Go to work. Do your job. Shut the fuck up! When you fail to do the last one and are terminated. Blame the person in the mirror. Nobody gives a rats ass about your politics. Do that shit on your own time. You are not special.
100% agree with you @5:33 PM. While people can believe what they want, vote for who they wish, and support whatever causes they believe in, it doesn't mean they should bring their beliefs into the workplace. It doesn't matter how right you think you are or if you believe you're on the right side of public opinion and/or right side of history. You were hired to do a job, and unless your job description involves espousing political beliefs on company time, then you need to leave it at home. And you choose to espouse political and social beliefs on company time, then you have to be prepared for the repurcussions. Simple as that.
5:33 & 7:57, I'm sorry, but I have to respectfully disagree. Renel isn't a McDonald's employee paid to flip burgers or work a drive-thru window.
While Renel is widely known as the PA announcer, what's even more significant and directly relevant to this topic is her 24-year tenure as one of the primary public-facing ambassadors for the team at community events, fundraisers, charity events, and more. For the longest time, the Giants promoted their positions on various issues, including LGBTQ rights, racial and social justice, equality and opportunity, and women's empowerment. Therefore, a public-facing representative dispatched to represent the organization in the community should be fully aligned with the team's publicly stated values and echo the organization's stance. Renel most certainly fit the bill.
From what I've gathered, the issue arises when Greg Johnson, son of the team's majority owner, became chairman and control person in 2020. It's important to remember that change doesn't happen overnight; people are under contracts, and things evolve over time. I believe what we're witnessing now is a departure from many of the values that the organization upheld under the old regime. Under that old regime, Renel publicly championing positions that aligned with the organization's values was celebrated. Now, it’s likely the basis for the proverbial pink slip.
So you believe in a fascist state where individuals with jobs dare not speak of their own beliefs on their own time..Why do you hate freedom so much, or is it only when people dare to express a view you don't agree with, particularly one involving people of color?
I never thought of Renel as one of the better MLB PA announcers, but there's no question that the Giants blew this move with her, and they are getting skewered in the press over how they handled it. I feel sorry for her successor; at least at the outset, he/she will suffer by comparison. People get used to hearing the people that they hear at the ballpark or on radio/TV; and a change takes some time for the fans to accept. Who knows? maybe the Giants and Renel patch things up before the season starts; stranger things have happened. She wants the job back, and the Giants need some good publicity. Stay tuned.
Larry Baer, President & CEO of Baseball Operations and the property development projects near the ballpark, was not at the recent baseball “stars” coming to SF press conferences you said. What is up with that? Punishment for hiring Renel many years ago and standing up for her? The team has no black players as I glanced at their current roster. Wonder about the rest of the payroll. Guess the Giants believe most of the fan base likely from predominately white counties don’t care about diversity. Baer had his wife abuse incident, which looked like a struggle over a phone gone bad with the wife falling, but I kind of feel sorry for the guy now. He may be bought out soon too I imagine and forced to sell his ownership shares. He outlasted his usefulness to the Johnsons it seems. I don’t feel good about supporting the Giants ridiculous prices for tickets and all else now. Wish we had owners like Joe Lacob for our baseball teams. Let the A’s move and then revitalize Oakland with an expansion team ownership group Joe. Maybe bring in Baer. That would make amends for moving the Warriors to SF and be great for your legacy.
The Giants have at least 2 black players (Soler and Wade) in their everyday lineup. If Oakland gets an expansion team, they wouldn't bring in any of the Giants brass, especially not Baer.
@7:28- Yeah, the Giants don't have that many Black players, but that's been an issue across baseball. As a Black man myself, it's sad to not see more Blacks in baseball, and even though I like baseball and am a baseball fan and a big Giants fan, sometimes it does feel weird supporting a sport at times that may not care about people that look like me, and is run by hardcore Conservatives, but it's hard because I love the game of baseball and it would be hard for me to boycott baseball or boycott the Giants cold turkey like that. I plan to go the Giants home opener and possibly other games this season.
Growing up, baseball is always political for Black kids; i.e. the cost to play baseball, and then kids who may not be as talented playing over a Black kid who potentially could be the best player on the team, etc. Black kids learn early on about the politics of baseball which could be a turn off, and can explain why baseball is losing its popularity in general, and is not as popular in the inner cities, and most Black kids would rather play football and basketball instead.
@7:28- The only Black players on the Giants on this year's roster are LaMonte Wade Jr, whom Renel has mentioned in the past, took under her wing when he first came to the Giants back in 2021. I think she knew that coming from the East Coast and probably being on the West Coast for the first time and being on a team where there were no other Black players at the time, there was no one for LaMonte Wade to probably relate to, so that was big on Renel's part to help LaMonte Wade feel more comfortable and acclimated being on the Giants, and probably coming to the Bay Area for the first time. I wonder how he's feeling about the whole Renel thing.... The other Giants Black player this year if he makes the roster will be Amir Garrett who's a reliever, but can probably spot start. But still it's sad that a franchise that has had some of the best Black players to ever play the game (Willie Mays, Willie McCovey, Barry Bonds, and many others), only to have 2 Black players on their current roster. Yeah, color shouldn't matter but at the same time, for a franchise that has an illustrious history of having some of the best Black players ever to play on this team, to only have 1 or 2 on the team currently is shameful.
But yes, the past few years the Giants have been more White, and fans are noticing this. I had a friend at Giants Fanfest back in 2017 tell me that the Giants don't have any Black players and how weird that was even back then... As long as the Johnsons are around, gone may be the days where this team had more personalities and more diversity on the team. During the championship years last decade, outside of guys like Lincecum, Brian Wilson, and Hunter Pence, who had their own flare and personality to add to the fabric of those championship Giants teams, guys like Andres Torres, Angel Pagan, Pablo, Sergio Romo, truly helped give personality to those championship Giants teams and was part of the fabric of those championship Giants teams.
