering their options.
The woman may not have been telling the truth about what happened, but all you really have is other witnesses saying that she was not credible, and how, exactly would they know if they were not there?
unless you are suggesting that the police in chapman’s neighborhood are incapable of doing their jobs, then perhaps we should trust them when they concluded that the details about that night given by the victim and those given by the people present at his house cast enough doubt on her story that they felt it wasn’t appropriate to arrest chapman.
Hell, the details didn’t even “cast doubt on her story.”
Her story, as such, was not enough to justify an arrest.
Chapman’s got some serious anger issues. Comparing him to pieces of shit like Reyes or Familia, however, is not only laughably uninformed, but morally wrong.
We’re trusting cops’ opinions in domestic disputes now?
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
(..gag..)
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
If he is not suggesting the police in Chapman’s neighborhood are incapable of doing their jobs here, I am.
but they were there, thats the point, one of the witnesses was her very own brother, and not only did she recant, she admitted that her story was embellished, the evidence or lack there of was such that the police considered filing charges for filing a false report
thats all part of the legal record, so until that changes the rest is simply a smear campaign on chapman
the only charge that can be proven was a misdemeanor of discharging his gun in his garage. as the record also states.
there are laws in this country for a reason, baseless speculations as proffered by Mr Stellini ate merely character assassination by proxy, which he cannot substantiate.
thats the point. there is a reason why many Law Schools now include this case in their curriculum,
because of the rampant speculations of the uninformed public
‘there are laws in this country for a reason, baseless speculations as proffered by Mr Stellini ate merely character assassination by proxy, which he cannot substantiate.’
That right there is just a lovely little word salad. You might not know what you’re talking about, joeyp, but you sure are willing to throw all your best words at it.
Wait, what case are law schools now including in the curriculum?
“I just want to point out that this is indicative of nothing, as many women stay with their abusers, even after multiple incidents.”
We know it’s common, and it’s important to point it out to dispel myths about domestic violence.
People often tolerate abuse rather than forego the perceived benefits of the relationship. Abuse is usually a very low priority for these people.
Not only do they tolerate abuse in exchange for perceived benefits, sometimes that is the benefit. Anyone who actually works in those trenches learns that lesson eventually. We do not believe our lying eyes until we see it repeated often enough to open them to alien experience. Even those women in these relationships who do not embrace violence will very often only leave that relationship for one that is similar. That world is symbiotic. Ray Lewis’s girlfriend-wife is exhibit A.
Chapman is in the amateur leagues of relationships, abusive or otherwise. His girlfriend was a professional on their first date. The NBA has an informal program for your average retarded millionaire rookie to make them aware of the playing field. MLB does not.
This is true: the Ray Rice example is the most obvious. Janelle is caught on video repeatedly attempting to attack him immediately before she’s punched. The fact that she wasn’t excoriated for her her violent participation is evidence of the deep cultural sexism in this issue.
I think the NTC is the big kicker here. A fringe playoff team that is allocating a lot of money to a player whose value will most be derived from high-leverage playoff innings is a gamble. After the team benefitted from the flexibility of Miller’s deal and the need for closers that surfaces at the deadline, it’s a puzzler. Especially with a lot of interesting potential bullpen arms in the majors/high minors.
The sycophant in me can’t help but agree that the idea was mostly due to Hal’s thinking butts will be put in the seats to see 102.
It’s only 5 teams covered in the NTC (Cali teams), so it’s not like it’d be impossible for the Yanx to trade him if they wanted to.
Narp. Full NTC years 1-3, partial years 4-5.
If so, it’s strange thinking since there’s no way to know ahead of time whether or not Chapman will pitch.
The odds of trading the biggest reliever contract in history, especially for anything of value, seem pretty low, especially in the first three years. I guess they could have tried to trade him in year 3, with the receiving team assuming he’d opt out, but meh. A contract this huge doesn’t get traded often, so while it limits the Yankees options, I don’t expect it to be a very significant limitation.
I’m stuck on the one hand believing that someone like Chapman should not simply be banished from baseball, but on the other hand the sight of neck-bearded troglodytes wearing his jersey to “make a point” is pretty upsetting.
I don’t understand what you mean. What point are they trying to make in your mind? Maybe they have his jersey because he has thrown 105mph and they think that’s pretty cool? It could be actually that simple for the majority of fans.
Yes, there are no assholes out there that choose a jersey of a wife beater because they want to make a point or for their own assholish kicks. Yep, those people don’t exist.
http://archive.naplesnews.com/news/david-moulton-wearing-an-aaron-hernandez-jersey-youve-gotta-be-kidding-me-ep-512665671-341936391.html
Wrong sport. Uneducated low life’s don’t watch baseball. They watch NFL.
Exactly!
And to the point you made, it could very well be true that a lot (even a majority) of fans wear his jersey not because they are assholes but because they really like the way he pitches. That can be true, and it can also be true that there are a lot of fans (perhaps even a majority) who are wearing his jersey to be assholes, perhaps to show solidarity with a fellow wife beater. I wouldn’t castigate a person wearing his jersey as immediately an asshole, but if I was going to choose who was going to babysit my kids, and there’s a guy wearing a Chapman jersey, and a guy wearing a Jeter jersey, I’m going with the guy wearing the Jeter jersey.
I don’t think that a majority of baseball fans are wife beaters and want to proudly show solidarity with that aspect of Chapman’s character. That seems incredibly unlikely.
The majority of baseball fans: surely not
The majority of baseball fans wearing the jersey of a wife beater: who knows
It really is a Rorschach test for you when you see a fan wearing his jersey. Most people just see a jersey.
Do you have any proof that people are wearing his jersey cuz they think domestic violence is ok or they support it? Or is this just your sjw needing to flaunt itself? Why do you insist on making something out of nothing? Go do that sh!t on some other website
I wonder how much emotional damage Jeter did to the reportedly hundreds of women he ushered out of his apartment with gift baskets the morning after.
