Um, check again. This is the game room, not the pit.
That’s something you ought to be noticing.
Yeah, it is, and yeah, you’re right! Mea culpa!
It’s always seemed to me that the major issue behind managers and coaches (in football) getting upset about “running up the score” is that their professional pride and more importantly sense of job security is threatened by lopsided scores.
The players (especially scrubeenies who just want a chance to get in there and do something) are much less wound up about it.
I don’t know who is more upset about it, but my impression is that it’s an issue for players as well. At any rate, in this particular instance it led to an opposing pitcher throwing at Mercedes, so it upset someone enough to impact the game.
The pitcher attempting to injure a player is what impacted the game. That was his choice, he wasn’t forced into it because someone hit a homerun (which I note is pretty much the entire job of a batter). Maybe address that aspect, not someone who was playing the game correctly.
You are right about one thing: we do expect them to have the same emotions as other adults. However, we don’t expect grown adults to engage in assault because they feel “disrespected.” If you were to disrespect me in the Pit, I wouldn’t be entitled to throw a 100 mph ball at you, now would I?
I won’t debate what counts as proper sportsmanship in regards to swinging. But I will say that, if the player did break some unwritten rules, the correct course of action is not to have a violent fit, or to say shitty things about him in public while ignoring the guy who had a violent fit.
That aspect of the “unwritten rules” of baseball, where the pitcher gets to be violent towards a batter he feels “disrespected” him? That has no place because it has no place in civilized society.
Assault is definitely not “good sportsmanship.”
True enough. But managers have been known to issue the order to hit an opposing batter.
One incident that sticks in my memory was years ago when Ohio State was ritualistically beating up on one of their sacrificial lamb early season football opponents. The score was something like 45-0 late in the game when a substitute O.S.U. running back ran it in from about five yards out for the final touchdown. The Ohio State coach (Jim Tressel) was all exercised and apologetic about the TD, saying something about how he shouldn’t have let that happen (apparently the player should have lain down short of the goal line).
I guarantee that there was no huge angst over on the Little Sisters of the Poor sideline over being beat 52-0 instead of 45-0. Tressel was thinking about his buddy in the coaching fraternity (and trying to ensure he would never be on the receiving end of such a lopsided score in the future).
Except that goes out the window when a position player is pitching. Trying to draw a walk of a position player pitching also violates an unwritten rule of baseball.
When the other team sends a position player to the mound they are signaling that they are surrendering and just want the game to be over. The unwritten rules dictate that batters don’t work the count in this situation. If it’s even close to the strike zone, swing away. On top of that, it’s bad form to get too cute with that swing. Don’t try to slap a single just over the heads of the infield (which pro hitters could pretty easily do against 50mph pitches) . Swing for the fences. The only really acceptable outcomes are home runs or fly outs.
It is generally OK to hit a home run off a position player pitching it is generally not OK to draw a walk if you can help it.
Typically, they take a knee and let the clock run out.
I disagree. (Also, getting walked by the opposing pitcher is not “trying to draw a walk”.)
This was a substitute running back in his first game ever. I don’t buy the crap about taking a knee. Once you’ve pulled your starters for the bench-sitters, why shouldn’t they be allowed to try hard?
You are wrong.
I don’t understand why the blame for this alleged problem lies with the team that keeps trying, and not the team that acts like a bunch of crying little sucky-babies because the other team kept trying.
To review your position: if La Russa’s team succeeds, that’s because of him. But if his team fails, that’s NOT because of him. And the “Triggered snowflakes” are the players who are fine with… continuing to try to play baseball at 100%, and not the guy whining about “unwritten rules” about NOT trying?
Tell that to this guy (bolding mine).
I think the bigger unwritten rule is that, according to La Russa, Mercedes disregarded a sign.
Yes, I side with the manager who has a demonstrated track record of success on multiple teams over 3 decades and who served as a consultant for the two most World Series winners. I side with that guy over players who are no doubt talented but haven’t achieved much as a team.
Using a position player means you’re saving your bullpen to play my team tomorrow (and beat me, by the way, which is what happened). If you’re playing your game for the best of your team, why can’t I?
If he saw the sign and disregarded it, cool; TLR can chew his ass in the clubhouse. But once he mistreated him in public and said “cool, bean him”, TLR lost any moral high ground.
If there’s a “side” to be taken between manager and players, that is the manager’s fault.
In tonight’s annals of No Respect For The Game:
Despite using only three pitchers through the first 7 innings of their game against Atlanta, the Pirates, down 12-0, decided to bring in a shortstop (Wilmer Difo) to pitch the 8th inning. In the course of his adventure, Difo gave up three doubles, two singles, a sacrifice fly and a grand slam, putting the Braves on top 20-0.
Apparently the Atlanta hitters weren’t taking a lot of pitches. Tony LaRussa is probably disgusted.
You side with the snowflake who threw a hissyfit in the media because a player didn’t see a sign.
Not who didn’t see a sign but who ‘plays his game’