Former Royal great George Brett went absolutely off after fielding a question in regards to how the media has criticized the way Kansas City’s Trey Hillman has managed this year.
You tell ‘em, George!
Category: MLB (Page 223 of 448)
Following a loss in which the young outfielder missed third base when scoring what could have eventually been the game-winning run, Mets’ manager Jerry Manuel said he could have strangled Ryan Chuch following New York’s loss to the Dodgers on Monday night. And apparently the rift between Manuel and Church started well before Monday night’s base running gaff.
It started in spring training when Manuel suggested Church, not the young Daniel Murphy, could end up in a platoon with Fernando Tatis, saying Murphy was a better hitter.
It continued when Manuel voiced his support for the Mets’ signing of Gary Sheffield just before the start of the regular season, a move that threatened to cut into Church’s playing time more than anyone else’s. And it did, even as Church got off to a scorching start at the plate.
When Manuel didn’t even bother walking out to ask the umpire what happened Monday, let alone argue on Church’s behalf, then called him out afterward, it only fueled the perception that already existed.
Manuel said he didn’t need an explanation because third-base coach Razor Shines told him Church didn’t step on the bag, and said he was only being honest in his post-game remarks.
When asked Tuesday if he was angry with Church, Manuel said, “Oh, you doggone right I was mad at him. I could have strangled him.” But he said it was not something that carried over into the next day.
It has to be tough being Manuel these days, knowing you have one of the most talented teams in the NL but they can’t even do the little things right. The media tends to overreact when a manager gets upset with a player, but what manager wouldn’t be upset with a player when they can’t touch third base when they’re heading home? It’s little league-type stuff and Manuel has to be beyond tired of it.
Based on his comments in the article, it seems like Church is handling everything in stride though. He knows he’s a professional and being a young hitter he is going to be ridden more by the manager. We’ll see how he (and the rest of the Mets for that matter) respond.
So far, one of the biggest mysteries of the 2009 MLB Season has to be the play of the New York Mets, who I would estimate is the most frustrating team to watch on a nightly basis.
Case in point, last night they had the go-ahead run taken off the score board in the top of the 11th in L.A. because Ryan Church missed third base. And he didn’t just miss third base by a step – he missed it by a good mile and a half. Then in the bottom half of the inning, first baseman Jeremy Reed air-mailed a throw home trying to cut down the winning run with bases loaded and the Dodgers managed to beat the Mets 3-2 despite being out hit 11 to 5.
Also in that crucial 11th inning, outfielders Carlos Beltran and Angel Pagan let a routine fly ball hit the ground, which put runners on second and third with no outs. Three batters later is when Reed decided to play catch with a fan in the stands instead of nailing the running at home, which would have given the Mets two outs and a chance to get out of the inning.
Former MLB pitcher David Wells tossed a few high hard ones at Alex Rodriguez and Roger Clemens this past weekend, saying that any player that cheats the game should be banned from baseball after the first offense.
Wells said the home runs that Rodriguez hit during the time he admitted he was on steroids shouldn’t count, including the three he jacked against Wells in 2003. He also questioned Roger Clemens’ veracity on his constant denials that he never juiced, and said all steroids cheats should be banned from baseball after the first offense and have no shot at getting into the Hall of Fame.
“I think that would be great. No 50-game suspension. Ban them right away,” Wells said. “That would stop it in a heartbeat, especially with the money they are giving out today. It would be incredible if they did that. You wouldn’t have to worry about steroids or HGH.”
Why do players abuse steroids? So they can post incredible numbers, assault records, extend their careers, sign big contracts.
“It (stinks) because of the fact that these guys are playing dirty and that’s not fair to the guys who busted their butt all those years to try and stay here and just didn’t have what it took,” Wells said.
If baseball truly wanted to stop player’s use of performance-enhancing drugs, they would take on Wells’ philosophy. No player in their right mind would risk taking steroids if they knew a positive test would result in a lifetime ban from the game. (Well, maybe I shouldn’t suggest that no player would risk using, because I’m sure some nitwit would do it anyway thinking he’d never be caught.)
One thing to note is that MLB wouldn’t be able to make this rule retroactive because if they didn’t think it was important to have a testing policy in place 10 years ago, then they shouldn’t be able to ban a player who admitted using during that time. So guys like A-Rod and Andy Pettitte would be given a free pass for now.
But a lifetime ban would put the responsibility back into the players’ hands – where everything starts anyway. If a player isn’t sure that a supplement or medication will get him banned, he needs to check with a team doctor and have it authorized. That way everyone knows what’s going into these players’ bodies and therefore there wouldn’t be any surprises. And this wouldn’t just help keep the game clean, but it would also show that MLB cares about the players’ long-term health, too. It seems to be a win-win for all parties involved.
Cleveland Indians C/1B Victor Martinez has one simple rule for opposing pitchers that throw inside on him during an at-bat: If you throw at his head, he will go after you. And evidently his pitching staff also has his back, as Tribe closer Kerry Wood threw two inside pitches on Tampa Bay Rays OF B.J. Upton that began a brief scrum in the bottom of the eighth inning of Sunday’s game.
The beanball war began on Friday night, as Martinez thought Rays lefthander J.P. Howell was purposely throwing at his head. After ducking away from a high and tight fastball, Martinez began yelling (click here to see video) at Howell before home-plate umpire Greg Gibson stepped in to calm the situation.
After the game, Martinez explains his side of the incident:
“I don’t like that, throwing at my head,” Martinez said. “If you want to hit somebody, [throw at] a different spot. But don’t throw at the head.”
Howell shrugged off the whole incident.
“I was just pitching, man, playing ball,” he said. “I mean, whatever. I threw a pitch in. Whatever. Where the ball was, if his face was in that area, you make up your own mind what you think. I just threw a pitch barely in, a little up. And whatever. He didn’t like it. I don’t know what that is.”
After the first two pitches went behind and inside to Upton, Rays manager Joe Maddon got into a shouting match with Martinez before both benches emptied. Maddon felt Wood was intentionally throwing at his player in retaliation to the incident in Friday’s game. The Indians have denied the accusation.
These two teams meet again in Cleveland for a four-game series beginning on May 25. Stay tuned!
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