Yes, consensual sex between adults is the same as beating your partner.
Wasn’t suggesting that, and you know it. Just saying using Jeter as the anti-Chapman seems a poor choice, since he’s not really a model of morality.
I don’t consider consensual sex between single adults to be immoral in the slightest, tiniest bit. That this is your attack on my hypothetical is pretty sad.
I’m more referring to the issuance of gift baskets to the ladies, rather than the act itself. That doesn’t rub you as slightly “scum baggy?”
At worst, it’s classless. It’s certainly not immoral.
Fair enough. That’s a better word to use.
Gift baskets? That’s just a class move from the captain. Giving everybody in the world herpes? Not so much.
Why would you assume without evidence that the Jeter wearing person is not just a creep who likes Jeter. I’d be inclined to question any adult who wears a jersey with another persons name on it. I’d hope there was a bigger non jersey wearing pool to choose from.
I know plenty of people who would ironically wear the jersey of a disgraced player, which I personally don’t like because it’s making a joke out of real world criminality, but there’s a big difference between that and ‘making a point’. What point?
Also, we’ve seen time and again that people will happily develop selective memories on behalf of the good players on their teams, I don’t think it needs to be any more complicated than that.
“Making a point” was really meant to cover any reason associated with the fact that he is a wife beater.
the neckbeards are taking offense.
lol. good.
See, I’m stuck on the one hand thinking that Chapman is a dangerously irresponsible gun owner, but on the other hand being deeply thankful that he didn’t beat his wife, according to his wife, several witness, and the police.
Uh, I mean, OUTRAGE!!!!
“And this is where my own personal feelings become relevant on a larger scale. Presumably, there are many Yankees fans who will not be pleased with Chapman’s return. There are many Yankees fans, many of them women, who will feel disregarded and disgusted, even if they’re not surprised.”
Many people had similar feelings about the election, before the election. Presumably, there are also Yankees fans who would like to Make the Yankees Great Again and are less concerned in his off-the-field behavior.
NO POLITICS
“And there is where my personal feelings are involved on a large scale. By all accounts, there are plenty of Yankee fans will not be satisfied return Chapman. A lot of Yankees fans, many of whom are women who are ignored and disgusting, even if you are not surprised. ”
Many people have similar feelings about the election, before the election. By all accounts, there are Yankee fans who love the great new Yankees and less concerned about his behavior on the pitch.
Yes, thank goodness you’re back. Finally someone talking sense here.
No politics? The article was politics.
Does anyone else find this commentary on Chapman a bit sanctimonious? As evidence of Chapman’s character, we have a speeding ticket and a domestic violence incident for which no charges were filed. While the allegations in the police report are disturbing, it seems self-serving for writers (here and elsewhere) to treat Chapman like a man who was investigated, indicted, and convicted. For all we know, he really is a first-class SOB. But so are half the guys on your favorite team. Are we making Chapman the face of DV in Major League Baseball because he deserves that notoriety, or because he’s a prominent talent who just signed an historic contract for the sport’s most famous franchise? I guess I’m asking, what’s the point of discussing his off-the-field transgressions now, one year later, three transactions later, and after no perceivable effect on Chapman’s performance?
People, including me, are particularly disturbed by Chapman’s case because he fired a handgun eight times in the immediate aftermath.
As a Reds fan, I was pretty incensed with this all first happened. I was sure firing a weapon in a residential area was a felony and he’d see jail time.
Turns out, after looking it up, the law in his county in Florida only makes firing a weapon in a residential area a misdemeanor. So, in the face of no evidence and the fact that his girlfriend lied to cops in her first statement, I find articles like this hard to swallow.
Can you point me to where you are getting that his girlfriend lied? I can’t find that.
Read any story of the account of what happened. Her initial statement said Chapman was choking her “in front of everyone.” Then when the police questioned the other people at his house, they said Chapman and his GF were in the garage. So, the entire body of people said they saw nothing, while her first statement said it was in front of everyone.
There was no story that said it was a lie. Just me looking at the statements. Perhaps the other party goers wanted to protect Chapman. Who really knows?
So it is not a fact that she lied.
Either she lied or every single other person at the party lied. Those are the two options.
are you telling me that guests at chapman’s who are presumably his friends/entourage would have no motivation to lie in his favor? especially when they consider he is more than willing to fire off a few rounds when he gets heated
One of them was the girlfriend’s brother… so… not Chapman’s “friend.” He did not corroborate her story, even.
Again… I’m not arguing that Chapman didn’t do it. I’m arguing that she gave a false statement to police. That’s it.
This may surprise you, but relatives are not always supportive of domestic violence victims. Particularly in situations where the perpetrator has a position of power or is a provider to the broader family.
No, that isn’t surprising. It makes perfect sense. Is that the case here, though? Possibly. The point is, we don’t know.
The fact that she’s still with Chapman is definitive as is the fact that she retracted and admitted she embellished. The police even considered filing a false report claim but Chapman refused to press charges which the local D.A. acknowledged
It’s all in the public record.
Yes it is. According to the official police report her claim was found to be “not credible”
They even considered charging her with filing a false police report charge, at which point she retracted and stated she embellished.
So yes she lied.
That’s weird. That’s pretty much the least-offensive alleged conduct. Choking a person is infinitely more damaging than shooting a wall.
Does anyone ever consider the notion that the woman in an abusive relationship is typically a) traumatized, and b) afraid to reveal the situation for the very legit fear of retribution?
not the neckbeards, according to them all women all liars
I think pretty much everyone has considered that. But it does not follow that because some victims deny the abuse, therefore all accusations are true. Neither gender has some kind of monopoly on truthfulness.
