Should Luke Heimlich be Signed by an Organization?

[m0nkey]

The Oregon State pitcher who, by all accounts I've seen, has the ability to pitch professionally.  He is the guy who was accused (and pleaded guilty) to molesting a 6 year old family member as a 15 year old.  He's come out to say he is innocent and he only pleaded guilty because that was the advised best course of action.

 

So should he be "exiled" from major league baseball?

[Chuck]

[mtangelsfan]

We sign wife beaters and celebrate their play.  

[T.G.]

[Angel Oracle]

Based on his recent innocence affirmation, and the fact that he wasn't drafted in 2017 or 2018, isn't that enough punishment?

There will be players and fans who let him have it verbally.   That's to be expected.   But until he is truly determined to have been guilty, give him a chance.   If he does turn out to have been truly guilty, the consequences can be doled out then.

[itsKnoppUitsme]

 He has passed a  Lie detector test! 

 If he passed the test and he is still guilty that makes him a sociopath,  and that would profile him as a great #1 starter!

Go get him Billy!

[Angel Oracle]

The baggage, even if under coerced confession, is a concern.   It would depend mainly on how the players and staff welcome him to his new team.

[eaterfan]

Hell no. 

[JarsOfClay]

I would do it. The circumstances are shady, but let's assume he's guilty. The guy made a mistake, does he need to be punished forever for it?

If there was ever a team that needed to take this type of risk, it's the angels. The current roster is very old and there's not much help on the way for a very long time.

[eaterfan]

2 minutes ago, JarsOfClay said:

I would do it. The circumstances are shady, but let's assume he's guilty. The guy made a mistake, does he need to be punished forever for it?

If there was ever a team that needed to take this type of risk, it's the angels. The current roster is very old and there's not much help on the way for a very long time.

MLB jobs aren't a right. But also there's tons of evidence that people who molest kids that age can never really be rehabilitated. 

[failos]

he should get his dick chopped off

[Second Base]

Me, the Christ follower says forgive him for what he likely did. It's heinous but if you hold a grudge, if you are unforgiving, you're the one that loses.

But understand that signing this man, will make him an alienated person among his teammates, cause rifts within the clubhouse, drive fans away, and bring center stage something that is very hurtful and uncomfortable to talk about.

I imagine Branch Rickey dealt with many of the same things when considered signing Jackie Robinson, but that was the right cause, a just cause.

Fighting for child molesters isn't exactly righteous. I mean it's the right thing to do, to forgive him, but doing so will make a martyr of your organization, and that's not what anyone has set out to do.

So as difficult as it is, I say no, but not because of what he did. It's because of everyone else.

[failos]

Luke Hemlich is going to the...

 

[Dick B Back]

Jeter could probably use him.

[eaterfan]

13 minutes ago, Scotty@AW said:

Me, the Christ follower says forgive him for what he likely did. It's heinous but if you hold a grudge, if you are unforgiving, you're the one that loses.

But understand that signing this man, will make him an alienated person among his teammates, cause rifts within the clubhouse, drive fans away, and bring center stage something that is very hurtful and uncomfortable to talk about.

I imagine Branch Rickey dealt with many of the same things when considered signing Jackie Robinson, but that was the right cause, a just cause.

Fighting for child molesters isn't exactly righteous. I mean it's the right thing to do, to forgive him, but doing so will make a martyr of your organization, and that's not what anyone has set out to do.

So as difficult as it is, I say no, but not because of what he did. It's because of everyone else.

Forgiving isn't the same thing as hurting someone for a job. Where do you draw the line? If OJ could pitch would you hire him?

Do you actually believe he's innocent? Do you actually believe he's better? Do you actually just think he could help the Angels win? 

Would anyone here be fine hiring this guy to baby sit their young children? If he were being hired to be your daughter's first grade teacher you'd be fine with him saying he only pled guilty because of bad legal advice? No, his job won't be supervising kids, but he's sure as hell going to be around a lot of kids at work and they will see him as an authority figure as a professional baseball player.