The Giants fanbase is diverse. Giants fans are everywhere here in the Bay Area and CA really, from the predominantly White areas, to the inner city areas. Just here in SF, you got Giants fans in St. Francis Woods to the Sunset to the Dogpatch to Bayview/Hunters Point to Visitacion Valley. The Giants might have one of the most diverse fanbases in baseball. This is why it's puzzling this current Giants ownership just doesn't get it with decisions like this. They don't understand their fanbase and how diverse it is. The Johnsons should go to Florida or Georgia and own the Marlins, Rays, or Braves instead. Get them the hell out of the Bay Area and off this Giants team! I hope they know what they're in for if Black organizations get involved and have protests outside of the ballpark before Giants games.
@7:28- Regarding Larry Baer, you may be right. Ever since that incident with his wife, Larry Baer's presence and public appearances have diminished as Rich talked about in this video. He did a lot of damage with that incident and a lot of people haven't been able to look at him the same since. What was on his phone that he didn't want his wife to see? Did he have naked pictures of a hot younger woman who works for the Giants? Did he have other pictures? Was it some top secret info that he didn't want his wife to know just yet? We'll probably never know. It was very bizarre. It probably wouldn't have been good PR to have him have the same role he had pre-incident with his wife, post-incident with his wife.
Not sure if I totally feel sorry for Larry Baer because there was always something about him that felt shady, but at the same time, he is one of the last holdovers in this organization from the good times when Magowan ran the team and when the team was in better shape under Magowan's leadership. He provides those vibes, and Larry Baer is a local guy from SF. The Giants are doing a better job of bringing guys back to the organization (Melvin, Matt Williams, Dusty, Pat Burrell, Pablo, Bonds is around more often now at the ballpark) to recapture the vibes of better days from this organization in the past, so maybe keeping Baer around could be a good thing.
As far as Joe Lacob goes, I would love for him to own the Giants! He wants to be in baseball. He wanted to own the A's, looked like he was going to try and own the Angels when it looked like they were going to be up for sale until Arte Moreno changed his mind. Lacob would be perfect for the Giants, especially since he is an owner that likes to spend, and if he was in baseball, he wouldn't have to worry about the same payroll constraints that he currently has with the Warriors. The Giants with Lacob as owner would finally be able to spend like the Dodgers.
I hear ya on the Oakland thing, and some have echoed those same sentiments if Fisher sold the A's to Lacob and Lacob kept them in Oakland, but as far as expansion, not sure if Oakland will have an expansion MLB team if/when the A's move to Vegas. We'll see. Yeah, it would be a redemption story for Lacob, but I would think most in Oakland are cool with Lacob still despite the Warriors move to SF. The Warriors are the Bay's team after all and I think most Warrior fans are used to going to Chase Center now for Warrior games.
I get your concerns Otis, but according to Google, MLB is only 6% Black. That works out to only 1 or 2 guys per team. Kinda sad to see the decline of AA athletes going into baseball - but always enjoy your posts.
As far as Renel, there are still a lot of unanswered questions:
-I think we can all agree that Renel’s stance on political/social/racial justice issues, per her own public statements, is likely the polar opposite of the team’s majority owner and his son, based on Charles Johnson’s own public statements and donations in recent years. If this reality contributed to Renel’s departure, why did it not happen sooner? What happened between the end of the 2023 season and the other day when it was announced?
-If it’s true that the decison was made in November, why wait until now to announce it? Seems odd to wait 4.5 months to announce it right before the baseball season when everyone is focused on the start of the season. Seems like the best time would’ve been in november when baseball was over, giants hadn’t played in over a month and everyone’s attention was squarely on the Niners expected Super Bowl push and the Warriors 2023-24 which had just started.
-Is this really about money? Unlikely. I doubt Renel, after 24 years, was asking for some ridiculous sum of money especially considering there would be no basis to come out of left field asking for some exboritant salary for no reason. Renel, for what it’s worth, doesn’t seem like an unreasonable person. So, assuming Renel is a reasonable person with reasonable expectations, there’s no doubt the Giants could’ve paid her the salary, or would have found a way to make things work if they really wanted to keep her.
So that takes us back to the differing beliefs on politics and racial and social justice issues. Based on Johnson’s own history, it’s entirely possibly he simply didn’t want an outspoken black woman in such a prominent, public facing role. Also, it’s important to keep in mind that we don’t know what we don’t know in terms of what went on behind the scenes and what may’ve triggerd people. Of course it’s illegal to fire someone based on their race or gender, but let’s be real - there any number of ways to work around legalities, including offering someone a salary or terms of employment that’s so obviously unacceptable that they won’t stay on. That’s what i believe happened, with the racial/social/political issues as the real reason.
BLM is as racist as it gets and if Renel thinks that it's ok to be a member then she really is stupid. Renel thought she could ask for more money in a dying economy because the color of her skin and the optics for the Giants if they parted ways. Next there will be a lawsuit by Renel for racism.
@12:31- As a Black man, I thought about that and I agree, that probably should've been the slogan instead. I do like the commercial that used to be aired where the lady says, "All Lives can't matter until Black Lives Matter". Some may have taken issue with that statement if that was BLM's premise as well, but it would've been easier for some to understand or get behind the message.
There's white people and other non-Black people who looked at the BLM slogan and seriously thought that their lives didn't matter, and that wasn't the case at all, which is probably where the message got misconstrued and caused division, even though the point of BLM was for social justice for Blacks who have been affected by police brutality. It's just sad how that got lost in everything tracing back to when Colin Kaepernick kneeled during the national anthem.