The police very rarely even talk about filing charges for false reports; the fact that they did in this case is pretty significant.
True. But I’m not sure why we’re trusting any cop’s word these days.
Victims of abuse tend to stay with their partners precisely because they do not fear future retribution.
This is the stupidest thing ever written. Bravo.
You’re right: keep your enemies closer
“Does anyone ever consider the notion that the woman in an abusive relationship is typically a) traumatized, and b) afraid to reveal the situation for the very legit fear of retribution?”
Does anyone give this woman enough credit to see 86 million dollars on the horizon? That it is Chapman who is over matched off the field, not her? Grow up, pussies.
Because rooting for a guy who may have terrorized his girlfriend with a gun feels gross to a lot of people?
Chapman is famous for 3 things: throwing really fast fastballs, getting the biggest reliever contract in history, and being accused of domestic violence. It’s not sanctimonious to talk about that last thing, or to admit that it alters how we view the guy.
To spend literally half a baseball analysis article on that last thing, reiterating what everybody knows for the umpteenth time, however, is more than a little tiring.
You tire too easily imho
I’m sorry that I don’t have a lot of patience for idiots.
Yeah, this really comes across as a “I need to let people know how much I’m against domestic violence” article. I believe that they call this “virtue signaling.”
so that’s the new buzzphrase amongst reactionaries? good to know.
Will the Yankees have many leads to give to Chapman for the ninth inning?
There is no excuse to hurt another person, be they man, woman, husband, wife, or especially child. Being emotional and angry is not an excuse. He messed up badly, and it’s lucky no one was physically hurt (emotionally perhaps though). However…
He accepted his punishment. One can quibble over whether it was enough, but he did not for a moment try to argue it, get out of it, or reduce it. He admitted that he made a mistake, and, more than that, that he had a problem. He repented. He sought professional help. Presumably, he is a much healthier and safer person now than he used to be.
I’m not saying my or anyone else’s opinion of him should be the same as before he committed domestic violence. Rather, I am saying that, since then, he has done everything he needed to do to heal the pain he caused and make sure it doesn’t happen again. He has become, seemingly, a better person. Because of that, I think it possible for us to forgive him.
People can change. We need to acknowledge and respect and encourage that. He deserves vitriol for his actions, but also respect for seeking help and changing for the better. We should never forget, and neither should he, but we can and should forgive.
That’s more how I think as well. I found what he did (in my best Darth Vadar voice) “disturbing”, to say the least. But I also find the way we handle people now, disturbing as well. It isn’t enough anymore to view someone with suspicion in light of previous actions like that — now, we need to shun, ban, or in whatever way we’re able, generally destroy them. There’s no room for redemption anymore.
I have not read about an apology. I thought a big part of the issue was that he had not apologized for his abusive actions.
Exactly. I think that is what differentiates him from Reyes to me. Reyes did all those things you mentioned (or at least most). Chapman has done this “Further, the Times asked Chapman if his girlfriend’s calling off 911 while hiding in the bushes because she was terrified is a problem, Chapman said: “It was just an argument with your partner that everyone has.”
http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/rosenblog/ct-aroldis-chapman-cubs-trade-rosenbloom-20160725-column.html
Do you know what else differentiates him from Reyes?
Reyes beat his wife badly enough that she needed medical treatment at another location, while Chapman shot up his garage instead of hitting his wife.
But hey! Saying sorry to the fans is what really matters, here!
While I don’t condone the behavior, I don’t really think he owes us an apology. His girlfriend, his teammates, his agent, or anyone else personally involved, sure, but that’s a private matter. If those people forgive him, and he repents through action, we should forgive him too.
This is a fair point.
However, it makes me wonder…what has he done to earn public redemption? We’re just supposed to assume he did the right thing after doing a bad thing? Why?
I’ve LONG been a defender of Michael Vick, for all the reasons mentioned in this thread.
But I’m just not sure why Chapman should – at this point – be viewed as a ‘redemption story.
He wasn’t punished legally, and he hasn’t shown any remorse for what he did. What has he done to redeem himself?
I don’t think he is redeemed at this point. Time and action will be the judge of that. I just think if the people closest to him are willing to forgive him, we should at least withhold further judgement until he fucks up again.
Why the victims account was disputed by others on the scene. And she later admitted she embellished and retracted her statement as acknowledged by police. The only criminal action was firing a gun in his garage, a misdemeanor.
Legally filing a false police report is a worse offense than firing a gun in your garage
You’re either ignorant of how domestic violence cases work or you are tendentiously trying to portray his girlfriend in the worst possible light. Victims of domestic violence often retract their reports, not because the initial report wasn’t true, but because they still have feelings for the perpetrator or depend on the perpetrator financially.
It’s in the public record. The D.A. considered filing a charge against her for filing a false report, and she admitted she embellished and retracted. What more do you need?
The police don’t do that on a whim. You just chose to ignore that part. if Chapman had pressed charges she’d be in jail.
I’m going by the facts. The police investigated for 2 weeks. Do you Insist the D.A. lied too?
@Anon21
You seem particularly ignorant about this particular domestic violence case.
We’re not just assuming; he and his gf are still together; she seems quite happy with him and to have forgiven him – this need people like you have for “public redemption” just strikes me as so odd, and pretty damned demanding.
I don’t know that he apologized to his fans – I’m not a fan of his, but if I was, I wouldn’t feel the need for him to apologize to me. What we do know is that his girlfriend seems to have forgiven him – they’re still together, she attended the World Series with him – they seem happy together.
http://www.tmz.com/2016/11/03/aroldis-chapman-domestic-violence-accuser-world-series/
I’m not sure what else I’d demand of him, for him to have redemption — his gf’s opinion seems to be the one that matters?
