“Dad, who did you vote for in the Republican primary?”

“I voted for Donald Trump.”  

“Why Dad?”

“Well son, Paul O’Neill endorsed him.”

In my life, I have honestly never come across someone who voted for a candidate because a baseball player or other celebrity endorsed that person.  However, that still didn’t stop the outrage. 

Some people are apoplectic that this happened. Doesn’t he know what Trump stands for?  Doesn’t he know Trump’s policies?  How could Paul O’Neill possibly have endorsed Donald Trump?  I’m sure there are also people who are commending O’Neill for understanding why the country needs to elect Trump. 

For all the uproar, I haven’t seen one interview with O’Neill questioning him why he endorses Trump. I’m sure he can provide a cogent argument for his decision.  As I’m sure Johnny Damon could as well for why he has endorsed Trump.

With that said, I’m not making my decisions based upon that. I’m not going to let O’Neill’s endorsement affect the way I think about him as a player or the election.  To me, he will always be the player who Armando Benitez couldn’t strike out. He’s the guy who once kicked the ball into the infield while he was in Cincinnati. 

I encourage everyone to get involved and make their own decisions even if the my disagree with mine. Although, I wish you would agree with me. Watch tonight’s debate. Research the candidate’s history and what they believe. 

Don’t support a candidate based upon your favorite player. Don’t let a player’s endorsement let you affect what you think of that player. If you’re a Yankee fan, you should adore O’Neill for all that he’s done. As a Mets fan, tip your cap to him for having the at bat that might’ve altered the course of the entire World Series. 

I don’t watch baseball to get into endless political debate. People don’t listen to Mark Levin or watch Rachel Maddow to get their take on the Mets chances this year. People need to compartmentalize. 

I’m moving on now and ignoring who any future athletes endorse.