But yeah, if BLM would've changed their slogan to "Black Lives Matter too", things probably would've been different. It's really sad to think about man and how many people were against BLM and had to be educated on what it really meant. All part of the craziness of 2020.
@11:50, I think you bring up a good point. BLM gained steam during Covid, so everyone was already tense and concentrating on staying employed and staying healthy. To hear a phrase that ONE particular race mattered was polarizing and dividing because at the time, ALL lives did matter.
I thought the top 3 blmers stole most of the money. For themselves. Let’s not forget the whole story. Black life’s matters apparently not. Otis the turd wrote too much.
There is nothing wrong with BLM. All it is saying is that Black lives matter too. I hate the Giants and will not be watching. They could have paid Renel but they didn't want to so screw them and their conservative values. Just another loser baseball team.
@3:46- For real, honestly, that was the real concept and message of BLM. It was so sad and maddening how so many people had to be educated on what BLM really meant. Trump didn't help matters being against it and being against Kap kneeling during the national anthem back in 2016. Trump really wasn't the right president/leader to help push the real message of BLM. If Trump would've been for it, things would've been so much different, and there may not have been as much chaos and craziness the week George Floyd got killed.
It also kind of showed that a lot of people didn't really want to know what BLM really meant or take the time to understand what it meant because it was something regarding Black people, and in 2020, we kind of saw how prejudice some still are regarding causes that fight for the rights of Black people and minorities in general. It was so weird how 2020 felt a bit like we were living in the 1950's and the 1960's when the George Floyd incident happened and when BLM was at the forefront, and all the marches that were going during that week. Even though I wasn't around in the 1950's and the 1960's, just learning about how things were in the US during that time, living through what went down during the George Floyd incident, honestly felt eerily similar to the 1950's and 1960's. We were united but divided as a country at the same time.
2020 was a sad year in more ways than one, from Kobe passing to the pandemic to the George Floyd incident, and the craziness of the Trump-Biden election and the election conspiracies of Trump and his bootlickers and cronies when Trump lost. Definitely the craziest year in recent memory. A forgettable and unforgettable year.
@3:46- Regarding the Giants, as I mentioned before, it's going to be hard to boycott them cold turkey as I am a big Giants fan. Not sure if you're a Giants fan or not, but with the Giants now, it may have to be one of those things where you love the team, but hate the management. I can't stand the Johnsons, but I like the Giants as a team on the field. The Renel thing is ugly and could have repercussions. It's just crazy how clueless this management is, but like you said, the Giants management now has Conservative values. This could also be why baseball is declining in popularity. Yeah, the NFL and NBA probably do have Conservative owners and values as well, but at least they read the room better and understand their fanbases more.
It's really crazy how the Giants are becoming more and more like the A's every day as far as it being a constant battle between the fans and the management.
But yes, I'm still a Giants fan, but despise the management now more than ever. One day this too shall pass, and hopefully the Johnsons sell the team at some point in time. Greg Johnson looks like a boring guy that has no excitement in his life. It's like, do we seriously want a guy like that running the Giants? I really wish Joe Lacob could own the Giants! I would even be cool with Buster Posey getting full ownership of the Giants, despite what he said about SF. At least Buster Posey is a guy us Giants fans can get behind.
How do you know Renel did this advocating on company time? Is she not allowed to speak at non-Giants sponsored/endorsed events on her own and say whatever she wants like the Trump crony Johnson? Typical Trump supporter nonsense about suppressing everyones’ rights to free speech but their own. Reasonable people like to hear others points of view even if they disagree.
I have no issues with Renel’s politics, her beliefs are no more or less important to me than anyone reading this. I simply don’t care about Renel’s contract impasse, Same goes for Frank Somerville’s ongoing saga, these are the usual trappings of living. Jobs rarely last 20+ years. You get made redundant, you move on. Simple. Much ado about nothing. I do not understand the outpouring of angst and the wringing of hands. I guess folks need to project their frustrations about life by feigning horror about other folk’s failings.
YOu miss the point. Spirited MLB PA announcers are legendary. She brought life in real time and humor as well. These are all part of a positive ballpark experience.AI can't do it.
@3:27 “spirited announcers”? WTF? You mean the clown like announcers at NBA games? They are spirited, but who needs their rah-rah-rah when the team on the court is playing good ball? Not everything needs a rooting section. Give me “the Voice of God” anytime. “Just the facts Mam”.
Simple. The two parties did not come to terms on a new contract or extension so consequently went their separate ways. Happens every day in the business world. Move along.
Renel was a passable PA announcer, but she was treated shabbily here. The Giants have totally lost their way in messaging, from top to bottom. I won't pay to see them.
Does it really matter who the PA announcer is. Baseball moves so slow, it's not like you don't have time to figure out who is at the plate. Besides, the stadium has a Jumbotron that tells you anyway.
Baseball doesn't move "slow". It moves "slowly". In any event, Renel Brooks livened things up. She has pizzazz.That's a good thing when you are trying to get people physically back into the ballpark post pandemic.
Today, Larry Baer said they haven't started the search for a PA replacement and would go with a rotating list of replacements. I guess this shows they weren't prepared for Renel's departure.
@5:41- They really weren't prepared at all. I wonder if the Giants assumed Renel wasn't going to ask for a raise? It really will be interesting to see the fallout from all of this, the more information that comes out/gets leaked from this.
3:25 PM Not the poster you are criticizing but Brittanica.com says “English teachers will tell you to use slow as an adjective and add -ly when making it an adverb, but in casual speech, informal writing (such as text messages or e-mails to a friend), and even some formal writing slow is often used as an adverb.” So get off your high horse for this blog. I think Rich would agree!
