Last week we heard Carlos Beltran talk about the difficulty a lot of Spanish-speaking players have playing in the United States and how the lack of interpreters on teams contributes to this. Union director Tony Clark is interested in what he had to say. From the Daily News:
I think the term “discussion” is apt here, as it’s not at all clear that there is something certain to be done that everyone would agree on at the moment such as mandating interpreters or what have you. But the integration of players into every aspect of their job an existence in the United States is a worthy goal, and making sure they don’t have a problematic or adversarial relationship with the media or their own team due to communication problems is one way to achieve it.
There are number of challenges for a ballplayer when working and playing in a foreign country,” Clark responded in an email. “Needless to say, learning a new language is one of those challenges. As such, there are a number of programs currently in place to provide International Players support in this area as they develop and move through the minor leagues.
“Having said that, we would be very interested in having a discussion about providing additional support to players particularly considering the demands being placed on them to speak publicly and address the media.”
I think the term “discussion” is apt here, as it’s not at all clear that there is something certain to be done that everyone would agree on at the moment such as mandating interpreters or what have you. But the integration of players into every aspect of their job an existence in the United States is a worthy goal, and making sure they don’t have a problematic or adversarial relationship with the media or their own team due to communication problems is one way to achieve it.
