Yoenis Céspedes won the 2013 Home Run Derby Monday night. He made history. Not because he was the first player not chosen for the All-Star game to win the derby, but because after receiving his well-deserved trophy, he was interviewed in Spanish by ESPN reporter Pedro Gómez.
After the Derby trophy was handed to the baseball star with a "bien hecho," Gómez spoke with the 27-year-old slugger and asked questions in English and Spanish then translated Céspedes' answers for the audience.
Almost immediately on social media, people went to congratulate Céspedes, but also criticized him and Gómez for doing the interview in Spanish. The truth is, Céspedes decided to speak in his native tongue because he has not mastered English well enough to do an interview on live national television.
Tweets charged with insensitive and racial slurs were predominant, and comments like "He represents America's pastime, at least learn the language" were flooding the social media.
According to numbers provided by MLB to Fox News, 27 percent of the league is Latino, however, many fans were stunned that athletes playing for U.S. teams had not mastered the English language.
Nevertheless, some people came to the ball player and the reporter's defense. CBS Sports national columnist Gregg Doyle, wrote a piece concerning the viewers' outrage and explained that everyone just witnessed the future.
"America is changing, people, and not for the better or worse. Just, changing," he wrote.
He addressed the fact that people got mad because Pedro Gómez asked his question in English, translated it for Céspedes, and then translated the player's answer for the audience. "... People got mad, maybe because people get mad when they're scared. And people are scared of Spanish. Scared that they don't understand what others are saying. Envious that they can't speak two languages. Frightened that maybe this world is changing, and people like us -- people who speak only English -- will be left behind."
Doyle also highlighted the fact that Yoenis Céspedes wasn't born in the United States, and it's important to know a person's background before criticizing them. "Any idea what kind of hell Yoenis Cespedes and his family endured to leave one of the worst countries on Earth to come to this one? Read and learn. Compassion is a good look. Some of you should try it on, for a change."
"And so when a player like Céspedes does something screwy and wins the Home Run Derby and gets the customary winner's interview on national television," Doyle continued, "he's going to speak the language he's comfortable speaking. Risk embarrassing himself? For the sake of the bigots out there who are offended that he doesn't speak "American?" Céspedes wasn't going to do that, and good for him."
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