[Roy Hobbs]

26 minutes ago, JarsOfClay said:

I would do it. The circumstances are shady, but let's assume he's guilty. The guy made a mistake, does he need to be punished forever for it?

If there was ever a team that needed to take this type of risk, it's the angels. The current roster is very old and there's not much help on the way for a very long time.

He is not being punished forever, he can go do anything he wants. He lost any choice in some matters when he decided to molest his brothers daughter. I don't care what kind of legal advice he got he still pled guilty, would any of you plead guilty  to sexual assault on a child if you didn't do it.There's no way in hell I would.The victim in this case is being punished for the rest of her life, does that not matter to you guys who say he shouldn't be punished for the rest of his life.How would you feel if it was YOUR daughter,niece or granddaughter, might be a different story.Just my opinion.

[Angel Oracle]

I am starting to wonder if maybe he did something innoculous, like kiss a wound like a mom would?    A 6 year-old was probably shocked that he and not her mom would do something like that?    I know I'm just grasping at straws here, but consider a 15 year-old being interrogated and getting who knows what advice from who knows what lawyer.

It is interesting that he is now maintaining his innocence.   Not saying he is, just that it is interesting.

It is a valid point about what kind of effect he could have on a clubhouse.     

[Blarg]

1 hour ago, itsKnoppUitsme said:

 He has passed a  Lie detector test! 

 If he passed the test and he is still guilty that makes him a sociopath,  and that would profile him as a great #1 starter!

Go get him Billy!

If he isn't lying, does that makes him middle relief pitcher? 

[Blarg]

17 minutes ago, eaterfan said:

If OJ could pitch would you hire him?

I hear he had a great cutter back in the day. 

[eaterfan]

4 minutes ago, Angel Oracle said:

I am starting to wonder if maybe he did something innoculous, like kiss a wound like a mom would?    A 6 year-old was probably shocked that he and not her mom would do something like that?    I know I'm just grasping at straws here, but consider a 15 year-old being interrogated and getting who knows what advice from who knows what lawyer.

It is interesting that he is now maintaining his innocence.   Not saying he is, just that it is interesting.

It is a valid point about what kind of effect he could have on a clubhouse.     

That's not what he was accused of. He was accused of touching her inside and outside her vagina. People will grasp at any straw they can for a talented athlete. 

[the dude abides]

1 hour ago, mtangelsfan said:

We sign wife beaters and celebrate their play.  

Shit, Baltimore built a statue to commemorate a double-murderer.

That said, pass on this guy.

[Second Base]

19 minutes ago, eaterfan said:

Forgiving isn't the same thing as hurting someone for a job. Where do you draw the line? If OJ could pitch would you hire him?

Do you actually believe he's innocent? Do you actually believe he's better? Do you actually just think he could help the Angels win? 

Would anyone here be fine hiring this guy to baby sit their young children? If he were being hired to be your daughter's first grade teacher you'd be fine with him saying he only pled guilty because of bad legal advice? No, his job won't be supervising kids, but he's sure as hell going to be around a lot of kids at work and they will see him as an authority figure as a professional baseball player.

I haven't been called to judge him, hire him or even defend his actions, and I'm guessing you aren't eithe

[eaterfan]

1 minute ago, Scotty@AW said:

I haven't been called to judge him, hire him or even defend his actions, and I'm guessing you aren't eithe

No the justice system was called to do that and he's guilty. Also, if you want to play the religious card, God gave me judgement, I'm going to use it.

[Roy Hobbs]

1 minute ago, 2020worldseries said:

Why aren’t you calling Oregon state right now demanding they cut someone you don’t know but they have been around for 4 years and personally know

Another pro child molester,nice

[eaterfan]

1 minute ago, 2020worldseries said:

Why aren’t you calling Oregon state right now demanding they cut someone you don’t know but they have been around for 4 years and personally know

Because it won't make a damn bit of difference. But if I were in charge of making that decision I would have cut him. 

But if you are arguing OSU knows him and is therefore a better judge than the judicial system that's an interesting argument. It's not like major universities MSU or Baylor have covered up sexual assaults to help their athletic programs. That would never happen.