Commentary

Oakland Shows Ohtani, But ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith Remarks Still Sting

Anything to suggest Ohtani couldn’t be MLB’s marquee player? Of course not. He’s a smiling, charming gigantic Asian presence who is the best thing in baseball.

Published

4 years ago

July 23, 2021

Isabelle Price

Baseballs On The Ground Photo Courtesy Of Mike Bowman Via Unsplash

Shohei Ohtani is the biggest draw in Major League Baseball since coming to America and overshadowing Babe Ruth as the first player since the Babe to both dominate as a hitter (33 home runs) and as a pitcher (4-1 record).

In town this week with the LA Angels, would Ohtani turn the Coliseum into Ohkland?

The myth was on display on July 19. When Ohtani pitched, the A’s were mastered and struck out eight times. When Ohtani hit, he doubled and would have given the Angels a lead were it not for a great defensive relay by the A’s. It was scoreless in the seventh inning when Ohtani was done pitching and went to play right field. That’s when the A’s beat up on his sub and went on to win the game, 4-1.

Anything to suggest Ohtani couldn’t be MLB’s marquee player? Of course not. He’s a smiling, charming gigantic Asian presence who is the best thing in baseball.

And that’s why ESPN/Disney’s Stephen A. Smith’s remarks about Ohtani last week were so offensive.

ESPN pays Stephen A. $12 million a year to be controversial. But that doesn’t mean racist and xenophobic. On the July 12 “First Take” show, Smith said this about Ohtani:

“But the fact that you have a foreign player who doesn’t speak English that needs an interpreter, believe it or not , I think contributes to harming the game to some degree, when that’s your box office appeal. It needs to be somebody like Bryce Harper, Mike Trout, those guys, and unfortunately, at this moment in time, that’s not the case.”

That paragraph is couched in criticism of MLB’s marketing, but that’s no excuse for racism. We’ve got to break down what is just one big rolling snowball of hate.

A Black man calling Ohtani a foreigner is worse than racist. It’s xenophobic, against anyone not of this country. Asian Americans are always confused as being Asian nationals. Hence, going after Ohtani’s for being “foreign” is an attack on anyone of Asian ancestry, as well as anyone from another country.

Rest assured, the scapegoating hatemongers who have attacked and harassed Asians and Asian Americans more than 7,000 times during the pandemic didn’t ask for green cards.

But Smith then goes after Ohtani’s lack of English skills and the need for an interpreter. That’s similar to political conservatives advocating English-only policies in America. Is Smith saying American sports—and America’s pastime, baseball–should be English-only?

Smith is in Tucker Carlson/Fox News territory.

Smith uses national origin, and language to “other” Ohtani, then concludes that being Asian “contributes to harming the game to some degree when that’s your box office appeal.”

But he’s really saying a yellow face is not a good face for MLB, not even a yellow face with 33 home runs and a 4-1 pitching record.

So, who should be the face of baseball? The African American Smith says it should be “Bryce Harper, Mike Trout, those guys…”

Oh, the white guys. THE WHITE GUYS?

It’s astonishing to hear that coming from a Black man in sports, who should know all about the segregation of the Negro Leagues from baseball. Now he’s saying MLB IS a white man’s game?

Jackie Robinson is rolling in his grave.

Smith has apologized on Twitter and on the air. But there’s not enough sugar to fill the hole he’s dug.

ESPN must weigh in on their $12 million man. It has already suffered on the race front in recent weeks when Rachel Nichols, a white show host, was caught criticizing ESPN’s diversity record as the excuse for hiring a Black colleague.

Now they have the xenophobic and ignorant Smith.

And that brings us to Al Campanis, who has a special place in the American Racism Hall of Shame. It was Campanis, an executive of the Los Angeles Dodgers, who appeared on ABC’s “Nightline” with Ted Koppel in 1987. Campanis told Koppel that Blacks “may not have some of the necessities to be a field manager or general manager in baseball.”

For that racist comment, Campanis lost his career.

But he also made other stereotypical remarks about Blacks as “gifted” athletes, except for swimming, “because they don’t have buoyancy.”

Smith may have buoyancy if he survives his xenophobic Ohtani comments.

But is there any doubt Smith deserves to be the Al Campanis of 2021?

