Content warning: Discussion and photos of sexual assault and domestic violence
By Chrystal O’Keefe
This is not my first time writing about this topic. I’ve covered sexual assault and domestic violence within baseball ad nauseam. Being a woman and sports fan can be exhausting, because it’s clear the players or organizations don’t care about you.
The industry is already oversaturated with stereotypical cis white men, who will shove their opinions down your throat while claiming to be the victim of the same. Women, people of color, the LGTBQIA+ community, and non-binary members don’t often feel welcome within the confines of “America’s favorite pastime.” It is harder for anyone that doesn’t fit in the square box of what is ideal for the sport. We can’t even bring an average-sized purse into most ballparks, let alone get meaningful roles in the industry.
That’s all pretty common knowledge to many. Yet the unwelcoming feeling is more complex than not feeling accepted.
Let’s go back in time a little, to a time when Trevor Bauer was making a big deal about his free agency as if he was LeBron James (see: actually good). Women everywhere were warning the masses about how this guy was trouble. No one wanted to heed that warning, and Bauer padded his pocket and moved to sunny California. After no time at all, claims were made of sexual assault and battery, that Bauer punched a woman in the head, knocking her into a state of unconsciousness before anally raping her. While the “rough sex” was initially consensual, being knocked out and raped was not, as an unconscious person is unable to say yes or no. Bauer was under investigation, and though he didn’t face any charges, Major League Baseball deemed a suspension necessary based on their evidence. The suspension was shortened and the Dodgers made the decision to wash their hands of Bauer.
While I don’t see any team desperate enough to want that baggage, he is still up for grabs. Aroldis Chapman, also known for a then-record domestic violence suspension, was just signed by the Royals. Chapman is a player I had to do a lot of mental gymnastics for. I felt dirty watching him in the 2016 World Series. I donated to domestic violence organizations anytime he qualified for a save or had a particularly good game while on the Cubs.
As a survivor of both sexual assault and domestic violence, and a proud bisexual woman, it takes a lot of strength to continue covering this sport. I try not to be hurt by players that refuse to wear a rainbow flag on their uniform for one game in June, but at the end of the day, they don’t feel as though I should have rights based on my sexual preferences. League-wide, I cover teams that actively pay players that have been accused of horrific things.
My main coverage, and the team I typically watch the most are the White Sox. They’ve been in hot water before with Omar Vizquel and firing a trainer after he was outed as gay. Lest we forget Daryl Boston, the White Sox first base coach. His time with the Mets was less than pleasant.
Hiring their old alcoholic manager almost felt like a slow news day after the most recent story about Mike Clevinger broke. Like Bauer, women continued to warn the masses about Clevinger. The investigation stems from allegations made by a woman, Olivia Finestead, who accused Clevinger of physical and emotional abuse toward his three children and their two mothers, herself included.
Finestead has been in touch with MLB investigators since last summer, when Clevinger was a member of the San Diego Padres, but mentioned her accusations in a series of stories on her Instagram account last month. Finestead has accused Clevinger of "several acts of domestic violence and child abuse," including throwing "chew spit on a screaming infant child" and strangling her. The latter accusation was posted with a series of photos that alleged to be the result of violent acts committed by Clevinger.
The White Sox claim to have not known about the investigation upon signing him in November. They will also refrain from comment until MLB's investigative process has reached its conclusion. Fans have roasted the Sox on social media, from calls to remove Clevinger from the team, to firing the entire front office for their lack of due diligence.
Women are tired of not being listened to. Marginalized members of society that just want to sit down and mindlessly enjoy a baseball game should be able to do so without feeling unsafe and not welcomed. Women and BIPOC should be able to cover the sport at any capacity without being undermined and having it be “revoluntiary” to finally have managers, umpires, or even broadcast crews with more than one person that fits in that category. It’s time to normalize these groups and be more accepting. It’s also time to start listening to women and survivors, and stop paying millions to pieces of shit that don’t deserve the blessings bestowed upon them just because they have a sick slider.
Editor’s note: Here’s the ice cream commercial from the start of the podcast.
The Mental Gymnastics for Female Sports Fans