In general, I applaud MLB instituting a paternity leave policy. However, when a player missed most of the first month of the season, is a big part of the team doing better, and already has children, maybe he should try to play.
In general, I applaud MLB instituting a paternity leave policy. However, when a player missed most of the first month of the season, is a big part of the team doing better, and already has children, maybe he should try to play.
I disagree.
I do too. You should never miss the birth of your child, whether it’s number 1 or 11. And you also have to make sure the children you already have here are cared for during the birth.
I certainly understand why Bay would want to go to his wife right now.
I would never tell someone that their priority shouldn’t be their family, especially their children, and I would almost always think less of someone who put his job above his family.
Would you tell a government worker coming back from, say, cancer in 2010, that he had to stay at his job instead of going to be with his family for the birth of a child? That job is certainly far more important than a game played for entertainment.
The union negotiated this benefit because it’s important to the players and their families. Remember in 61* how Roger Maris had to miss the birth of his children?
Subrata Sircar » It depends on the government worker. If it’s the president during a crisis, yes, I expect him to stay on the job. If it’s a researcher at the BLS, I don’t care, that job can be done by any number of people. Few can play leftfield for the Mets as well as Jason Bay. Also, none of those government workers are being paid as much per day of work as Jason. He already received a lot of money for nothing. Work ethic tells me he should miss as little time as possible for the birth of this child.
jrs » My guess is Jason can afford to hire the best care for his other children. 🙂
baycommuter » I don’t argue that in the general case. What happens when it’s the last game of the season, the team is tied for first place, and the best hitter’s wife goes in to labor? Bay spent a lot of time hurt the last two years. He owes the Mets some games. Maybe that means missing one game instead of two.
Jason Bay. Ian Desmond. Kurt Suzuki. All on the paternity leave list within the past couple of weeks. Must have been a busy All-Star break last year.
Ugh, Pinto, I’ve read this website for 6+ years but never been so aggravated. He’s missing at most TWO GAMES in early May for a shitty team to be with his family. Yes, he gets paid a lot, but he’s not the president. On top of that, your “Already has children” is kind of offensive. What do you know about the risks associated with his child’s birth? Thanks for the memories, but makes me understand your braindead links to instapundit.
gurk » They’re not a shitty team when he’s in the lineup. The Mets are 7-3 with him, 5-13 without him.
If there was an indication this was an at risk childbirth, that would make a difference.
I’m obviously wrong here, since absolutely no one agrees with me. If I were in Bay’s shoes, I would feel guilty missing these games after so much time on the DL.
Jason certainly has an obligation to his employer and their fans but he also has an obligation to his family. Birth and death are as significant as it gets and it sounds like you’re discounting the former. I get where you’re coming from but I think Mrs. Bay would disagree.
Jason (on phone): “Hi honey, I went 2 for 3 tonight!”
Mrs. Bay: “That’s great, honey. I just spent 16 hours in labor with your newborn child.”
Hired help and a bloated bank account are no substitute for a mother and father being there for each other and their kids especially during the most significant moments in their life. Jason’s absence may be inconvenient for the Mets but I imagine that his wife would use a much stronger word to describe his absence from the delivery/birth/recovery of their child.
Even if a normal delivery/healthy child are expected, can you imagine if something went wrong during delivery and he wasn’t there?
I just think his family obligations overshadow his professional ones.
Bay was slumping a bit (0-11) so I doubt the mets miss him all that much. Also, stuff like that is not a unilateral decision, as his partner might have something to say about it.