Blue Jay star boycotts God Bless America

[BeyondGeography]

Delgado Makes a Stand by Taking a Seat
By WILLIAM C. RHODEN
The New York Times
Published: July 21, 2004

OAKLAND, Calif.

BEGINNING tonight, the Yankees will see a lot of the Toronto Blue Jays. The two teams will play 19 times in the final three months of the season. The Yankees will also see a lot of the Blue Jays slugger Carlos Delgado; they just won't see him in the middle of the seventh inning.

Though Delgado is having an off year, he remains one of the most respected players in Major League Baseball. Last March when the United States invaded Iraq, Delgado, in his own quiet way, said that for him, enough was enough. He had stood for "God Bless America" through the 2003 season but vowed not to do so this season. In an act of a simple, mostly unnoticed, protest against the war, Delgado, a 32-year-old first baseman, has chosen to remain in the dugout while "God Bless America" is played.

…"I'm not trying to get anyone mad," he said Monday in Oakland, where the Blue Jays were playing the Athletics. "This is my personal feeling. I don't want to draw attention to myself or go out of my way to protest. If I make the last out of the seventh inning, I'll stand there. But I'd rather be in the dugout."

…His well-thought-out opposition to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan is just one part of a larger issue for him. Delgado, a native of Puerto Rico, sees his protest as consistent with his earlier opposition to the Navy's use of the Puerto Rican island of Vieques as a weapons testing ground. In many ways, the United States military waged a form of war for 60 years on the tiny island, using a 900-acre site for bombing exercises.

EDITED BY ADMIN: COPYRIGHT

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/07/21/sports/baseball/21rhoden.html

COMMENT: Somewhere, Roberto Clemente is smiling. God bless you, Carlos.

[yellowcanine]

1. Good for Delgado - no doubt the Freepers will crucify him. But I hope

patriotic Americans will support his right to protest the war in this way.

[masshole]

2. Good for him

He's always been a quality ballplayer, now I know he's a quality person also.

Is the playing of "God Bless America" during the 7th inning only at MFY games? I can't imagine the song being played at Blue Jay home games.

[Moderator]

3. Great Article. But please remember DU copyright rules.

Posted excerpts from copyrighted articles are limited to four paragraphs.

Thanks

[BeyondGeography]

4. Noted

Good edit job, BTW.

[benfranklin1776]

5. I applaud Delgado's concern for things beyond racking up endorsements.

Such concern for matters of human need and a willingness to take a public stand is rare among the athletes of today. And you are right, he is carrying on, with his work, Roberto's example of service and compassion.

[Merlin]

6. A major leaguer with balls!

Carlos Delgado, I salute you!

[Career Prole]

7. Thanks for posting that!

Great article, great guy. Selig better leave him be.

[dArKeR]

8. Blue Jays' Delgado Protests War in Iraq - A man of his morals but the GOP

will kill him for following his conscience. ALL MUST STEP TO THE Führer Bush and NAZI GOP PARTY!

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040722/ap_on_sp_ba_ne/bba_sports_showcase_3