Them against us

The disconnect between the Phillies and the public has never been deeper as Brett Myers is welcomed back with open arms in San Francisco.

Myers issued a statement to the media yesterday but entertained no questions. "I have been humbled greatly by this problem," said Myers, "And I deeply regret any incident that happened.”

Brett Myers timeline
Eyewitness accounts and police say Myers allegedly grabbed his wife by the hair and smacked her in the face alongside a Boston street back on June 22. The team faced a public outcry days later when Myers was allowed to pitch his next turn in Boston, generating a perception of apathy toward domestic violence. Following a scathing editorial in the Philadelphia Inquirer and mounting pressure from the public, Myers was granted a leave of absence to receive family counseling in Florida. In the meantime, Phillies chairman Bill Giles said eyewitnesses saw something in Boston that didn’t actually happen, and that Myers was actually trying to “help” Kim Myers. Hours later, Phillies president David Montgomery said Giles misinterpreted what happened.

Yesterday, the latest chapter saw Myers’ return to the team in San Francisco, with continued quotes from the Phillies about conflicting reports on what happened that night in Boston. Speaking to the Inquirer, Mike Lieberthal had this to say:

"I think the players are behind him," catcher Mike Lieberthal said. "From what the players have heard, I'm not sure how much at fault he is. You've got conflicting reports.”

Nobody seems to know for sure what happened, but every single act on the part of the Phillies displays a conviction that the incident isn’t as severe as ithe public believes.

      ---  Myers was allowed to pitch the day after his arrest, and it’s likely he would have continued to pitch if the public flogging hadn’t been so severe.

   -- Following a briefing between Montgomery and Giles, Giles came away from the conversation convinced Myers was trying to “help” his wife, indicating Myers himself was somewhat of victim.

   -- Speaking on behalf of players, Mike Lieberthal says players don’t believe he’s entirely at fault

Is it spin, or are the Phillies truly convinced his actions didn't happen the way they were alleged?

Either way, the cavernous scarring between the Phillies and the public has never been deeper. As a devoted fan, who writes daily on the Phillies for pure enjoyment, I’ve rarely felt so betrayed as I have the last few weeks.

Comments

[Billy Mac]

Minor issue, but who gets sent down when Myers is activated Sunday. Fultz ?

[Casey]

The quality of play this season is one thing, but the handling of this incident has done more to keep me away from channel 19 and CBP than anything. It's just disgusting. It's going to take a lot more than winning baseball for me to really root for this team anytime soon.

[SirAlden]

"Yes of course he was just helping his wife who was drunk and wanted to stay out partying. Women need to be put in line and shown it's all their fault with a smack or two."

This is tongue in cheek, but that is what Lieberthal and Giles are saying, If I was the Pennsylvania Coalition To Prevent Violence Against Women I would be very happy. It will be a perfect way to show people how the dynamic works, they should Print out Giles and Lieberthal's comments on flyers and t-shirts to show how we view women culturally.

It is never OK to hit anyone to get them to do what you want them to do. EVER. If they are making a ass of themselves the words NEVER EVER should still be tattooed in your mind.

NEVER EVER.

[RickSchuBlues]

I agree. The Phillies are clearly, and not surprisingly, just hoping a few prepared statements will help this all blow over and be be long forgotten by next season. If justice prevails, it won't ever be. Not just what Myers did, but how the organization reacted and continues to react to it. The action itself remains the biggest disgrace, but the institutional renunciation of moral responsibility in properly addressing it is causing me more bitter feeling as time goes on. Myers at least didn't premeditate or have time to consider the brutality of his action as it was happening, but the Phillies have no such excuse. They've had all the time to consider, to reflect, to weigh options, and they've flat out failed. What Giles and Lieberthal have said should give one absolutely no doubt that such denial is the organizational position, as Davthom said, and not just isolated sound bites. It's hideous. It is utterly hideous.

[Z]

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[John Salmon]

What Lieberthal said is the most repugnant of all-Myers hit his wife, but it's not "all" his fault. She must've said or done something to aggravate the situation.

By this logic, we shouldn't be too surprised if Lieberthal or another Phillies player ends up hitting his wife, since they obviously feel that there are circumstances that justify such action.