Agreed, the article says more about Mr Stellini’s character or possible lack of same than it does about Chapman’s. It totally ignores the fact that the police found the victims statements not credible (due to other guests giving conflicting statements) and her later admission of embellishments. Mr Stellini didn’t care because it didn’t fit his agenda
the bulletholes are not enough evidence huh? the fact that everyone acknowledges that they had an altercation prior to the embedding of said bulletholes is not enough evidence huh?
No. Bullet holes are not enough evidence. He doesn’t deny firing a gun in his garage. He denied that her story was completely factual. Bullet holes in a garage do not prove that what she said was true.
That is not at all accurate. The district attorney said that he wanted to pursue charges but could not due to a lack of witness cooperation. So representatives of the justice system believed that a crime was committed but did not believe that they had enough evidence to secure a conviction. That frequently happens in cases with high profile suspects who can use their money and influence to prevent successful prosecution.
This is most definitely true, Chapman refused to press charges. The police wanted to pursue a false report claim after she admitted she embellished on the original report.
JD I assume you’re a woman with an agenda but the police don’t consider a false police report filing unless the evidence supports it.
you talk about having an agenda, yet here you are incessantly trolling this and any article that talks about chapman and the domestic violence case and all with the same ‘the woman’s a liar the woman’s a liar!’ routine that is essentially the go to for misogynists against women when they are victim of male violence.
im not saying it, she said it, when pressed by the police, after they interviewed witnesses she admitted she embellished. that means she made a false statement to the police, who then interviewed witnesses, and when the witnesses told the police a different version of events, they confronted her and she admitted she lied on the report
the police dont just take your word for things, they investigate and in this case SHE admitted she lied…..its that simple,
i dont have any agenda, im just pointing out a fact that most of you have missed……after being confronted by police with the inconsistencies in her statement she admitted she lied or to use her word “embellished”
She wasnt a victim, by her own words she said her statement as originally given wasnt true. hiw much clearer can it be?
“…we can and should forgive.”
Absolutely. But to me, there’s a wide chasm between forgiving vs. wanting someone to play for your favorite team.
I’m not damning Chapman, but neither am I forgiving him–because if he did not actually assault his GF, there’s nothing that needs forgiveness.
But if he *did* assault his GF, then I’m still not forgiving him. The Yankees already have that covered with that gigantic contract. Most of us have better things to do than worry about forgiving famous athletes.
I’m torn about Chapman. I abhor what he might have done but like it or not we have a system and that system declined to charge him. As a society we walk a very fine line when we call for sanctions and maybe retribution for what a person might have done. If we accept that premise why bother with due process. It’s certainly not a perfect system but really it is better that the guilty go free than the innocent be convicted because they “probably” did it or that they are a creep or just “different”. Plenty of wrongful convictions have been obtained on that basis.
I’m more concerned about the nonentity plumber or factory worker who would likely be arrested and enjoined from seeing his family based on trumped up charges if we relax the rules of evidence to “might” have.
There is no doubt in my mind that Chapman probably caught a break because of his notoriety.
I wish that once and for all we could drop the notion that a team making the decision to employ Chapman somehow signifies that they are “soft” on domestic violence. Chapman did a bad thing, something which the local police apparently did not determine triggered the threshold to charge him with a crime, but something with MLB felt warranted a punishment.
Plenty of other players cheat on their spouses, or abuse alcohol, or do any number of other deplorable things, and the only difference between Chapman’s mistake and theirs is the amount of media scrutiny. Through probably nothing more than sheer luck, we usually don’t know which ballplayers are drunks or serial adulterers, but there are still plenty that are, so let’s drop the piety act once and for all.
As a baseball move, I don’t hate this signing. Yes, it’s a lot of money for a reliever, but Chapman is the best reliever in the game. We’re in a market where the Astros signing of Josh Reddick for 4 years / $52 million is seen as not totally unreasonable, and so it begs the comparison. If you profile Chapman as a 2.5 WAR player in 2017 and 2018, and then assume standard regression, this contract works out to about fair value. Of course, we know that teams may be using a different metric to value relievers, in which case this whole calculation goes out the window anyway.
Granted, the Yankees only project to be a .500-ish team next season, however, there is upside. Even if the prospects don’t fly up through the system, their MLB roster is decent enough that with, say, some good luck in 1 run games, they could make the postseason, and if a GM was constructing a roster in a way that made it more inclined to do well in 1-run games, signing the best reliever in baseball is probably a good start.
In some ways, I think the no-trade and opt-out clauses negate each other. Chapman will absolutely opt-out after 2019 if he’s pitching well. If, at the same time, the Yankees are uncompetitive, how likely do you think Chapman is to invoke the no-trade clause, knowing he’s going to opt-out shortly thereafter?
Nonsense. Hitting a partner or making violent threats is much worse than cheating or abusing alcohol. Is that even controversial?
People tend to leave their partners at much higher rates when faced with cheating and substance abuse than they do when faced with threats or violence.
So, among the population of people most affected, yes, that is controversial.
I’m pretty sure the handgun being fired eight times in the immediate aftermath is responsible for the additional media scrutiny. You let me know whenever you hear about another player doing that and I’ll be sure to state that I don’t want that player ever being on the Orioles.
As a Cubs fan, I’m thrilled that Chapman blew game 7 of the World Series.
I wasn’t thrilled in the moment, of course. But I had been lamenting for months that the Cubs had traded for Chapman. I had waited my entire life for the Cubs to win a World Series, and the thought of seeing a domestic abuser on the mound to record the final out was abhorrent. I didn’t want that to be my recollection of something I knew I’d remember for the rest of my life. The image would have been seared into my mind’s eye forever.
Thankfully, he blew the save and the Cubs won anyways. And instead I get to picture Mike Montgomery on the mound and Kris Bryant being unable to contain a smile while he fielded the ball, only to slip and fall while throwing it. And then Rizzo shoving the ball into his back pocket.
