If we're going to look at a racist component, though, since you mentioned JD Drew, there was a good-looking white guy who took a pounding for his disappointing numbers and his supposed issues in the character area.
I would call it a necessary evil. It's a pain, but when you look at the number of calls by supposedly the best umps in the business that get overturned, it makes you realize how hard it is to get those calls right.
I'm not so sure AGon was 'vilified'.
He had the misfortune of having his first season with the team end in one of the worst collapses in baseball history.
He said a few things that rubbed people the wrong way.
As for his play, he did disappoint in one regard. People were expecting a 40 home run slugger but his power seemed to have been diminished by his shoulder surgery.
I don't disagree. But I also think the pessimism has something to do with the nature of being a baseball fan. In baseball you are guaranteed to lose a lot of games no matter what. Some fans never seem to learn how to accept or handle this.
The only feasible time to deal JBJ is in the offseason. A team in contention can't trade their starting center fielder without a nifty backup plan which we don't have.
Have to give him some more time yet, I think. If he turns it around it would be a major shot in the arm. Also I seem to be hearing more positive comments about his defense.
As always I let Cora and DD figure this stuff out for me...