One of the biggest issues that the Toronto Raptors have had to deal with this season was the lingering sexual assault case hovering over former guard Terence Davis II. Their baseball counterparts in the Toronto Blue Jays have also had to absorb this PR nightmare, as Hall of Fame second baseman Roberto Alomar was deal with a similar hand.
Alomar has been battling sexual misconduct allegations for nearly a decade. This investigation threatened to overshadow his legacy as a 12-time All-Star, arguably the best defensive second baseman ever, and a Blue Jays hero. The MLB dropped the hammer on Alomar, and his beloved franchise followed suit.
After MLB placed Alomar on the ineligible list following a further investigation into his behavior, the Blue Jays severed all ties with one of the best players in Toronto history. His name has been removed from the Level of Excellence, and the banner showing his retired No. 12 will be scrapped. Alomar resigned from the Baseball Hall of Fame board of directors.
The Raptors should’ve done the same with Davis, as taking a firmer stance rather than a wait-and-see approach could show that Toronto is committed to addressing issues like his irrespective of player performance.
Hall of Famer Roberto Alomar has been placed on the ineligible list after MLB investigated a 2014 allegation of sexual misconduct. He had been working for MLB as a consultant.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) April 30, 2021
The Toronto Raptors should follow the example of the Blue Jays.
Parts of Davis’s suit were dropped, but he is still under investigation for endangering the welfare of a child. Not facing any jail time as a result of this doesn’t necessarily mean that the Raptors should’ve just acted like his presence on the squad on gameday was typical. Everyone knew the situation, and it had to make players uncomfortable.
The Blue Jays didn’t read a riot act or call Alomar the anti-Christ. They weren’t defamatory, despite how easy it may be to defame Alomar at this moment in time.
Rather, they acknowledged what he did was deplorable, took away anything that could be misconstrued as glorifying him or paining him in a very positive light, and set a very strong precedent that shows future offenses in this vain will not be tolerated.
Why couldn’t the Raptors have done the same with Davis, thus saving themselves the grilling they got from their own fans?
It’s very sad that Roberto Alomar’s name is being removed from #Bluejays Level of Excellence and that his @baseballhall banner is coming down at Rogers Centre, but it’s as a direct result of his wrongdoing. Being placed on the #MLB ineligible list is a very big deal.
— Mike Wilner (@Wilnerness) April 30, 2021
The Blue Jays were willing to look at the best hitter the club has ever known and sever as many ties as possible. The Raptors, for all of the positive aspects of the culture they built, almost bent over backward to make sure that Davis stayed in the rotation.
They eventually traded him to Sacramento, but that was to recoup a pick for a struggling player, not to make a stand on his behavior.
The Blue Jays were not going to let the moral backbone of their franchise wither away due to Alomar’s accomplishments with the team. The Blue Jays were willing to cut out one of the most impactful offensive players, if not the most, in team history rather than digging their foot in and letting the accused go about their daily business.
Why were the Blue Jays tougher on Alomar than the Raptors were with Davis?
While Davis won’t be held legally responsible for whatever may or may not have happened on that fateful night, the Toronto Raptors should use their baseball compatriots’ as an example of what to do if a player of a similar ilk ever gets accused of something like what Alomar has been accused of.
Doing so could, and should, prevent another Davis situation from sprouting up.