@9:20- Glen is kind of a dull. If the Giants ever do bring him in, it's going to be hard for him to follow up his brother Duane.... With the Renel thing, that's going to be a slap in the face if the Giants turn around and hire Glen Kuiper. That really won't go over well with the fanbase
@4:58- As a Giants fan, it's hard to talk bad about Duane Kuiper, especially since he's had health issues the past few years, but he is losing his fastball a little bit. As much as I like Kruk and Kuip calling games, not sure how much longer they both will be calling games. Krukow pretty much does just calls Giants home games now. Kuip calls mainly Giants home games as well, but will make some Giants road games.
Regarding Glen Kuiper, he's alright, but he just doesn't have the same gift of gab and charisma as his brother Duane Kuiper. Also, his signature home run call is unoriginal and kind of boring. Seriously "that baby's gone!" is the best he could do? LOL. The Giants are going to have big shoes to fill when Duane Kuiper retires.
9:20, I'm with you. Bring on Glen Kuiper and allow him to do what he loves and rebuild his career after his ridiculous firing by the A's. The Giants look to have assembled a pretty competitive roster this year so adding Glen Kuiper combined with Renel's departure (which I was thrilled to hear about because I was never a fan) and this could be a surprisingly good year for the Gigantes.
@10:29- Ridiculous firing?!? Dude, he said the N-word and didn't apologize for it until later on in the game, when he was probably notified about it, instead of apologizing right when it happened.
Yeah, depending on the situation, people deserve 2nd chances and Glen Kuiper may not be a racist, but it's hard coming back from things like this. There's a reason no other team picked him up. Teams don't want to associate themselves with a guy who had such a terrible slip up and risk bad PR bringing him in.
Why weren't you a fan of Renel? She was a major part of the experience at Oracle Park for Giants games. Giants games aren't going to be the same, at least for this year, without her there.
If you’re an “At-Will Employee”, you better be to read the room and know the limitations of your position. PA announcers aren’t known for holding great sway in any sports organization. No one goes to or stays away from games because of the PA announcer. A good one can enhance the game. RBM always did a nice job and was a ground breaker as a woman in that role. Adding community rep duties was nice perk. She was in the radio biz where things end ugly and suddenly and they did. Well welcome to professional sports where things end ugly and suddenly (see Gabe Kapler). The NAACP, Urban League and Angela Alioto should all be Renel’s new best friends. She’s not going to get her job back, so she might as well go for some BIG settlement money!
RBM has been in the industry for a long time. She's at retirement age and probably doesn't NEED the money, although she may WANT the money. It probably came down to "If they give me a raise, that's fine, but if they don't give me a raise, I can always do without this job" She's in a great spot in life, so she could take it or leave it.
Even though they probably managed to have the best free agent haul this off season, the Giants have a lousy front office. Farhan is a Billy Beane clone in only one respect; he knows analytics. But he does not know baseball. Making him the guy in charge of baseball operations is kind of like making my dog the head of NASA. as far as the firing of the Renel goes? Not at all surprised. Charles Johnson is a racist, homophobic Trump lover. He is probably the most unlikely, and unsuitable owner in the history of Bay Area sports. . His son-in-law, Rob Dean is another one of these snotty Rich kids who thinks he knows everything but was born on third base. The Giants lucked out this year because they managed to get Bob Melvin who had a falling out with the San Diego GM. They also were fortunate that Blake so how she really Snell and Matt Chapman and Jorge Salar were all available. They’ll have a respectable season this year and probably make the playoffs. But this ridiculous firing of Renel did not surprise most of us who have been following this team for a long time. And, of course, the always political Larry Baer kept his shirt clean by staying in the shadows. Baer is one of the most hypocritical backstabbing jerks who’s ever worked in baseball. He may be a smart guy and know how to promote, But if you talk to anybody who has had dealings with him on regular basis, ( Bill Neukom, Dusty Baker,, etc,) will tell you many sordid stories about Baer’s many indiscretions.
I know that Amy G. hasn’t been at all been at all happy since the Giants TV outlet fired her, doing away with her “ sidelines” job on the Giants televised home games. But now that she’s running the Giants website, wouldn’t it make sense to have her to also do the PA, for the Giants. After all, her work with the Giants would continue to all be in/house. Besides, she’s got a great voice, knows baseball and is an inspiration to girls and young women who want to get into broadcasting.
Go to work. Do your job. Shut the fuck up! When you fail to do the last one and are terminated. Blame the person in the mirror. Nobody gives a rats ass about your politics. Do that shit on your own time. You are not special.
ReplyDelete100% agree with you @5:33 PM. While people can believe what they want, vote for who they wish, and support whatever causes they believe in, it doesn't mean they should bring their beliefs into the workplace. It doesn't matter how right you think you are or if you believe you're on the right side of public opinion and/or right side of history. You were hired to do a job, and unless your job description involves espousing political beliefs on company time, then you need to leave it at home.
DeleteAnd you choose to espouse political and social beliefs on company time, then you have to be prepared for the repurcussions. Simple as that.
@7:57. Excellent articulation! Illusions of self importance.
Delete5:33 & 7:57, I'm sorry, but I have to respectfully disagree. Renel isn't a McDonald's employee paid to flip burgers or work a drive-thru window.
DeleteWhile Renel is widely known as the PA announcer, what's even more significant and directly relevant to this topic is her 24-year tenure as one of the primary public-facing ambassadors for the team at community events, fundraisers, charity events, and more. For the longest time, the Giants promoted their positions on various issues, including LGBTQ rights, racial and social justice, equality and opportunity, and women's empowerment. Therefore, a public-facing representative dispatched to represent the organization in the community should be fully aligned with the team's publicly stated values and echo the organization's stance. Renel most certainly fit the bill.
