... what did you mean by telling a handful of reporters, "I'll do this [interview], but you need to start talking to other players.It's the same three or four people every day. Nobody else wants to talk. Some of these guys have got to start talking. They speak English, believe me."
At best, Lo Duca was portrayed in some media circles this morning as a hothead fed up with constantly answering for his teammates. At worst? A racist in one of the more racially diverse clubhouses in the majors. Either way, those comments got Lo Duca called into the manager's office for a chat that lasted nearly 30 minutes, and the catcher emerged breathing fire to reporters.
"So now I’m a racist," Lo Duca said. "Right now, I’m a gambler, a racist, and I like 18-year-old girls. That’s the perception of people in New York about me. Is any of it true? No, none of it.Yet, no one knows that. Do you understand where I’m coming from? Do I have a right to be frustrated? Tell me if I’m wrong. You ask any of these guys in the clubhouse and ask whether I have a problem with any of them – if they like me, if I’m an issue. One thing about me – listen, I’ve had issues in my life, I’ve went through marital problems, I understand that.
"If you go to all three of my clubs, name one teammate who has a problem with me. Name one. One person who’s ever said to you that Paul Lo Duca is a cancer in the clubhouse or that Paul Lo Duca is a racist or that Paul Lo Duca has issues. Nobody."
Lo Duca was referring to specifically last season, when two of the tabloids used him as a 
volleyball, alternately detailing his alleged trysts with teenagers and alleged gambling issues. In this case, it now appears that a few off-the-cuff comments put him in hot water -- and his teammates tried their best too cool off the situation before the first game of today's crucial doubleheader against the Phillies.
"We don't care about that. . . . We definitely don't care about that," Carlos Delgado said. "It's like, there's a lot of guys here that speak Spanish -- is that racial? There's a lot of guys here that speak English – is that racial? Maybe he was implying that you guys don't speak Spanish. Maybe he was kind of cracking a joke on you. I don't know.
"I don't find it offensive at all. It's like two Japanese guys walk in here and say 'there's a couple guys who speak Japanese' –- is that racial? Are you segregating anything? I personally as a teammate I don't think that's offensive to anybody. That was the quote? That's it?"
Comments (6)
OK, quick show of hands.. Who here is suprised the guy with the 100 ERA just struck out the side in the first inning?
Anyone?
Anyone?
Of course, I am highly confident the bats will explode, and we'll knock him out by the third ::crossing fingers::
umm... maybe race had not a damned thing to do with what Paul was saying. I heard/read this as a challenge to the media types who don't even try to talk to the Spanish guys, they always hunt down the English-speaking guys. It angers the heck out of me that everything can be spun to make the player always lok bad, but no one ever stops in the middle of writing that article and wondering what's their vandetta, anyway. Hey Lennon, here's a mirror.
And with a two-run second inning home run, combined with three more outs, Mr. Durbin has dipped his ERA for the year to 30.32. You go boy!
Paul LoDuca should spend less time:
*Reading the newspapers.
*Trimming his eyebrows.
*Pouting about the all-star game.
*Finger pointing
*Openly challenging the Media.
* Cruising the schoolyards to potentialy date.
And more time:
*Protecting Jose Reyes in the batting order.
*Encouraging the pitching staff to challenge hitters more.
*Letting his eyebrows grow.
* Being a good teamate.
* Learning media relations.
* Just playing baseball man.
Let me get this straight... The Media took something harmless and blew it out of proportion? Wow! That NEVER happens! (heavy sarcasm)
Unfortunately everyone is treated differently,Paul has been everything that any Met fan had hoped for,he brings fire and intensity that all teams need and with that some things are going to boil over.Keep up the great work Paul!!! P S Omar dont make a mountain out of a mole hill.. Keep up the Great work!!