David Samson says Roberto Alomar’s statement following lifetime ban was ill-advised and insensitive

On Monday, David Samson discussed the latest MLB news on his podcast “Nothing Personal with David Samson,” going through why Roberto Alomar was banned from baseball following a sexual assault allegation. “Roberto Alomar has a problem. He was banned for life. He got Rose’d,” Samson begins.

Samson said the most important thing for any business, including MLB, is to ensure the employees feel safe enough to come forward when they are faced with any issue.

“You must create an environment where people feel free to talk about what they are or have experienced. You must have independent investigations and analysis,” he said.

Alomar responded to the ban with the following statement:

“I am disappointed, surprised, and upset with today’s news. 

With the current social climate, I understand why Major League Baseball has taken the position they have.

My hope is that this allegation can be heard in a venue that will allow me to address the accusation directly.

I will continue to spend my life helping kids pursue their baseball dreams.

I will not be making any further comments at this time.”

What happened that left Alomar surprised? Samson found issue with Alomar’s response, and said it needed to be better and proceeded to break it down.

“Here’s what your agent should not have had you write next: ‘With the current social climate …,” Samson said, explaining, “That is insulting to men, women and anyone paying attention to the changes that we’re trying to effectuate in this world.”

Samson continues: “Do not say that you are being suspended because of the current social climate. Either say you are being suspended because of the actions you took regardless of the year or say I am fighting this to my last breath because I know exactly what I’m being accused of and I didn’t do it.”

Samson wonders what advice he received that led him to say what he said and if he was ever advised to say nothing. He explained that commissioner Rob Manfred could’ve let him go or given him a suspension and while we don’t have many details on what Alomar did, the podcast host points out that it had to be bad enough to receive the lifetime ban stamp.