Less than a week removed from umpiring's biggest story of the 2012 offseason, the name owner of the Jim Evans Academy for Professional Umpiring has unequivocally and without qualification apologized for the racially inappropriate incident which occurred during a staff bowling party during the 2012 professional course, stating, "I apologize I regret it sincerely (sic)."
In an exclusive interview with WKMG-Orlando, Evans admitted he was too slow to react to the inappropriate costume perpetrated by JEAPU Director Jason Klein, as by the time Evans noticed that Klein and his three teammates were wearing white conical covers and robes emblazoned with "Klein's Kleaning Krew"—with the capital "KKK" emphasized—it was too late and the team had changed into standard bowling attire.
But by then, the damage had been done. The racially-charged "joke" had been observed and in a classic case of harassment in the workplace, a lone black employee was left to absorb the event, knowing full well that Evans had declined to address the issue, even after it had occurred.
Now, it is absolutely too late. Evans' apology comes considerably later than last week's news-break, after MiLB took its severe death penalty action and after MiLB beat Evans to the punch in firing those minor league umpires found to have played a culpable role in the incident.
So watch the video and judge for yourself: is Evans' apology sincere? Does it call into question MiLB's punishment as too strict or does it justify the death penalty? Now, a week later, does Evans truly get it?
And what business is it of ours to learn the names of the fired three umpires? If it is news, it will certainly be reported, but is it really fair to permanently label someone for what would appear to be a temporary non-criminal lapse in judgment?
The Instructors roster at the Academy website certainly could provide a list of potential subjects, but is it really fair to judge the innocent alongside the guilty? And what are the remaining three guilty of other than a racially insensitive workplace gag-gone-wrong, an offense committed in a laid back atmosphere of professional officiating that encourages the raucous behavior that constantly breaches on the offensive, if not for any reason other than profanity?
We already know MiLB has fired the remaining three—isn't that enough to leave the rest alone?