From what I've gathered, the issue arises when Greg Johnson, son of the team's majority owner, became chairman and control person in 2020. It's important to remember that change doesn't happen overnight; people are under contracts, and things evolve over time. I believe what we're witnessing now is a departure from many of the values that the organization upheld under the old regime. Under that old regime, Renel publicly championing positions that aligned with the organization's values was celebrated. Now, it’s likely the basis for the proverbial pink slip.
So you believe in a fascist state where individuals with jobs dare not speak of their own beliefs on their own time..Why do you hate freedom so much, or is it only when people dare to express a view you don't agree with, particularly one involving people of color?
DeleteWell said, 9:29
DeleteI never thought of Renel as one of the better MLB PA announcers, but there's no question that the Giants blew this move with her, and they are getting skewered in the press over how they handled it. I feel sorry for her successor; at least at the outset, he/she will suffer by comparison. People get used to hearing the people that they hear at the ballpark or on radio/TV; and a change takes some time for the fans to accept. Who knows? maybe the Giants and Renel patch things up before the season starts; stranger things have happened. She wants the job back, and the Giants need some good publicity. Stay tuned.
ReplyDeleteRenel was awful. Just got the job because of her skin color.
Deleteso you have better pipes and energy? seriously?
DeleteLarry Baer, President & CEO of Baseball Operations and the property development projects near the ballpark, was not at the recent baseball “stars” coming to SF press conferences you said. What is up with that? Punishment for hiring Renel many years ago and standing up for her? The team has no black players as I glanced at their current roster. Wonder about the rest of the payroll. Guess the Giants believe most of the fan base likely from predominately white counties don’t care about diversity.
ReplyDeleteBaer had his wife abuse incident, which looked like a struggle over a phone gone bad with the wife falling, but I kind of feel sorry for the guy now. He may be bought out soon too I imagine and forced to sell his ownership shares. He outlasted his usefulness to the Johnsons it seems. I don’t feel good about supporting the Giants ridiculous prices for tickets and all else now. Wish we had owners like Joe Lacob for our baseball teams. Let the A’s move and then revitalize Oakland with an expansion team ownership group Joe. Maybe bring in Baer. That would make amends for moving the Warriors to SF and be great for your legacy.
The Giants have at least 2 black players (Soler and Wade) in their everyday lineup. If Oakland gets an expansion team, they wouldn't bring in any of the Giants brass, especially not Baer.
Delete@7:28- Yeah, the Giants don't have that many Black players, but that's been an issue across baseball. As a Black man myself, it's sad to not see more Blacks in baseball, and even though I like baseball and am a baseball fan and a big Giants fan, sometimes it does feel weird supporting a sport at times that may not care about people that look like me, and is run by hardcore Conservatives, but it's hard because I love the game of baseball and it would be hard for me to boycott baseball or boycott the Giants cold turkey like that. I plan to go the Giants home opener and possibly other games this season.
DeleteGrowing up, baseball is always political for Black kids; i.e. the cost to play baseball, and then kids who may not be as talented playing over a Black kid who potentially could be the best player on the team, etc. Black kids learn early on about the politics of baseball which could be a turn off, and can explain why baseball is losing its popularity in general, and is not as popular in the inner cities, and most Black kids would rather play football and basketball instead.
@7:28- The only Black players on the Giants on this year's roster are LaMonte Wade Jr, whom Renel has mentioned in the past, took under her wing when he first came to the Giants back in 2021. I think she knew that coming from the East Coast and probably being on the West Coast for the first time and being on a team where there were no other Black players at the time, there was no one for LaMonte Wade to probably relate to, so that was big on Renel's part to help LaMonte Wade feel more comfortable and acclimated being on the Giants, and probably coming to the Bay Area for the first time. I wonder how he's feeling about the whole Renel thing.... The other Giants Black player this year if he makes the roster will be Amir Garrett who's a reliever, but can probably spot start. But still it's sad that a franchise that has had some of the best Black players to ever play the game (Willie Mays, Willie McCovey, Barry Bonds, and many others), only to have 2 Black players on their current roster. Yeah, color shouldn't matter but at the same time, for a franchise that has an illustrious history of having some of the best Black players ever to play on this team, to only have 1 or 2 on the team currently is shameful.
DeleteBut yes, the past few years the Giants have been more White, and fans are noticing this. I had a friend at Giants Fanfest back in 2017 tell me that the Giants don't have any Black players and how weird that was even back then... As long as the Johnsons are around, gone may be the days where this team had more personalities and more diversity on the team. During the championship years last decade, outside of guys like Lincecum, Brian Wilson, and Hunter Pence, who had their own flare and personality to add to the fabric of those championship Giants teams, guys like Andres Torres, Angel Pagan, Pablo, Sergio Romo, truly helped give personality to those championship Giants teams and was part of the fabric of those championship Giants teams.
The Giants fanbase is diverse. Giants fans are everywhere here in the Bay Area and CA really, from the predominantly White areas, to the inner city areas. Just here in SF, you got Giants fans in St. Francis Woods to the Sunset to the Dogpatch to Bayview/Hunters Point to Visitacion Valley. The Giants might have one of the most diverse fanbases in baseball. This is why it's puzzling this current Giants ownership just doesn't get it with decisions like this. They don't understand their fanbase and how diverse it is. The Johnsons should go to Florida or Georgia and own the Marlins, Rays, or Braves instead. Get them the hell out of the Bay Area and off this Giants team! I hope they know what they're in for if Black organizations get involved and have protests outside of the ballpark before Giants games.