When I picture that moment, I sometimes wonder where Chapman was. I know that reports after the game indicated he had broken down crying in the clubhouse. I hope he was in there sobbing and wondering whether karma had finally come for him.
With this contract, it’s pretty clear it didn’t.
Kind of disappointed to see fangraphs delving into the realm of morality and decency in regards to a situation no one knows much about. Let’s keep it to baseball analysis.
these are real life/death issues that go beyond the game, and as a community it is on us to make sure said issues aren’t swept under the rug.
Except you know almost nothing about what happened except for a police report which contained inconsistencies and called into the question the veracity of some of the victim’s claims.
People love taking a little bit of news and speculating and then casting judgments about character based on that speculation. I get it. I just see no value in it.
It’s virtue signalling.
and this^ is neck bearding.
They are real issues that Fangraphs is woefully unqualified to write about. When Fangraphs hires a DV expert who takes the same high-quality approach to DV as they do to baseball, then Fangraphs can write about it.
Until then, this is drivel.
Agreed. I will go to ESPN gossip site I mean homepage when I want to read about Chapman’s morality or for example the actual article entirely focused on Harper’s “Wow” tweet when Eaton was acquired for those excellent prospects. “The Wow Heard Round the World” was the title. I actually read it and found it funny. I don’t come to Fangraphs for moral, political, gossip or other non-analytical issues. I come here for baseball analysis that is either serious and helpful to me to enjoy the game and fantasy baseball, or is occasionally pretty funny but nonetheless helpful or interesting.
Would it be too much to ask an article about Chapman’s new contract (the largest ever for a reliever) to focus on, I don’t know, the baseball aspect of it?
How does this shake out from a WAR/$ standpoint?
What about if we use WPA or something else instead of WAR because it seems to chronically undervalue relievers?
What do we know about how high velocity relievers tend to age compared to the whole?
Where are the Yankees on the win curve and does that make the signing worthwhile?
What about how much relievers are being traded for (like when Chapman was traded last season) and how that reflects on the decision to give him a no trade clause?
How much is he owed before and after the opt out and how likely is he therefore to opt out?
What does this do for Jansen’s market?
To me, any of these questions would be far more interesting to read about than a rehashing of the incident that is now over a year ago. Please, can we talk about baseball?
I have no tolerance for men who abuse women (or vice versa), but I am not sure Chapman is in the same class as someone like Ray Rice. My understanding is that Chapman behaved like a raving lunatic, but did not actually strike or injure his girlfriend. I’m not convinced he is completely irredeemable.
The alleged victim stated that he choked her, but not to the extent that she was unable to breathe. Then he fired a handgun eight times into the garage wall with the alleged victim hiding in the bushes outside. That’s one step away from being Jovan Belcher.
There are degrees of bad people. There is no doubt in my mind that Chapman is a person I would want nothing to do with. I wasn’t aware of the choking, and if that happened (or was even reported by the victim to have happened) it definitely adds degrees to his bad person status. The shooting into a wall thing is more difficult to interpret. On one hand it is a crazy behaviour that Americans cherish. On the other hand, I imagine the girlfriend was absolutely terrified.
I’m not disputing that Chapman is a bad person. It might, however, be different than something like Ray Rice. It’s quite a few steps away from being Jovan Belcher in my mind.
FanGraphs, you really need to sort out the adverts on your site. The site is becoming unusable.
I’m sure you read the police report, which stated that there were no physical signs that the victim was choked, correct?
exactly, JD is probably a woman with an agenda, she doesnt care about facts. the police asked Chapman if he wanted to file charges against her and he declined to do so,and she admitted she embellished.
there is no excuse to abuse another person, but there are some women like JD who like to see how far they can push a man as well. they must accept they bear some responsibility as well.
too often this aspect isnt considered as a mitigating factor and it needs to be.
much like there have been false rape claims that have later been found to be unsubstantiated so too can there be abuse claims. which is why the police look at these on a case by case basis. And let the evidence decide
I’ve seen various people say that it’s a PR nightmare for the Yankees, but is there evidence that there is widespread backlash against teams that employ Chapman? How any Cubs fans cared? I’m sure there are some, but most people didn’t seem to be aware or care.
“How [m]any Cubs fans cared?” I’ll say this: I’ve never seen anyone wearing a Cubs/Chapman jersey or shirt.
In fairness, do you normally see many fans wearing a reliever’s jersey?
If faced with the choice of spending $250 on Bryant/Rizzo/Russell or a guy who pitches 1 inning a game for 3 months and may or may not be back the next year, I take the first option, every time.
As a lifelong Yankees diehard rooting for Chapman was, and will now continue to be, the most conflicted I’ve ever felt about anything sports related. Just feels wrong. It doesn’t help that he hasn’t exactly sounded remorseful about anything. I was even pretty happy when he blew the lead in game 7. I was never one to get caught up in the stupid narratives surrounding the core four/five (can’t exclude Bernie IMO), but this sure does make me nostalgic for those days.
I’m a Cubs fan. I felt the same way. I’m glad he helped the team win the WS, but I’m also glad Montgomery was on the mound for the last out so Chapman won’t be in all the vidoes and photographs the moment the Cubs won it all. I don’t know if this is hypocritical of me, if I deserve downvotes, etc. I rooted for him, just not as enthusiastically as other players.
Sure is holier than thou…Mr Stellini is either Jesus incarnate or a total hypocrite. I would love to be a fly on the wall in his home. Couples fight it happens. Firing a gun at a wall is disconcerting yes but it’s better than laying hands on a woman.
Truth is the whole premise of the article is beyond ridiculous and just a total reach since the same woman is still with Chapman and admitted she embellished in her statement to police.
