Chapter 9 Communicating in Groups 263❶ How important is it to
have all the players on
a team speak the same
language? Would having
a single language policy
increase group cohesion?
What might the downsides
of such a policy be?
❷ Who is responsible for
developing a shared code
when coaches and players
speak different languages?
How might the rules of
communication be worked
out between individuals
who speak different
languages?
➌ What other cultural
differences might inhibit
communication on a pro-
fessional sports team?
How does multiculturalism
and globalization affect
other sports?
➍ Is it fair to provide
translators for Asian
players but not for
Latinos? Why or why not?
Should all members of the
organization be tasked
with learning a second
language or just the ones
who don’t speak English?The International American Pastime
The typical major league baseball team has a full roster of players and a
substantial staff of coaches who work with players on specific skills. There’s
the general manager, a bullpen coach, a batting coach, a bench coach, and
strength and conditioning coaches. There’s a bevy of trainers and coordina-
tors. And, sometimes, there’s a language coach.
In 2012, more than a quarter of the players in Major League Baseball
(MLB) were foreign-born (Associated Press, 2013). Many of them arrive in
American locker rooms with much fanfare but with few or no English skills. In
order to succeed as part of a team, however, it’s crucial that they be able to
communicate with their teammates and coaches, both on and off the field.
The finite rules and language of the game, along with the formal nonverbal
signals teams develop to communicate on the field, help to create a clear
code of communication. For Asian players, most of whom are drafted straight
out of the Japanese leagues, like Yu Darvish, Hiroki Kuroda, and Wei-Yin
Chen, translators are essential. They have long accompanied players on
the field during practices and assisted them in interviews, and in 2014, new
MLB rules solidified translators’ roles in their organizations by allowing them
to accompany coaches onto the field during games for on-field conferences
(Associated Press, 2014).
But the new rule may have limited impact on the many Latino players
in the league. Because most Spanish speakers have at least a few bilingual
teammates who can translate for them, and because most spend some time
in the farm system, where they can pick up a somewhat functional, if lim-
ited, English vocabulary (what one reporter called “Baseball English”), most
Spanish speakers do not have team-provided translators (Andriesen, 2007;
Associated Press, 2014). It’s unclear whether this less formal mode of com-
munication is sufficient. Yankees closer Mariano Rivera admits that, early in
his career, there were times when he was completely lost when “talking” with
his coaches. “You nod your head yes, but you have no idea what they are
saying” (Riviera, in Associated Press, 2014, para. 2).
The answer may be for the game to become more bilingual. The San
Diego Padres, like many other organizations, offer English language classes
to help players who are not fluent in English. But the team also takes the
opposite approach: they teach basic Spanish to their staff. “It’s something I
thought was important to make us efficient when dealing with players when
we’re going to the Dominican [Republic] or with our players who are just
coming here and don’t have command of the English language yet,” said
Padres Director of Player Development Randy Smith (Brock, 2010). The next
step might be targeting players long before they get to the big leagues: in
2013, Major League Baseball announced a pilot program that will provide
English language classes and other educational support for prospects in the
Dominican Republic (Sanchez, 2013).THINK
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