@7:28- Regarding Larry Baer, you may be right. Ever since that incident with his wife, Larry Baer's presence and public appearances have diminished as Rich talked about in this video. He did a lot of damage with that incident and a lot of people haven't been able to look at him the same since. What was on his phone that he didn't want his wife to see? Did he have naked pictures of a hot younger woman who works for the Giants? Did he have other pictures? Was it some top secret info that he didn't want his wife to know just yet? We'll probably never know. It was very bizarre. It probably wouldn't have been good PR to have him have the same role he had pre-incident with his wife, post-incident with his wife.
DeleteNot sure if I totally feel sorry for Larry Baer because there was always something about him that felt shady, but at the same time, he is one of the last holdovers in this organization from the good times when Magowan ran the team and when the team was in better shape under Magowan's leadership. He provides those vibes, and Larry Baer is a local guy from SF. The Giants are doing a better job of bringing guys back to the organization (Melvin, Matt Williams, Dusty, Pat Burrell, Pablo, Bonds is around more often now at the ballpark) to recapture the vibes of better days from this organization in the past, so maybe keeping Baer around could be a good thing.
As far as Joe Lacob goes, I would love for him to own the Giants! He wants to be in baseball. He wanted to own the A's, looked like he was going to try and own the Angels when it looked like they were going to be up for sale until Arte Moreno changed his mind. Lacob would be perfect for the Giants, especially since he is an owner that likes to spend, and if he was in baseball, he wouldn't have to worry about the same payroll constraints that he currently has with the Warriors. The Giants with Lacob as owner would finally be able to spend like the Dodgers.
I hear ya on the Oakland thing, and some have echoed those same sentiments if Fisher sold the A's to Lacob and Lacob kept them in Oakland, but as far as expansion, not sure if Oakland will have an expansion MLB team if/when the A's move to Vegas. We'll see. Yeah, it would be a redemption story for Lacob, but I would think most in Oakland are cool with Lacob still despite the Warriors move to SF. The Warriors are the Bay's team after all and I think most Warrior fans are used to going to Chase Center now for Warrior games.
Sorry for these long responses. LOL
@12:26- Soler is not Black. Soler is Cuban
DeleteI get your concerns Otis, but according to Google, MLB is only 6% Black. That works out to only 1 or 2 guys per team. Kinda sad to see the decline of AA athletes going into baseball - but always enjoy your posts.
Delete@1:20- Oh ok I see. True that makes sense even though I agree, it is sad.... Thanks man, I appreciate the kind words!
DeleteGreat reporting Rich. Informative, in depth and thought provoking.
ReplyDeleteAgreed, one of his better videos by far.
DeleteAs far as Renel, there are still a lot of unanswered questions:
-I think we can all agree that Renel’s stance on political/social/racial justice issues, per her own public statements, is likely the polar opposite of the team’s majority owner and his son, based on Charles Johnson’s own public statements and donations in recent years. If this reality contributed to Renel’s departure, why did it not happen sooner? What happened between the end of the 2023 season and the other day when it was announced?
-If it’s true that the decison was made in November, why wait until now to announce it? Seems odd to wait 4.5 months to announce it right before the baseball season when everyone is focused on the start of the season. Seems like the best time would’ve been in november when baseball was over, giants hadn’t played in over a month and everyone’s attention was squarely on the Niners expected Super Bowl push and the Warriors 2023-24 which had just started.
-Is this really about money? Unlikely. I doubt Renel, after 24 years, was asking for some ridiculous sum of money especially considering there would be no basis to come out of left field asking for some exboritant salary for no reason. Renel, for what it’s worth, doesn’t seem like an unreasonable person. So, assuming Renel is a reasonable person with reasonable expectations, there’s no doubt the Giants could’ve paid her the salary, or would have found a way to make things work if they really wanted to keep her.
So that takes us back to the differing beliefs on politics and racial and social justice issues. Based on Johnson’s own history, it’s entirely possibly he simply didn’t want an outspoken black woman in such a prominent, public facing role. Also, it’s important to keep in mind that we don’t know what we don’t know in terms of what went on behind the scenes and what may’ve triggerd people. Of course it’s illegal to fire someone based on their race or gender, but let’s be real - there any number of ways to work around legalities, including offering someone a salary or terms of employment that’s so obviously unacceptable that they won’t stay on. That’s what i believe happened, with the racial/social/political issues as the real reason.
BLM is as racist as it gets and if Renel thinks that it's ok to be a member then she really is stupid. Renel thought she could ask for more money in a dying economy because the color of her skin and the optics for the Giants if they parted ways. Next there will be a lawsuit by Renel for racism.
ReplyDeleteAlways double down on the race card.
DeleteBest move ever. Renel gone and welcome Glen Kuiper.
DeleteThe BLM movement was racist for the way it was promoted. If the message was "BLM too," then non-blacks wouldn't feel slighted.
Delete@8:09- Just curious, in your eyes, how is BLM racist?
DeleteFantastic post. 100 percent. She isn’t anything great at all being a pa announcer, lol
Delete@12:31- As a Black man, I thought about that and I agree, that probably should've been the slogan instead. I do like the commercial that used to be aired where the lady says, "All Lives can't matter until Black Lives Matter". Some may have taken issue with that statement if that was BLM's premise as well, but it would've been easier for some to understand or get behind the message.
DeleteThere's white people and other non-Black people who looked at the BLM slogan and seriously thought that their lives didn't matter, and that wasn't the case at all, which is probably where the message got misconstrued and caused division, even though the point of BLM was for social justice for Blacks who have been affected by police brutality. It's just sad how that got lost in everything tracing back to when Colin Kaepernick kneeled during the national anthem.
But yeah, if BLM would've changed their slogan to "Black Lives Matter too", things probably would've been different. It's really sad to think about man and how many people were against BLM and had to be educated on what it really meant. All part of the craziness of 2020.
