Social Problems in Major League Baseball: Revisiting and Expanding Talamini’S Analysis Twenty Years Later
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Social Problems in Major League Baseball: Revisiting and Expanding Talamini’s Analysis Twenty Years Later Mark Vermillion, G. Clayton Stoldt, & Jordan Bass KEYWORDS: AbsTRACT baseball, Major League Baseball, deviance, social problems, sport sociology The purpose of this research was to review, revisit, and expand Talamini’s social problems within Major League Baseball (MLB). Talamini’s categories, which include gambling, player/ managerial violence, spectator violence, cheating, crime, and greed are reviewed and applied to social problems in MLB since the original publication in 1987. In order to better understand social problems and deviant behavior within MLB, the original categories are related to specific deviance theories to better understand causation of deviance. Theories are then organized by Shoemaker’s proposed integrated model, which organizes causes of deviance on the structural, social-psychological, and psychological levels. Relating Talamini’s social problems categories to sociology of deviance theories, and then organized by Shoemaker’s proposed integrated model aids in better explaining MLB deviance. Recommendations are made to sport management practitioners, students, and scholars regarding how to ameliorate the aforementioned social problems. Vermillion, M., Stoldt, G. C., & Bass, J. R. (2009). Social problems in major league baseball: Revisiting and expanding Talamini’s analysis twenty years later. Journal of Sport Administration & Supervision 1(1), 23-38. http://hdl.handle.net/2027/spo.6776111.0001.106; published online April, 2009. Dr. Mark Vermillion is an organization having a low tolerance for assistant professor of sport Introduction management in the Department deception and unbiased statistical gathering; of Sport Management at Wichita In 1987, John T. Talamini penned an article State University. and 4) the harmonious social dynamics Dr. G. Clayton Stoldt is an in the May issue of the journal Free Inquiry and rituals involved within the game associate professor of sport in Creative Sociology. Using a self-developed management in the Department (Talamini, 1987). Finally, Talamini (1987) of Sport Management at Wichita social problems framework, Talamini (1987) State University. challenged the popular perceptions that Jordan R. Bass is a graduate addressed socially-relevant issues within Major baseball players were “participating solely student in the Department of Sport League Baseball (MLB) illustrating that “[b] Management at Wichita State for the love of the sport and often, in team University. aseball … like other human activities is Janus- sports, as sharing a spirit of powerful group faced” (p. 65). Talamini (1987) argued his morale,” while off the playing field, they analysis was sociologically relevant because, were “humble, selfless, and exemplars of up to that point, baseball was lauded for its conventional virtues” (p. 65). structural aspects and few discussions were In an effort to critically highlight that entertained outside of the popular press social problems exist within the arena of regarding the negative attributes of MLB. The sport, Talamini (1987) provided a review structural aspects of MLB so widely admired of relevant academic and popular literature included: 1) the rules of the game resembling and offered examples illustrating the a moral philosophy; 2) the object of the game presence of various social problems in representing order and stability; 3) the league’s MLB. To organize his analysis, Talamini © 2009 • Journal of Sport Administration & Supervision • Vol. 1, No. 1, April 2009 23 Social Problems in MLB (1987) provided a categorization of the social ORIGINAL CATEGORIES: A REVIEW problems within MLB. These typological categories included: gambling, player, Talamini’s (1987) original research managerial and spectator violence, cheating by advocated identifying social problems within players and officials, crime by athletes, and the MLB utilizing a traditional social problems greed of owners and players. framework. The social problems framework The purpose of this article is to revisit was useful for developing the categories of Talamini’s analysis of MLB 20 years after deviant behavior within MLB. These typological his initial examination. The article will first categories included: gambling; player, review each typological category utilized by managerial, and spectator violence; cheating by Talamini and summarize the examples cited at players and officials; crime by athletes; and the the time. It will then provide recent examples greed of owners and players. of incidents relating to each category. Next, Gambling has remained an issue of concern Shoemaker’s (2000) proposed integrated