POLL - Roberto Alomar rumors - What do you believe?

[Double Helix]

With the news a couple weeks ago that Roberto was again marrying a long-time female "friend" conveniently to coincide with 12/12/12 all the old rumors resurfaced about Alomar. It seems every time I spoke with somebody about Robbie somebody said one of the following 4 things in the poll.

I know that ultimately it doesn't matter. I know that he's arguably the greatest Blue Jay of all time and that his on the field excellence should matter more than anything in his life off of it.

However, as somebody who migrated to Toronto in his early twenties, I've heard so many different stories from people over the years that I had never heard as a casual baseball fan outside of Ontario in the 90s... I used to doubt the first 3 rumors when I first heard them but as time goes on they seem more plausible. A huge Jays fan that I used to work with when I first moved here swore that he had a connection in the Blue Jays organization who knew that Alomar was routinely partying with male prostitutes in Toronto. When he told us this at work none of us really believed him but he swore to this back in the early 00s, before the first allegation had come out from his wife about HIV. So, when the other rumors started coming out from other GFs a few years ago I started wondering about whether what he had told me before may have had some truth to it.

I didn't grow up in Toronto so how widespread are any of these rumors? Were you long-time Jays fans aware of these rumors back in the 90s or are these things new? What have you heard from friends, coworkers or family members about Alomar while following the Jays? What's the truth about Robbie Alomar? What do you believe?

[Skin Blues]

I've never paid any attention to any of it. I couldn't care less about his personal life.

[Double Helix]

It's just kind of strange because on the one hand... nobody in the media ever talks about any of it but on the other hand... you hear it in passing all the time.

Rumors are strange that way. I remember this weird rumor as a kid that I still hear people talking about regarding Glenn Anderson (Of Oilers fame) being gay and having lost his boyfriend in some pool drowning. He's been happily married though with kids the entire time though so that seems unlikely. I remember similar rumors following Wendel Clark as well.

Doug Gilmour also had a rumor follow him his entire career about statutory rape on his babysitter. That one seems legitimate but again... the papers never wrote about it so when you were a kid growing up and following the Leafs you never really heard much about this kind of stuff.

I remember hearing in passing that Michael Jordan's father, James Jordan, had been killed because of MJ's gambling debts.

These things only get discussed in pubs or in the stands at games with beers in hand. Few seem real but many seem to stick. Just wondering if any Jays fans on here had heard the Alomar rumors and what the general consensus amongst Jays fans was.

[UN-Owen]

Alomar is definitely effeminate

[UN-Owen]

I've never paid any attention to any of it. I couldn't care less about his personal life.

Agreed. But when he's getting married on 12/12/12 and making his wedding publicly known through the media, then he's inviting commentary on it by the fans

Obviously, there's nothing wrong with being gay

But trying to deceive the public with phony relationships to women? I think that warrants criticism

He used to date female tennis star Mary Pierce. It wouldn't surprise me if that had been public relations stunt for the sake of his image

[Homer Jay]

The gay rumour about Wendel Clark was because he lived in the same apartment building as Toller Cranston and were frequently seen leaving together.

Craziest I ever heard was that Kelly Gruber had a massive cocaine problem. He doesn't seem like the type thou.

Rumour confirmed true was Antonio Davis' addiction to strip clubs.

[UN-Owen]

Interesting article back in 2002 about the possibility of a gay player on the Mets. Coincidentally, that was the year Alomar was on the team...

http://www.outsports.com/columns/gaymet20020521.htm

[joseph235]

Alomar has aids? WHOA.

[tecumseh18]

The gay rumour about Wendel Clark was because he lived in the same apartment building as Toller Cranston and were frequently seen leaving together.

I never followed hockey much, but an inordinate number of people were calling him Wendy Clark at the time. Definitely stuff was floating around.

Craziest I ever heard was that Kelly Gruber had a massive cocaine problem. He doesn't seem like the type thou.

Uh, what type is that? He doesn't seem like Steve Howe or Josh Hamilton? Gruber did suffer a severe drop-off in performance, reminiscent of Tim Raines in the early 80s with the Expos. I remember the broadcasters (including Duke Snider) doing verbal gymnastics to avoid stating what Tim's problem was straight out.

Never heard anything about Alomar until his recent marriage blow-up.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WEWA3xQ7pOA[/youtube]

[UN-Owen]

The gay rumour about Wendel Clark was because he lived in the same apartment building as Toller Cranston and were frequently seen leaving together.

Craziest I ever heard was that Kelly Gruber had a massive cocaine problem. He doesn't seem like the type thou.

Rumour confirmed true was Antonio Davis' addiction to strip clubs.

I just read yesterday that legendary children's author Robert Munsch was addicted to coke

Does he seem the type?

Paul Molitor was a user too during his Milwaukee days

[UN-Owen]

I never put much stock in the Clark rumours

Yes, he had that moustache, but I just figured it was fans from other teams hating on the captain of the Maple Leafs

[tecumseh18]

I just read yesterday that legendary children's author Robert Munsch was addicted to coke

Hah, my kids love those books. For long car trips we have a CD where he narrates the stories in a live setting, and on at least one of them I can think of Munsch is clearly sky-high. It comes across like the drug-fueled lead-up to the arrest in Goodfellas. So I wasn't shocked at the disclosure.

[MGD24]

Why is this even a thread? Who cares what his sexuality is.

[s e n s i]

Why is this even a thread? Who cares what his sexuality is.

yeah...who honestly cares? i firmly believe that i could give a rats ass about robbie's sexual orientation/preferences whatever it may be.

[frizzer1]

When Alomar was with the blue jays there were several articles written about his living at the skydome and that his private life was speculated about.
There were no specifics though.

[s e n s i]

It's just kind of strange because on the one hand... nobody in the media ever talks about any of it but on the other hand... you hear it in passing all the time.

probably because no one really cares for one...secondly, it's frankly none of ours or any media outlets business

[UN-Owen]

If Alomar is gay and is orchestrating these relationships with women in an attempt to fool the public

If Alomar is using the media to publicize his wedding

If Alomar wants to be an ambassador for future events with the Blue Jays

Then I think it's fair for the public to ask questions


I don't look at this thread as "Is Alomar bisexual?" so much as "Is Alomar being dishonest to his fans?"

[maahfaace]

I don't look at this thread as "Is Alomar bisexual?" so much as "Is Alomar being deceiving his fans?"

That sounds like an Alomar quote in broken english

[UN-Owen]

I don't look at this thread as "Is Alomar bisexual?" so much as "Is Alomar being deceiving his fans?"

That sounds like an Alomar quote in broken english

Thanks for the heads up. I originally had "deceiving" and then decided to change it to "dishonest"

Part way through I must've forgotten what I was doing

[Double Helix]

Honestly, gents, it's more me just trying to gauge how widespread these rumors truly are and whether there's ever been any news to back any of these up or entirely discredit them so that the next time I hear them I'm not just a passive listener.

What two consenting adults do with one another is entirely fine by me. I support the rights of all. I'm just wondering what's true and what's not.

There's a personal life section under every bio in Wikipedia for a reason. Fans of famous people are curious about things they hear. Was the author really a heroine addict? Did the singer from the Mamas and the Papa's really choke on a sandwich? Who shot Tupac? Did Katie Holmes really earn more money for staying with Tom Cruise longer? All rumors until they're not.