Jeremy Sierra
Management 661
Dr. Boje
Plot Analysis
ESPN Interview- Sunday March 25, 2002
Roy Firestone & Gary Sheffield
Roy <R>: The piece in ESPN the magazine - - um you were pretty pointed about racial issues and some of the comments that you made were - - the Africa-American ball player better player really well cause he will never be the last guy on a roster. And that the ^^Hispanic ball player can be manipulated because they can always tell him we'll send you back home in poverty. You regret any of those statements?
Gary (G): No (assuredly). I *** the only thing, the only thing about that is that I *** I NEVER been the type of player where I go talk about that issue because it's a no win situation. I know that coming in. So - - if something need to be said, I *** I take the blame for it. You know if it's going to help somebody else. I've made (confidently) my money. It's nothing this, this *** (Gary chuckles) baseball can do to ^^me. So, is is like - - I've paid my dues, I've done what I needed to do, my thing is that I'm just telling the truth and *** and if you go and you look at and you study baseball and you look at uh the players that's in the minor leagues. You look at players that's sitting at home now and then you look at the players that's wearing uniforms now - - you ^^tell me.
<R>: There are a lot of outstanding African-American front line 5-star ball players - - but I think what you're saying is that there may be a crisis on - - on the - - on the horizon for the African-American athlete to continue to play baseball because of the way baseball has treated the African-American.
(G): Well, I mean they *** everybody get treated unfairly `~`somewhat. But if you look at it, a lot - - of black ball players - - if you don’t *** if you not what you used to be, they say you're finished. Whatever happened to - - uh you know being a fifth, fourth or fifth outfielder and making a - - million dollars sitting on the bench like the ^^white players? You know, they sit on the bench and make a million ^^dollars.
<R>: What about the comment about injury prone? Explain that to the fans.
(G): Injury prone? - - As far as ^^me?
<R>: Any African-American athlete or frequently the African-American athlete as you see it.
(G): Well, I ^^mean is, it's a situation where I mean everybody's hurt, everybody's injured ah - - you know I just *** the only person I made that point you know when they talk about Lenny Dykstra as "nails." And they call Eric Davis injury prone. Eric Davis play just as hard as Lenny ^^Dykstra. He ran into walls as much or more ***gave up his ^^body and if you want to call anybody nails, you can call ^^him nails. You know, but they chose to use - - injury prone.
<R>: Is it possible that maybe there's that old Gary Sheffield you know getting - - getting his chip on his shoulder a little bit or whatever you want to call it. Getting defensive, getting emotional ah - - and, and getting motivated or do you really feel that is *** there is a kind of crisis of sorts in this game?
(G): Nah, is nothing to say that I'm trying to get back ***I don't, I don't have to. You know, my thing is that - - you look at it and *** no we haven't made change, no we *** no we haven't made progress when ***it's just that ^^today, today's era when you look back when*** you know when you talk about um - - how racism was and things like ^^that, it was just that is was open. Now it's hidden (confidently).
<R>: Um, um politically correct.
(G): Only difference.
<R>: Sean Green, when he was in Los Angeles they signed him to a contract far more lucrative than even you and no one's going to have any benefits by the way, for you, you are not going to have ah any handouts, by a long shot. But it did bother you. It bothered your pride. That he (Gary is quick to jump in).
(G): ^^NO it didn't. No it didn't. See, that's, that's the (Roy asks if it was a fallacy) *** I don’t know where that came from that *** no it didn't, it had nothing to do with ^^me. We respected each other. And, and I think more so um - - you know I confronted him about a couple of issues and in which he didn't like and in which *** and at the time, I didn't ^^care if he liked it. It's just that if it had to be said, I'm a say it (arrogantly).
<R>: It had to do with on the field stuff?
(G): ^^YEAH it's on the field. And, and, and when I see that, it's all in competitive - - nature. And when I see Gi-Giambi sit here and, and yell at his teammate on the field at the World Series, everybody say *** or the playoffs *** see, this guy is such a leader - - but see when we do it…
<R>: We being…
(G): ^^BLACK, - - bad attitude *** all of it, you know it's, and it's ^^so - - double standard, it ain't even funny.
Appendix "A"
Transcription Conventions
From Atkinson & Heritage (1984: ix-xvi)
· Momentary Pause
Double Hyphen the magazine - - um you were…
· Intonation
^^Rising Tone the ^^Hispanic ball player
`~` Falling Tone treated unfairly `~` somewhat
· Contextual Quest
Single Parenthesis No (assuredly). The only…
· Ellipsis/Deleted Material
*** Change of thought I *** the only thing
· Emphasis
All Caps YEAH it's on the field