model to MLB for many years. Talamini (1987) noted explaining delinquency and deviance will be that gamblers’ interest in baseball pre-dated introduced as a tool for expanding on the the Civil War, and more bets were placed on analysis of social problems in MLB. Finally, to MLB games than any other sport. Talamini provide a synthesis of practical and theoretical (1987) observed that only a few instances had ideas, known as praxis, this research will come to light in which players or coaches had relate each category to a specific sociological committed gambling-related offenses. The theory of deviance or idea to provide most notable exception was the infamous Black scholars, students, and practitioners with an Sox Scandal in which several members of the understanding of how these acts of deviance Chicago White Sox admitted to taking bribes can be remedied. from gamblers to throw the 1919 World Series. One should note that the purpose of this Talamini (1987) also addressed player and article is not to single out one issue as particularly managerial violence. Specifically, he noted more salient than another, but rather to expand current events, such as a 1984 brawl between on Talamini’s typologies and illustrate how the Atlanta Braves and San Diego Padres, and collectively students, practitioners, academics, stated that baseball is a sport that attempts and policy makers can utilize such a framework. to govern itself with unwritten rules of the By increasing and strengthening theoretical game that often contradict fair play and explanations, scholars and practitioners alike may sportsmanship. Some of these informal norms combine elements of psychology, sociology, and that contradict official rules but involve game criminology to produce a relevant framework strategy include: 1) hard (aggressive) slides into for examining modern phenomena in MLB second base to break up a potential double play, and MLB sanctioned events. Indeed, in the 2) the brush-back pitch, and 3) playing bean criminological tradition, this article uses theories ball (a pitching strategy that occurs when one for practical applications, i.e., translating theory’s team’s pitcher intentionally throws a pitch that contributions directly to practitioners in the field. strikes an opposing batsman in retaliation for Identifying social problems within professional the opposing pitcher hitting one of his team’s sports is important, because recognition of batsmen previously; this dynamic can go back problem facilitates solutions that address and forth in a single game or in various games the core of the problems, not merely their throughout a season). Talamini (1987) also symptoms. acknowledged the sport of baseball’s “macho 24 © 2009 • Journal of Sport Administration & Supervision • Vol. 1, No. 1, April 2009 Vermillion, Stoldt, & Bass ideal” of “being able to take it and dish it out” research. While Talamini (1987) admitted (p. 68). that professional baseball players have “had Spectator violence was also an area of difficulties with the law as with other segments concern for Talamini (1987), who stated that of society” (p. 69) and even cited some despite the gentleman’s sporting ideal, baseball anecdotal examples such as child molestation, was largely contributing to public disorder. attempted rape, assault, and involuntary Talamini pointed to three notable incidents manslaughter, the bulk of his analysis is spent that occurred in the last 15 years. In 1974, on cocaine consumption by baseball players. the Cleveland Indians hosted a Beer Night This discussion was highly relevant to the promotion in which beer was sold for 10 time period in which the article was written cents a cup. During the game, fans showered and related to the broader social phenomenon the visiting Texas Rangers team with cherry of cocaine use during the 1970s and 1980s. bombs and cups of beer before the game Talamini’s discussion once again illustrates how was eventually forfeited to the Rangers. The social problems in sport are often reflective of second event Talamini references is the 1977 the current social climate of the larger culture Disco Demotion Night promotion hosted by in which sport is embedded, i.e., sport is a the Chicago White Sox in which fans rushed microcosm of a society (Coakley, 2007). the field, set fires, and destroyed the batting Regarding the category of greed, Talamini cages. Finally, Talamini (1987) pointed to (1987) indicted MLB owners and players the celebration following the Detroit Tigers’ for their increasing willingness to leverage capture of the 1984 World Series in which fans fan loyalty for their own financial gain. He destroyed police cars and ripped sod from Tiger cited owners who threatened to move their Stadium. franchises if they did not receive new or Talamini (1987) postulates that cheating upgraded stadiums and players