Emil Guillermo is an award-winning journalist and commentator. He vlogs at www.amok.com. Twitter @emilamok. Facebook @emilguillermo.media

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Activism

OP-ED: AB 1349 Puts Corporate Power Over Community

Since Ticketmaster and Live Nation merged in 2010, ticket prices have jumped more than 150 percent. Activities that once fit a family’s budget now take significant disposable income that most working families simply don’t have. The problem is compounded by a system that has tilted access toward the wealthy and white-collar workers. If you have a fancy credit card, you get “presale access,” and if you work in an office instead of a warehouse, you might be able to wait in an online queue to buy a ticket. Access now means privilege.

Published

7 days ago

January 9, 2026

Oakland Post

Bishop Joseph Simmons, Senior Pastor, Greater St. Paul Baptist Church, Oakland

By Bishop Joseph Simmons, Senior Pastor, Greater St. Paul Baptist Church, Oakland

As a pastor, I believe in the power that a sense of community can have on improving people’s lives. Live events are one of the few places where people from different backgrounds and ages can share the same space and experience – where construction workers sit next to lawyers at a concert, and teenagers enjoy a basketball game with their grandparents. Yet, over the past decade, I’ve witnessed these experiences – the concerts, games, and cultural events where we gather – become increasingly unaffordable, and it is a shame.

These moments of connection matter as they form part of the fabric that holds communities together. But that fabric is fraying because of Ticketmaster/Live Nation’s unchecked control over access to live events. Unfortunately, AB 1349 would only further entrench their corporate power over our spaces.

Power over live events is concentrated in a single corporate entity, and this regime operates without transparency or accountability – much like a dictator. Ticketmaster controls 80 percent of first-sale tickets and nearly a third of resale tickets, but they still want more. More power, more control for Ticketmaster means higher prices and less access for consumers. It’s the agenda they are pushing nationally, with the help of former Trump political operatives, who are quietly trying to undo the antitrust lawsuit launched against Ticketmaster/Live Nation under President Biden’s DOJ.

That’s why I’m deeply concerned about AB 1349 in its current form. Rather than reining in Ticketmaster’s power, the bill risks strengthening it, aligning with Trump. AB 1349 gives Ticketmaster the ability to control a consumer’s ticket forever by granting Ticketmaster’s regime new powers in state law to prevent consumers from reselling or giving away their tickets. It also creates new pathways for Ticketmaster to discriminate and retaliate against consumers who choose to shop around for the best service and fees on resale platforms that aren’t yet controlled by Ticketmaster. These provisions are anti-consumer and anti-democratic.

California has an opportunity to stand with consumers, to demand transparency, and to restore genuine competition in this industry. But that requires legislation developed with input from the community and faith leaders, not proposals backed by the very company causing the harm.

Will our laws reflect fairness, inclusion, and accountability? Or will we let corporate interests tighten their grip on spaces that should belong to everyone? I, for one, support the former and encourage the California Legislature to reject AB 1349 outright or amend it to remove any provisions that expand Ticketmaster’s control. I also urge community members to contact their representatives and advocate for accessible, inclusive live events for all Californians. Let’s work together to ensure these gathering spaces remain open and welcoming to everyone, regardless of income or background.

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Oakland Post: Week of December 31, 2025 – January 6, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of – December 31, 2025 – January 6, 2026

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2 weeks ago

January 2, 2026

Oakland Post

To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.

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Big God Ministry Gives Away Toys in Marin City

Pastor Hall also gave a message of encouragement to the crowd, thanking Jesus for the “best year of their lives.” He asked each of the children what they wanted to be when they grow up.

Published

3 weeks ago

December 29, 2025

Oakland Post

From top left: Pastor David Hall asking the children what they want to be when they grow up. Worship team Jake Monaghan, Ruby Friedman, and Keri Carpenter. Children lining up to receive their presents. Photos by Godfrey Lee.

By Godfrey Lee

Big God Ministries, pastored by David Hall, gave toys to the children in Marin City on Monday, Dec. 15, on the lawn near the corner of Drake Avenue and Donahue Street.

Pastor Hall also gave a message of encouragement to the crowd, thanking Jesus for the “best year of their lives.” He asked each of the children what they wanted to be when they grew up.

Around 75 parents and children were there to receive the presents, which consisted mainly of Gideon Bibles, Cat in the Hat pillows, Barbie dolls, Tonka trucks, and Lego building sets.

A half dozen volunteers from the Big God Ministry, including Donnie Roary, helped to set up the tables for the toy giveaway. The worship music was sung by Ruby Friedman, Keri Carpenter, and Jake Monaghan, who also played the accordion.

Big God Ministries meets on Sundays at 10 a.m. at the Mill Valley Community Center, 180 Camino Alto, Mill Valley, CA Their phone number is (415) 797-2567.