#Marcell Ozuna

[shutuprosie]

I'd say signing him was a good choice

[strawberryblondebutch]

Korbin Albert, Britta Curl, Marcell Ozuna, and the politics of self-flagellation.

Over this current summer, I have noticed three prevailing narratives that hew too close to one another.

Korbin Albert on the USWNT has not only posted anti-LGBT content on social media, but she liked a post praising Megan Rapinoe's injury.

Britta Curl of PWHL Minnesota and USA Hockey has voiced her support for legislation that will prevent trans athletes from competing alongside cis women, and she has engaged with other right-wing content, including praise of Kyle Rittenhouse.

Marcell Ozuna of the Atlanta Braves was caught on video strangling his wife and threatened to kill her over perceived infidelity. The next year, he was arrested for, and pleaded no contest to, driving under the influence.

All three of these athletes have made public apologies for their behavior, and all three are presently in good standing with their respective organizations. The only one who suffered league discipline was Ozuna, who MLB suspended for 20 games in violation of their domestic violence policy.

(As an aside, I have mentioned this before - there is some whataboutism in play with how MLB handles interpersonal violence that I want to get ahead of. As part of the collective bargaining agreement between the league and the players' association, an individual team cannot levy additional punishment for behavior that has already been disciplined by the league. So if an MLB player is suspended for PED use, domestic violence, or gambling, their team cannot cut them for that reason unless they were already subject to a morality clause. This became relevant in 2021, when the Phillies designated Odubel Herrera for assignment after Herrera's DV suspension. General manager Matt Klentak said in a press conference that it was "a baseball decision" and cited multiple baseball-related reasons why Herrera did not fit with the current roster. If he had not done that, the Phillies would have opened themselves up to a lawsuit.)

What concerns me about the nature of all three individuals' apologies, and the rhetoric from their supporters, is the self-flagellative push. What does this mean?

Coach Emma Hayes, when asked about Albert's performance on the field, said that the booing she received from fans had "affected" the midfielder, who was "a young person ... having to deal with a lot of criticism."

In Curl's apology video, she spends more time hoping the fans accept her than detailing what she did wrong and how she hopes to change.

And the reason this post is being written now -- yesterday, as he prepared to enter the Home Run Derby, Ozuna was the subject of two puff pieces in which his teammates, manager, and other members of the Braves family discuss how hard "things" were for him. What things? Doesn't matter. But the criticism hurt.

This rhetoric is bullshit. We're all critical thinkers, and that part should be obvious. Why is the onus on fans, many of whom come from the communities hurt by these athletes, to get over it? What has Albert done, on or off the field, to justify a more positive reaction? Does Curl even know why people are upset with her? Why do we let Ozuna get away with calling domestic violence "a mistake" as opposed to a conscious decision? When did we forget that playing sports professionally is a privilege?

In one of the worst Supreme Court cases of all time, Flood v. Kuhn (1972), the Court ruled that the reserve clause was not a 13th Amendment violation because no one in MLB was being forced to play for the team that held them under contract. Don't like your team? Get out. But this job is only a privilege when it's used to keep minorities in their place.

But this rhetoric, this insistence that you must forgive and forget because criticism is so hard on these poor athletes (notably, two of these three examples are young white women, making it easier for their supporters to accuse any critics of bullying) isn't just bullshit. It's also dangerous.

Humans are a social species. It makes us uncomfortable to see exclusion play out before us. When we're told shame on you, you hurt this person, it creates an emotional response. You can logically know that this is a manipulative technique, that saying "poor Ozuna" deflects from questions about his violent behavior. But you still don't like it. You don't like being told you're a bully. You hate seeing someone be ostracized. And so you give in.

