The Drubbing

Joba Chamberlain's reaction after a 2nd inning groundout...

In a recent conversation with a reporter, Brian Bruney of the NY Yankees commented on the actions around NY Mets closer Francisco Rodridguez.  I have a few comments around this, so lets start first with Brian Bruney.

In case you do not know Brian Bruney, let me introduce him to you.  Mr Bruney is a 27 year old middle relief pitcher who has a career 4.28 EAR.  He is part of arguably the worst bullpen in MLB with a 5.60 ERA after the 7th inning.  So far he has pitched only 9 innings this year, which with the current state of the Yankees starting pitching is a 4 game series worth of work.  Bruney is also on the same team as the one and only Joba Chamberlain.  Yes, the same Joba who fist pumps, screams, beats his chest in the middle innings of games that he is losing.  Ask Aubrey Huff how he feels about Joba.  So Brian, before you start criticizing players on other teams, in the other league, you may want to address things on your own team first, you jackass.

Now, lets get to the celebration of pitchers on the mound.  Some players, fans, and media members say this is showing up the batter.  Well, i give you Barry Bonds, Manny Ramirez, and every other hitter that stares at the ball for 5 seconds after he has hit a home run.  So, you are OK with batters watching the ball and admiring a home run then slowly jogging around the bases, but you are not OK with a fist pump, or celebration after an out?  Double standard much?

The home run hitter should act like they have done it before, and get around the base path as quickly as possible, for fear of getting a pitch in their earhole during their next at-bat.  But here in-lies the issue.  MLB is so image conscience about fights (but not about roids?) that they have told the umpires to issue warnings to stop a bean-ball war.  This is partly done because a few farm boys don’t know how to correctly hit a batter – the backside, the ribs or letters in tight, and they instead throw at a batter’s head.  That is completely dangerous, unnecessary and if you are in the American League, totally cowardly.  So what happens with the warnings? The first pitcher to hit an opposing batter gets the justification and glorification of plunking the batter, while the other pitcher cannot protect his team without being throw-out.  Completely absurd.

Instead of allowing the players to police the game, like they have for many years, MLB has taken that out of the pitchers hands.  You stare at a home run too long, next time around you get dusted off.  A pitcher accidentally hits the other team’s best player, the next time their best player is up, he better watch out for a brush back.  Simple, easy and everyone understands.

The hardest outs in a baseball game are the last 3.  The game has evolved so much that you have closers throwing everything they got for 20 pitches, trying to close out a tough, tighly fought game.  As long as we the fans, and the players are allowing personal admiration for a 3rd inning home run in a 6-1 game, I have no issues with a closer showing some emotion at the end of a ball game.