Mr Stellini, he who is innocent throw the first stone…. any woman who has a problem with the signing hasn’t been married. All couples fight, it happens
Please, PLEASE educated yourself regarding domestic violence: http://www.ncadv.org/learn-more/what-is-domestic-violence/why-victims-stay Victims often stay with their abusers, not because the abuse isn’t real, but because of financial dependency and/or psychosis that results from the abuse. Allegedly choking a woman is not fine, and firing a handgun into the wall eight times with the alleged victim just outside is inexcusable. If you think that behavior is normal then you may have some serious problems that would benefit from mental health counseling.
Of course, that is sacred … Mr. Stela personification of Jesus or a hypocrite. I want to be a fly on the wall of your house. The couple struggle to achieve this. Shoot walls uncomfortable, but it is better than the woman’s hand.
The truth is that the premise of the article is too relaxed and has a total area for the same woman continued to Chapman admitted that he made in his statement to the police.
Mr. Stela, innocent cast the first stone … every cloud has a problem with the registration are not families. All pairs bore, in order to achieve
as a woman its obvious that you have an agenda, the police who are objective and look strictly at the evidence were going to file charges for filing a false report, which is a rarity, you obviously feel that a person who falsely claims they were raped are within their rights.
the victim admitted she embellished, the witnesses claimed her statement was not in line with the facts. and yet you seem to think that the victim holds no responsibility, the report you cite is not applicable in this case because the police determined there was no validity to her claim. this was proven when she admitted she embellished in her statement
when you lie about such things you are not a victim, you become a perpetrator of a crime. Her own brother called into question the accuracy of her statement and she later admitted that under threat of possible prosecution for filing a false report, so this person is not a victim. that she remains with Chapman nearly 2 years later despite the claim of abuse, indicates there was no truth to the Allegation as given to police
for a woman to knowingly file a false report claiming she was abused when she was not is heinous and If you think that behavior is normal then you may have some serious problems that would benefit from mental health counseling.
Assault causes psychosis now?
prolonged domestic abuse/violence can, yes.
please educate yourself, in this case there was NO DOMESTIC VIOLENCE. just the allegation of it.
the accuser admitted she LIED in her original statement
those Are the facts, since when is the mere accusation of a crime something you should be punished for
baseball suspendid him for shooting up his garage which is under the domestic violence provision of the cba. IT DOES NOT MEAN HE COMMITTED DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
you fail to grasp the difference
“Domestic violence is … the expression of something fundamentally damaged and upsetting inside a person.”
Unless the author has some credentials that have not been presented so far, I am disappointed that such a blanket statement about such a catch-all phrase has been published here.
so abusing/being violent against people who are under the understanding that you love them and thus they should feel safe around you and violating that trust, especially in a way that involves lethal weapons does not indicate something is fundamentally wrong with a person? i feel sorry for anyone that gets involved with you.
I’d think cuddling with a chainsaw might be slightly uncomfortable, as well. 😉
You don’t know what Chapman did. You don’t know what Chapman did. You don’t know what Chapman did. Furthermore, you don’t know what Chapman did.
you right chapman didn’t fire off a gun while his gf who he had just gotten in a heated altercation with was hiding in the bushes. that was all made up.
And you don’t know how the gunfire affected her deep down. One who wanted to make a reasonable judgment about that question might start with the fact that she is still with him. But of course, you know everything about everyone’s situation.
“However, Olmeda (Miami Sun Sentinel) writes that Barnea later told police she only heard one gunshot, was not certain who fired the shot and did not wish to prosecute Chapman. He continues, noting that Barnea told prosecutors that she did not remember saying that Chapman had hit her, and other witnesses said they saw no physical altercation between the pair.” (From MLBTR)
“He admitted to firing eight shots with a handgun, seven of which went into a concrete wall inside his garage and the eighth of which went through a window into an open field, following a party with friends and family, according to the police report.”
from Jeff Passan and Tom Brown’s article on yahoo sports which includes the original police report
Yes, I don’t think anyone ever argued against the fact that he fired 8 shots. Because, there is evidence to show he did exactly that.
And I feel sorry for someone with as little reasoning ability as you. No, actually, I don’t.
i think its already been established empathy is not a strong suit of yours
Way to miss the point and fire back with knee-jerk sentiment. But the fact remains, neither your nor the author knows enough about Chapman’s actions to make a blanket statement about “something fundamentally damaged” inside him.
Not uncommon to judge people by transgression, or to handle morality by making a symbol of who does not belong. The facile treatment of Chapman by writers here shows a limitation in dealing with nuance outside of the field of interest, i.e., business and evaluation of sport, and panders to consensus views. Rhetoric devoted this way is like choosing baseball talent by squareness of chin and ruggedness of handsome. It works sometimes.
Firing a handgun into the wall eight times in the immediate aftermath of an alleged domestic violence incident with the alleged victim still nearby doesn’t really necessitate nuance.
If only documenting the act itself, we put up nonfactual signs of “allegation”. If trying to do more than document what happened in order to reach meaning of the act and habit for the individual and within society, what has been said? It bad thing. He bad man. Me not like. This site has not shown competency and does not payroll people to think about broader issues so when appearing, the discourse is clumsy and incapable.
ignorance is bliss. i can only imagine how poorly many of our favorite baseball players of years past treated women in their own homes.
shall we start overturning stones?
Should we just ignore it?
Fangraphs should really stop writing articles about Chapman if all they intend on talking about is the altercation he had with his girlfriend. No amount of virtue signaling changes what did or did not happen then. He was suspended in the MLB, and accepted his punishment. He has been paying the price for his decision in the court of public opinion for a full year now and likely will for the rest of his life, perhaps as he should. But if you collectively cannot help yourself from moralizing rather than analyzing, find a new subject matter.