It's DARVO played out on a shallower, but wider scale. In typical DARVO practices, an abuse perpetrator denies any wrongdoing, attacks the victim for attempting to hold them accountable, and then reverses victim & offender. Not only did I not do what you're accusing me of, but to see you do so hurts my feelings. You're the real piece of shit. This traditional DARVO comes up with Ozuna quite frequently, as his wife has also been arrested for physical abuse. This ignores that he has physical and financial control over her (it's his job that keeps them in the United States. He loses that? No more visa.) and that she has stated, multiple times, she was only fighting back.

It's not quite the same on this wider scale. Those who publicly condemn Albert, Curl, or Ozuna's actions aren't labeled abusers. We're just bullies. We're just the pieces of shit who don't believe people can change. Don't ask what they've changed or why. They're all so nice. They're such team players. They've been through so much, and they're so brave waking up every day and facing such ungrateful fans. You're such a bad person, writing them off for one mistake. Haven't you ever made a mistake? Do you want someone to judge you for your worst days, or the shit you believed when you were their age? Huh?

Are your shoulders tense yet? Are you starting to wonder if you're the bad guy? Good. That's exactly why they do this. It's a way to shut down critique. You created an environment where it's easier to shut up and get over it than to keep pushing back. The person in question never has to change. How lovely for them.

So how do we stop this? Well, on a personal scale, stop giving clicks to abuse apologists like Bob Nightengale or Mark Lazerus. If you have to dunk on them, screenshots > quote tweets. They'll get less engagement. But more importantly, you have to cut out that emotion from your brain. Turn off the social animal that doesn't want to step on toes.

Sure, you have to say. People can change. But have you? And why do we owe you the privilege of forgiveness? And then they'll cry more, try to get under your skin even more. But once that stops working, they're out of moves. Adapt or die.

While I have you here, please consider giving a few dollars to Women Against Abuse or another local domestic violence organization. Last night I challenged my Twitter followers to donate $1 for every home run Ozuna hit in the Derby. Today I'm upping my pledge -- at the end of the season, I'll give $1 for every homer he hit in a game. I encourage those with the financial means to do the same.

[masoncarr2244]

Marcell Ozuna - New York Mets at. Atlanta Braves 09/24/24/

[jabberamongthetrees]

All Stars Shining in Arlington

[acunasmvpszn]

CHRIS SALE IS SUCH A DAD

[sgtbradfords]

162 games later...

[wolfboywarmachines]

this is a general ask for the gifmakers of atlanta braves tumblr, but if i could get a compilation of matt tuiasosopo doing the cleanest euro step in the league when ozuna homers i will be forever in your debt. thank you

[gummyartstradingcards]

[rileysmvpszn]

not acuna fussing at ozuna for almost hitting olson with a foul ball😭

yes, this was like 1 or 2 days ago but acunas and olsons reactions are just amazing

[shutuprosie]

THAT'S RIGHT MARCELL!!! BIG BEAR!!!

Top 10 MLB Home Run Leaders: Week 6

10: Pete Alonso; Jr., New York Mets (8) 9: Bryce Harper, Philadelphia (8) 8: Cal Raleigh, Seattle (8) 7: Teoscar Hernández, Los Angeles Dodgers (9) 6: Kyle Tucker, Houston (9) 5: Tyler O'Neill, Boston (9) 4: Terry Rooker; Jr., Oakland (9) 3: Ōtani Shōhei, Los Angeles Dodgers (10) 2: Gunnar Henderson, Baltimore (10) 1: Marcell Ozuna, Atlanta (10)

[strawberryblondebutch]

Every single player in this article, by praising Ozuna’s character, has inadvertently told the women in their lives not to come to them in crisis. Fuck this entire trash organization.

[masoncarr2244]

Marcell Ozuna - Atlanta Braves at. Cincinnati Reds 09/18/24/

[jabberamongthetrees]

Saturday Win PHI vs. ATL July 6, 2024

[acunasmvpszn]

HOW MANY GAMES HAVE THE BRAVES WON SINCE BOBBY COX WAS AT A GAME

[sgtbradfords]

Oh how sweep it it 🧹🧹🧹

[anthrofreshtodeath]

Time to dissociate with the home run derby!