I know we can't expect baseball players to be "role models", but how about expecting them to simply be decent human beings?

Lieberthal, Giles, Montgomery, and all the whole organization have failed this basic test.

[Greg]

I am as turned off by baseball now as I was after the strike.

The Phillies are awful on and off of the field.

[fightins4ever]

Myers' conduct and subsequent remarks were indefensible.

Not so long ago, Terry Adams and Marlin Byrd faced similar allegations of abusing their spouse/girlfriend and there was no firestorm about it from the fans and the media. Moreover, the media and the fans were relatively silent when Bobby Cox was caught up in alegations of abusing his wife.

Why is the Myers case different? Is it a) because of more press coverage including eyewitness accounts or b) because people thought Myers had a bad attitude prior to these allegations?

[Casey]

I think the fact that it happened on a crowded Boston street with eye witnesses brought the incident to the tipping point, and it went from there.

[RickSchuBlues]

Fightins, you bring up a very good point about precedence. Byrd was a minor league player when the charges were made against him, but I never forgot it. It was certainly never brought up again once he was with the parent club. The Terry Adams affair was well under the radar. The press gave it only the slightest coverage, seemingly in the interests of privacy. Bobby Cox's story did make the cover of SI, as I recall, but was forgotten in a flash. Hardly anyone remembers his spousal abuse charges from twelve years ago, and it didn't do a thing to color his reputaion in baseball.

The difference here is that there is very little reason for doubt where Myers is concerned. He did it (at least on this occasion) in public, in view of bystanders, and with a detailed police report which attested to specific and rather severe brutality. Not only this, but Myers was given the opportunity to be contrite and was not. Not only this, but the Phillies were and are steeped in a denial which both mirrors and underscores their baseball-related inadequacies, and which is wholly unacceptable in light of the damning evidence which they are choosing to ignore or refute.

[Tom Goodman]

Lieberthal's comments are as repugnant as anything uttered thus far by a member of the Phillies organization:

I think the players are behind him. From what the players have heard, I'm not sure how much at fault he is. You've got conflicting reports. I think for the most part, players are staying out of that side of things - assuming that he isn't guilty until proven. And really the only thing that matters for us is what Brett does for us on the field. He's always been a good teammate, and we're happy to have him back."

[MG]

I am stupified by Lieberthal's comments. All the Phils' ownership had to do was straightforward to make this issue go away:

1. Issue a general PR statement that condoned spousal abouse and stated that Myers was seeking necessary help
2. "No comment" response to any further questions from the press about the incident from management personnel
3. Place a gag order on players/manager regarding the incident

[fightins4ever]

Casey's points are well-taken.

All I wanted to do was suggest that the public nature of Myers' transgression--and the fact that there were eyewitnesses-- tells us NOTHING about whether it was more or less severe than the abuse committed by Terry Adams,Bobby Cox and every other wife-beater in a baseball uniform.

BTW, shame on the Phillies for not having a) a screening/prevention plan in place for spousal abuse and b) a pre-formulated set of policies and procedures if abuse did happen again, given that this is at least the third offense (that we know of) by a Phillies player in the last few years.

[Lieberthal's Fiancee]

I will certainly knock my fiancee around alittle bit when he gets home from the road trip and I'll show whats it's like to get beat up.

[cap]

MG, I don't think you meant "a general statement that condoned spousal abuse," I think you meant condemned....right?

[John Salmon]

"...a general statement that condoned spousal abuse."

This organization is so inept don't be surprised if that happens.

Dave Montgomery: "Let me make it perfectly clear that the Phillies organization condones any and all forms of violence towards women."

Reporter: "Mr. Montgomery don't you mean 'condemns'?"

Montgomery: "Uhh, right. We don't like it, but of course when our number one starting pitcher does it..."

[JZ]

This is off topic, but this right here is why I really can't wait for the Phillies to trade Abreu: Phillies eighth. Kline pitching. Utley tripled to center. Abreu struck out. Burrell was intentionally walked. R.Howard singled to right, Utley scored, Burrell to third.

[GoSportsCards]

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