Thursday, March 14, 2013

Did Vin Scully Talk Down Mike Piazza?

Mike Piazza’s new book has garnered praise and criticism from many in the baseball world, but one legendary broadcaster is denying allegations the catching great makes in his tell-all.


here is a simple statement for analysis.  Did Vin Scully talk down Mike Piazza as claimed in Piazza's book?

Let's let Vin Scully's own words guide us.  Does he say "I didn't do it", or does he avoid the reliable denial?

we need to hear Scully use the pronoun "I" with past tense verbs and address the issue at hand.  

does he??

Vin Scully, longtime Dodgers broadcaster, denies Piazza’s claims that he caught the former catcher off guard with a series of questions geared toward his contract negotiations with the team during an interview in 1998.
In the pages of “Long Shot” Piazza says that Scully “crushed” him in the media when the Dodgers star got off to a slow start in the 1998 season and inevitably turned fans against him before he was eventually traded to the Marlins and then to the Mets later in the year.

"He wasn't happy about it," Piazza wrote. "And Scully's voice carried a great deal of authority in Los Angeles."
"The way the whole contract drama looked to them -- many of whom were taking their cue from Scully -- was that, by setting a deadline and insisting on so much money, I was demonstrating a conspicuous lack of loyalty to the ball club. I understood that," Piazza continued.

In an interview with the Los Angeles Times on Wednesday, Scully vehemently denied any such claim.

"That's not true at all," Scully said. “As God is my judge, I don't get involved in these things. I can't imagine I would ever put my toe in the water as far as a player and his negotiations.
"I have no idea where he is coming from. I really have no idea. I can't imagine saying something about a player and his contract. I just don't do that, ever. I'm really flabbergasted by that reference."

If the subject is unwilling or unable to bring himself to say he did not do it, we are not permitted to say it for him. 

4 comments:

C5H11ONO said...

I used to have a major crush on Mike Piazza, and of course my guy friends were quick to point out to me that he was "gay", which was very disappointing. I even compared the "gay" situation to the 70's with my brother in law breaking the news to me, a pre-teen, that the Village People were gay. How could that be?! Please for my peace of mind, did Mike make a reliable denial?

So, I am sharing a few comments that Mike Piazza made regarding the "gay" rumors. I don't know if he made a reliable denial, in fact, now with my itsy bitsy knowledge on SA, I will venture to say there was even an embedded admission.
Link:
http://www.glaad.org/blog/mike-piazza-discusses-gay-rumors-new-memoir

In the new memoir Piazza states that if, "I was gay, I'd be gay all the way".

he actually went so far as to host an impromptu press conference to publically affirm his heterosexuality, in which he stated, "I can only say what I know and what the truth is and that’s I’m heterosexual and I date women. That’s it. End of story".

C5H11ONO said...

His press conference statement word for word:
I'm not gay. I'm heterosexual. I can't control what people think. I can say I'm heterosexual. I date women. That's pretty much it. I don't see a need to address it any further. I deny those rumors. I don't know how they got started. I don't know why. I don't know where. But obviously, these things do not apply to me at all.
I can't control what people think. I can only say what I know and what the truth is, and that's that I'm heterosexual and I date women. That's it. End of story.
Link:
http://www.baseballnation.com/2013/2/15/3990240/mike-piazza-gay-rumors-denials-playmates

I would say it is a reliable denial, with sensitivity towards "controlling what people think", since he said that in the negative twice.

Gambler said...

No reliable denial.

He doesn't say he didn't do it.
only, he can't imagine doing it.

He said, I 'don't' get involved in these things.

'Don't get involved' could mean he doesn't do it now, it doesn't say he didn't before.

in the past.

C5H11ONO said...

I saw the present tense of I'm Heterosexual and I date women. But, when I pulled the complete text, the first thing out of his mouth was "I'm not gay", which is a good denial. I still thought though that it is present tense, just as you said. I don't know how I would have worded it had I been the one making the press conference. I would have said, I'm not gay too - first thing. I guess we can safely say he is not gay now. That's it. End of story! LOL!