Given the circumstances of the event, the relationship to the way MLB now handles domestic violence and that one of the new policy’s “victims” is one of the game’s most well-known players, the widespread conversation about how we reconcile cheering for abusers, and Chapman’s pathetic “apology”, I’ll simply tell you that the stick-to-sports argument is disingenuous and dismissive of larger issues that you seem to not want to think about.
This isn’t an isolated article, it’s one in a constant pattern. Every single Chapman article on this website devolves into a discussion of the particular night last December where the police were called. Mostly everyone reading this site knows about that incident, at least what has been reported in the press, and has their opinion on the man and the incident. It is appropriate for FG to state their own opinion, once these issues happen, but to harp on it every single article ceases to be stating their opinion and is just useless virtue signaling. If you think Chapman is slime, fine, and hey, you might be (probably are) correct. But that’s not the point of this website, nor is it new insight and deep analysis.
If they can’t stop themselves from turning every article about this player into a discussion of his moral character, they should stop writing about this player.
As for your silly jibe about me not wanting to think about certain things: Oscar Taveras and Jose Fernandez both made decisions that resulted in the cumulative deaths of 5 people. Chapman’s decisions did not result in any deaths. These are not equivalent situations, they should not be viewed as such. But if there are certain things anyone doesn’t want to think about it would be Jose’s unfortunate demise, the circumstances surrounding it, and the mortal effect it had on many people, not just himself.
“Chapman is a Yankee to close ballgames, but he’s also a Yankee to sell tickets and merchandise”. So well said! Congrats to Nick, the author.
This article has the most comments i’ve see in a while. Please don’t take this a sign you should become more deadspin and less fangraphs. That’s precisely the reason I go to a site like this. I’ll sign up for a membership if you promise not to make this site political.
I’m probably going to get downvoted for this, but I don’t think it’s the duty of the Yankees, or any sports team for that matter, to be concerned about things like this, especially this long after the fact. A team’s job is to hire employees capable of optimizing their competitiveness, and that should be about it.
Don’t know the threshold for punishing a human being, but I’m over Chapman’s domestic violence stuff. Chances are high he won’t do it again based on everything that’s happened.
I have never been on a internet message board with so many people willing and quick to type out negative and hateful comments over a person’s baseball opinions…How safe you are in front of your computer. Go change your tampon tough guys.
It’s gotten so bad, Ruben Amaro and Dave Stewart are out there trashing each other. Something in the air.
Yeah. Women are the worst… to clarify so no one misinterprets this – let it just be noted that the tampon line is there, not as a remark on misogyny, but as an example of how compatible it is with our society. The simplistic argument that “man do bad thing is bad” is not useful. To put the world of blame on Chapman obfuscates the conditions that makes this unexceptional.
…
Jose Reyes sent his wife to the hospital.
Jeurys Familia punched his wife in the face.
Aroldis Chapman shot up his garage rather than hitting his wife which is why, unlike Reyes or Familia, he was not arrested, let alone charged.
Don’t you dare claim the incidents are comparable.
That’s fucking disgusting.
agreed, the police investigated and found that her statements were not in line with witness testimony….the victim herself said her statements were embellished. how anyone can judge a man based on admitted lies is in serious need of help
Rice, familia, and Reyes have an evidentiary basis against them. Chapman does not. as such he is the victim of a witchhunt perpetrated by those with an agenda
all alleged crimes only have merit if there was evidence to support the charge. in Chapmans case the Police found the witnesses did not support the victims assertions, which the victim later admitted were embellishments
if that case had gone to court the supposed victim would be guilty of perjury….she was lucky that chapman declined to press charges.
you are an asshole
Hope that’s directed at joeyp for being an asshole, rather than myself for valuing the safety of women over that of drywall.
Here’s what I would be worried about if I signed Chapman (or Jansen) to a 5-year contract: Guys who racked up a lot of saves by age 28 mostly tanked from 29-33.
There are 9 pitchers who:
(a) had at least 150 saves through age 28,
(b) had at least 20 saves at age 28 (limiting the study to those not already burned out), and
(c) have completed at least their age-32 season.
Their average totals for two 5-year periods:
Age 24-28 — 8.7 bWAR … 160 saves … 363 IP … 149 ERA+
Age 29-33* — 3.1 bWAR … 83 saves … 221 IP … 122 ERA+
* Since Huston Street is 33 next year, I pro rated his totals to an extra year.
The group as a whole saw its WAR drop by 62% in the latter period, with 7 of 9 down at least 42%. Total saves fell 48%, with 6 dropping at least 44%.
From age 24-28, they totaled 17 seasons of at least 2.0 bWAR. From 29-33, just 4 such years.
Here’s the list, with bWAR for 24-28 and 29-33:
Bruce Sutter … 17.5 … 4.8
Jonathan Papelbon … 14.6 … 7.7
Francisco Rodriguez … 10.2 … 5.9
Eric Gagne … 9.5 … 1.1
Ugueth Urbina … 7.3 … 3.8
Mitch Williams … 5.1 … -1.5
Bobby Thigpen … 5.0 … -0.9
Huston Street … 4.9 … 5.0*
Rod Beck … 3.9 … 3.4
Only Street and Beck held the bulk of their value, and they had the least to begin with.
Small sample, but still — I’d be surprised if the Yanks got more than half of the 12.7 bWAR Chapman’s racked up in the last 5 years.
Gotta say, these parameters seem a little artificial, and designed to exclude guys like Hoffman, Wagner and Rivera, who put up great numbers from 29 to 33.
I’d be interested in seeing this list with “saves in first six seasons,” rather than “saves through age 28,” as the cutoff for making the list. It gets rid of Williams, Street and Urbina, who only make the “by age 28” cutoff because they started young, and replaces them with Hoffman and Rivera. Wagner, like Street, barely misses the cutoff, because he was hurt in his fifth season.