@11:50, I think you bring up a good point. BLM gained steam during Covid, so everyone was already tense and concentrating on staying employed and staying healthy. To hear a phrase that ONE particular race mattered was polarizing and dividing because at the time, ALL lives did matter.
DeleteI don’t think BLM is a membership organization like the Klan I hope you don’t belong to!
DeleteI thought the top 3 blmers stole most of the money. For themselves. Let’s not forget the whole story. Black life’s matters apparently not. Otis the turd wrote too much.
Delete@6:59- I don't belong to BLM, but I would never put them in the same category as the KKK.
Delete11:50 - Otis III, you don't have to answer this, but how old are you?
Delete@5:02- It's all good.... I'm 37
DeleteThere is nothing wrong with BLM. All it is saying is that Black lives matter too. I hate the Giants and will not be watching. They could have paid Renel but they didn't want to so screw them and their conservative values. Just another loser baseball team.
Delete@3:46- For real, honestly, that was the real concept and message of BLM. It was so sad and maddening how so many people had to be educated on what BLM really meant. Trump didn't help matters being against it and being against Kap kneeling during the national anthem back in 2016. Trump really wasn't the right president/leader to help push the real message of BLM. If Trump would've been for it, things would've been so much different, and there may not have been as much chaos and craziness the week George Floyd got killed.
DeleteIt also kind of showed that a lot of people didn't really want to know what BLM really meant or take the time to understand what it meant because it was something regarding Black people, and in 2020, we kind of saw how prejudice some still are regarding causes that fight for the rights of Black people and minorities in general. It was so weird how 2020 felt a bit like we were living in the 1950's and the 1960's when the George Floyd incident happened and when BLM was at the forefront, and all the marches that were going during that week. Even though I wasn't around in the 1950's and the 1960's, just learning about how things were in the US during that time, living through what went down during the George Floyd incident, honestly felt eerily similar to the 1950's and 1960's. We were united but divided as a country at the same time.
2020 was a sad year in more ways than one, from Kobe passing to the pandemic to the George Floyd incident, and the craziness of the Trump-Biden election and the election conspiracies of Trump and his bootlickers and cronies when Trump lost. Definitely the craziest year in recent memory. A forgettable and unforgettable year.
@3:46- Regarding the Giants, as I mentioned before, it's going to be hard to boycott them cold turkey as I am a big Giants fan. Not sure if you're a Giants fan or not, but with the Giants now, it may have to be one of those things where you love the team, but hate the management. I can't stand the Johnsons, but I like the Giants as a team on the field. The Renel thing is ugly and could have repercussions. It's just crazy how clueless this management is, but like you said, the Giants management now has Conservative values. This could also be why baseball is declining in popularity. Yeah, the NFL and NBA probably do have Conservative owners and values as well, but at least they read the room better and understand their fanbases more.
DeleteIt's really crazy how the Giants are becoming more and more like the A's every day as far as it being a constant battle between the fans and the management.
But yes, I'm still a Giants fan, but despise the management now more than ever. One day this too shall pass, and hopefully the Johnsons sell the team at some point in time. Greg Johnson looks like a boring guy that has no excitement in his life. It's like, do we seriously want a guy like that running the Giants? I really wish Joe Lacob could own the Giants! I would even be cool with Buster Posey getting full ownership of the Giants, despite what he said about SF. At least Buster Posey is a guy us Giants fans can get behind.
How do you know Renel did this advocating on company time? Is she not allowed to speak at non-Giants sponsored/endorsed events on her own and say whatever she wants like the Trump crony Johnson? Typical Trump supporter nonsense about suppressing everyones’ rights to free speech but their own. Reasonable people like to hear others points of view even if they disagree.
ReplyDeleteImagine wasting this much time babbling about a PA announcer getting canned. Seriously, who cares?
ReplyDeleteI have no issues with Renel’s politics, her beliefs are no more or less important to me than anyone reading this.
ReplyDeleteI simply don’t care about Renel’s contract impasse, Same goes for Frank Somerville’s ongoing saga, these are the usual trappings of living. Jobs rarely last 20+ years. You get made redundant, you move on. Simple.
Much ado about nothing. I do not understand the outpouring of angst and the wringing of hands. I guess folks need to project their frustrations about life by feigning horror about other folk’s failings.
YOu miss the point. Spirited MLB PA announcers are legendary. She brought life in real time and humor as well. These are all part of a positive ballpark experience.AI can't do it.
Delete@3:27 “spirited announcers”? WTF? You mean the clown like announcers at NBA games? They are spirited, but who needs their rah-rah-rah when the team on the court is playing good ball? Not everything needs a rooting section. Give me “the Voice of God” anytime. “Just the facts Mam”.
DeleteThe majority of fans really don't care who the PA announcer is. Might be best to have it done by a computer. Simple AI application.
ReplyDeleteSimple. The two parties did not come to terms on a new contract or extension so consequently went their separate ways. Happens every day in the business world. Move along.
ReplyDeleteThis person is just a PA announcer. I never cared much for her but why make such a big deal about this? Who really cares?
ReplyDeleteObviously you did, because time to read the item, sit down and then post a response about how little you cared, thus belying your own behavior.
DeleteRenel was a passable PA announcer, but she was treated shabbily here. The Giants have totally lost their way in messaging, from top to bottom. I won't pay to see them.
ReplyDeleteDoes it really matter who the PA announcer is. Baseball moves so slow, it's not like you don't have time to figure out who is at the plate. Besides, the stadium has a Jumbotron that tells you anyway.
ReplyDeleteBaseball doesn't move "slow". It moves "slowly". In any event, Renel Brooks livened things up. She has pizzazz.That's a good thing when you are trying to get people physically back into the ballpark post pandemic.
DeleteToday, Larry Baer said they haven't started the search for a PA replacement and would go with a rotating list of replacements. I guess this shows they weren't prepared for Renel's departure.