Since Chapman is 28 now and has been closing for 5 years, my whole point was to focus on age, rather than experience. There are some who believe that closing is unhealthy for young arms, in the long run. I don’t know if that’s true, and this study is far too small to test anything like that. But it is what it is.
I don’t think the Yankees really expect Chapman to hold his value over the life of his contract. What he does do for them is, if they are at the margins of making the playoffs in the next couple of years while integrating new talent, is maybe put them into a Wild Card. There’s money to be made there, and once you are in, anything can happen. This is the type of investment, which while probably unwise from a talent-return perspective, could work out for them. This is not to say I was happy with this signing.
Melancon and Jansen, yes. Chapman, though, is a freak. When he loses a nickel on his fastball he’ll be fine, and I don’t think he will lose the nickel. I don’t wish the Yankees well, but Chapman can’t be projected with any other class of arms. Cashman is in a good place now where he doesn’t have to over pay for anybody, and he didn’t.
If you are going to an article “The Realty…” of something, at least make an effort to stick to facts.
why….. just like jd bolick, Mr Stellini had an agenda to push and facts be damned. While I agree Spousal abuse is indeed a problem in this society, those who ignore the actual facts of a particular case are just as much of a problem as the issue itself.
does Rape, justify those who falsely claim they were raped? certainly not. I contend that those who do so make it harder on those who have a valid cause of action, because it calls into question the very laws that were designed to protect our citizens.
those who fail to demonstrate proper discretion in an effort to push forth an agenda as Mr Stellini contrives to do here, No matter how well intentioned only perpetuate stereotypes that have no place in our Judicial system
Its hard enough on our police and Judicial officials as it is, than to have false claims needlessly diverting resources, and those who push agendas merely makes things harder on actual victims.
domestic violence is a serious criminal matter and, despite the author’s sentiments, our society DOES NOT think it appropriate to refuse employment to people who ALMOST physically abused their domestic partner.
To everyone who’s arguing that the domestic violence accusation is ‘nothing’ – the guy was given, and accepted, a suspension based on the incident. The ship has sailed – you simply can’t say it’s not part of who Chapman is, regardless of whether or not you feel it was justified. The punishment was levied, accepted, and served.
Any one of us can feel about it how we do (not that anyone cares, but as a die-hard Reds fan who watched every one of his games for five seasons, I can’t not enjoy watching him pitch, no matter what I think about him off the field). But no one can honestly or objectively say ‘this shouldn’t be brought up.’ The suspension happened; it’s part of his story. And yes – as cold and callous as it might sound, it IS part of the evaluation of his contract. It happened and it matters.
WRONG, HE WAS SUSPENDED FOR FIRING THE GUN, which happens to be under the domestic abuse provision of the cba
he was not suspended for domestic abuse, since the police found no evidence to support the Allegation, in fact the police investigation determined the Allegation was a lie, as the claimant later admitted
Everyone will have their own personal take on the subject. But here is where I stand. I am always wary of any individual who takes the stance that someone was not punished enough. I am not here to defend Chapman or his actions. They were indefensible. But I know that regardless of what punishment was levied against him, there would be a vocal contingent who felt it was never enough. I fear that element of our society far more than I will ever fear a violently out of control baseball player.
Let ESPN and other pop cultural nonsense websites focus on the moralities, FanGraphs on actual analysis which is what the majority of the readers are here to consume. Not saying the author’s sentiments aren’t valid, but a piece like this (or at least the parts of your personal opinions, especially as a Yankees fan) doesn’t belong in this space.
Nicolas Stellini, where’s your article on how Jose Fernandez killed 3 people?
With respect Mr. Stellini, if you feel this strongly about the issue, why are you still a Yankees fan? If it’s morally offensive, don’t spend another dime in support of them.
You’re not exactly reaching an enlightened moral perspective here, this has got to be the zillionth time this article has been written. Everybody knows the facts at this point. you yourself must have accepted it if you continued to support the team when they brought him back), and every normal person also feels domestic violence is disgusting.
You maybe could have just stopped this article after the comments on domestic violence and that would have been super cool.
many of you dont get the point,
1) if you lie under oath in court that is perjury
2) of you lie on a police report you are subject to criminal prosecution for filing a false report
3) the police record states that Aroldys Chapman declined to press charges against the claimant
which means:
4) she lied…..which she admitted to
5) aroldys chapman was suspended not for domestic abuse but for firing a gun in his garage which while it was a criminal act. is only a misdemeanor in florida
so:
6) there was no Domestic abuse period. those of you claiming this is a domestic abuse case just dont get it
gun offenses are included under the domestic abuse provisions of the CBA. THAT DOESNT MEAN CHAPMAN ABUSED ANYONE
Joey, you have to let this go. You’ve gone out of your way to insult people who have a different opinion than you, questioning their “agendas” when it’s pretty clear you have one of your own. People are entitled to their point of view on this. The louder you shout, the less credible your arguments appear to be.
no i just appreciate the TRUTH, when someone makes an ALLEGATION and later that person admitted they lied, how is the accused anything but a VICTIM.
in this case the evidence is clear
1) the accuser admitted she lied
2) the accusers own brother disputed her version of events
3) the police after investigation determined that her version if events was not credible and there was NO PHYSICAL EVIDENCE to support her claim.
JUST BEING ACCUSED, DOES NOT MAKE YOU GUILTY
We live in a society where you are innocent until proven guilty. just because women have reason to abhor domestic violence as do I, doesnt mean everyone accused is automatically guilty
OK, Joey, have it your way. Here’s a couple of hints: All caps doesn’t make it so. And insulting people because they don’t agree with you is not the Dale Carnegie way of winning converts. I don’t know what really went on and neither do you. But, by all means, continue if it gives you pleasure.