ReplyDelete@5:41- They really weren't prepared at all. I wonder if the Giants assumed Renel wasn't going to ask for a raise? It really will be interesting to see the fallout from all of this, the more information that comes out/gets leaked from this.
Delete3:25 PM Not the poster you are criticizing but Brittanica.com says “English teachers will tell you to use slow as an adjective and add -ly when making it an adverb, but in casual speech, informal writing (such as text messages or e-mails to a friend), and even some formal writing slow is often used as an adverb.” So get off your high horse for this blog. I think Rich would agree!
ReplyDeleteKind of like with the pitching staff! At least they got Blake Snell now. Probably not enough but will see.
ReplyDeleteWhat about Glen Kupier?
ReplyDeleteThe Cheesehead has left the building. Repeat: The Cheesehead has left the building.
DeleteHope Glen gets a big role with the G’s . Always enjoyed listening to him with the A’s
ReplyDelete@9:20- Glen is kind of a dull. If the Giants ever do bring him in, it's going to be hard for him to follow up his brother Duane.... With the Renel thing, that's going to be a slap in the face if the Giants turn around and hire Glen Kuiper. That really won't go over well with the fanbase
Delete@1:33 both Kuipers are dull.
Delete@4:58- As a Giants fan, it's hard to talk bad about Duane Kuiper, especially since he's had health issues the past few years, but he is losing his fastball a little bit. As much as I like Kruk and Kuip calling games, not sure how much longer they both will be calling games. Krukow pretty much does just calls Giants home games now. Kuip calls mainly Giants home games as well, but will make some Giants road games.
DeleteRegarding Glen Kuiper, he's alright, but he just doesn't have the same gift of gab and charisma as his brother Duane Kuiper. Also, his signature home run call is unoriginal and kind of boring. Seriously "that baby's gone!" is the best he could do? LOL. The Giants are going to have big shoes to fill when Duane Kuiper retires.
9:20, I'm with you. Bring on Glen Kuiper and allow him to do what he loves and rebuild his career after his ridiculous firing by the A's. The Giants look to have assembled a pretty competitive roster this year so adding Glen Kuiper combined with Renel's departure (which I was thrilled to hear about because I was never a fan) and this could be a surprisingly good year for the Gigantes.
DeletePlay ball!
@10:29- Ridiculous firing?!? Dude, he said the N-word and didn't apologize for it until later on in the game, when he was probably notified about it, instead of apologizing right when it happened.
DeleteYeah, depending on the situation, people deserve 2nd chances and Glen Kuiper may not be a racist, but it's hard coming back from things like this. There's a reason no other team picked him up. Teams don't want to associate themselves with a guy who had such a terrible slip up and risk bad PR bringing him in.
Why weren't you a fan of Renel? She was a major part of the experience at Oracle Park for Giants games. Giants games aren't going to be the same, at least for this year, without her there.
Glen stinks and is boring. Was never good with the A's.
ReplyDeleteIf you’re an “At-Will Employee”, you better be to read the room and know the limitations of your position. PA announcers aren’t known for holding great sway in any sports organization. No one goes to or stays away from games because of the PA announcer. A good one can enhance the game. RBM always did a nice job and was a ground breaker as a woman in that role. Adding community rep duties was nice perk. She was in the radio biz where things end ugly and suddenly and they did. Well welcome to professional sports where things end ugly and suddenly (see Gabe Kapler). The NAACP, Urban League and Angela Alioto should all be Renel’s new best friends. She’s not going to get her job back, so she might as well go for some BIG settlement money!
ReplyDeleteRBM has been in the industry for a long time. She's at retirement age and probably doesn't NEED the money, although she may WANT the money. It probably came down to "If they give me a raise, that's fine, but if they don't give me a raise, I can always do without this job" She's in a great spot in life, so she could take it or leave it.
DeleteEven though they probably managed to have the best free agent haul this off season, the Giants have a lousy front office. Farhan is a Billy Beane clone in only one respect; he knows analytics. But he does not know baseball. Making him the guy in charge of baseball operations is kind of like making my dog the head of NASA. as far as the firing of the Renel goes? Not at all surprised. Charles Johnson is a racist, homophobic Trump lover. He is probably the most unlikely, and unsuitable owner in the history of Bay Area sports. . His son-in-law, Rob Dean is another one of these snotty Rich kids who thinks he knows everything but was born on third base. The Giants lucked out this year because they managed to get Bob Melvin who had a falling out with the San Diego GM. They also were fortunate that Blake so how she really Snell and Matt Chapman and Jorge Salar were all available. They’ll have a respectable season this year and probably make the playoffs. But this ridiculous firing of Renel did not surprise most of us who have been following this team for a long time. And, of course, the always political Larry Baer kept his shirt clean by staying in the shadows. Baer is one of the most hypocritical backstabbing jerks who’s ever worked in baseball. He may be a smart guy and know how to promote, But if you talk to anybody who has had dealings with him on regular basis, ( Bill Neukom, Dusty Baker,, etc,) will tell you many sordid stories about Baer’s many indiscretions.
ReplyDeleteYeah, but he was at the helm 2 years ago too, when the team won 107 games.
DeleteI know that Amy G. hasn’t been at all been at all happy since the Giants TV outlet fired her, doing away with her “ sidelines” job on the Giants televised home games. But now that she’s running the Giants website, wouldn’t it make sense to have her to also do the PA, for the Giants. After all, her work with the Giants would continue to all be in/house. Besides, she’s got a great voice, knows baseball and is an inspiration to girls and young women who want to get into broadcasting.
ReplyDeleteThis is a good choice.
DeleteAt this point I don't care who PA announcer is.
ReplyDelete