If you've ever paid attention to baseball on a semi-regular basis, you have probably heard about its "unwritten rules" or "code of conduct."
Whether it's not bunting to break up a no-hitter, or beaning a player after a teammate admires a home run shot from the batter's box, some things are not tolerated in the baseball world. Because of that, players often enforce punishment to offenders, and, unless they go too far, are not punished by the league or its umpires.
Not such the case Tuesday night in Milwaukee's 8-7 11-inning loss to St. Louis.
What you should probably know about St. Louis (if you are a fan of the Cardinals, I suggest to stop reading now), is that the Cardinals - the players, managers, upper management and some fans - have crowned themselves the holy ones of the sport. Or rather, the keepers of the game, and the ones who are in charge.
Unfortunately for them, that is incorrect. In fact, all teams are equal, and Major League Baseball and its umpires are the primary enforcers of punishment.
Tuesday's string of events makes even a non-Brewer fan wonder just how far a team will push the envelope for superiority.
It all started with a formal complaint that the Brewers (and Miller Park employees) brighten the "ribbon" scoreboard when the opposing team bats. St. Louis asked for punishment, or even fairness. MLB found no such fault, and the issue was taken care of swiftly. But, the issue was still raised, and in the 24-hour news world, well equipped with Twitter and Facebook, news got out and opinions quickly formed.
When the game started, the second in a three-game set, tempers and emotions were already high. For several years St. Louis manager Tony La Russa has deemed himself the ruler of the diamond, and a strict conformist to whichever unwritten rule helps his cause. The biggest one has been the old eye-for-an-eye adage: You bean our best hitter, we will retaliate.
The problem with that thinking is that many times in baseball, you are not looking to put a man on base, regardless if it is Albert Pujols. Take Tuesday's situation: Seventh inning, two on, no outs, Brewers holding a 7-6 lead with Matt Holiday and Lance Berkman coming up to the plate. For additional reference, Milwaukee is 3.5 games ahead of St. Louis for the NL Central lead, and Berkman and Holiday are both premier All-Star hitters in the league.
So Milwaukee continued to pitch Pujols the way they had all series, running a few fastballs inside the plate, and as high as the letters. Takashi Saito, a veteran reliever, had just entered the game in relief when he clipped Pujols' wrist with a pitch. Earlier this season, Pujols injured the hand in a collision at first base.
But, because Pujols was hit (on an 0-1 pitch, with a run scoring on Holliday's double-play groundout), La Russa deemed it necessary that Milwaukee's next batter, four-time All-Star Ryan Braun, get pelted.
So follow to the bottom of the seventh, as St. Louis' hardest thrower, Jason Motte, stays in the game in relief and goes inside with a 98 mph fastball. Even in baseball terms, this is agreeable as "sending a message" because Braun got out of the way. But then Motte did something bewildering, something that surely came from the dugout - he threw another heater (97 mph) inside and pegged Braun. Immediately, La Russa pulled Motte.
In his fiery postgame press conference, La Russa defended his actions, not saying that it is wrong to go after Braun and that it was "just business." He suggested Braun avoid the unavoidable second heater. La Russa also called out Milwaukee's TV announcers for calling the play Bush League (though, maybe it's Busch League, given that St. Louis plays at Busch Stadium), and the Cardinals' manager also called Milwaukee's fans idiots for their heckling. I understand drunk baseball fans, from anywhere, can get unruly from time to time, but as someone who has been around the professional game for more than 30 years, you would have thought La Russa wouldn't be so thin-skinned (and that is not in reference to his recent bout with shingles).
But the umpires never tossed Motte, and Milwaukee failed to capitalize in the inning to make matters worse.
Not to be outdone by his manager, Yadier Molina, who has made a name for himself as one of the premier catchers over the past decade, was so furious at being called out on strikes in the 10th inning, he did a big no-no - he bumped the umpire, and was yelling so furiously that spittle was spewing from his mouth. Home plate umpire Rob Drake had to wipe his face - twice - after the rant (which of course got Molina tossed.) Molina is now likely to sit over 10 games for the blowup, and that could be crucial in a pennant race that may be Pujols' last in St. Louis.
This is the type of thing that has been happening more and more recently over the La Russa's tenure in the league. People are starting to notice. Remember, this is the same guy who didn't mind Jose Canseco and Mark McGwire pumping steroids and bashing home runs both in Oakland and St. Louis. This is also a guy who was arrested for DUI after falling asleep at a stop light.
This is the guy that thinks he is superior to all in baseball. His career wins and loss record (2,696-2,345), plus his five pennants, two World Series titles and four Manager of the Year awards suggests he is one of the best managers in history. But his actions, both on the field and off the field, sometimes resembles that of a child who, though not large physically, bullies others with whining, complaining, and by using his minions.
My co-worker and longtime friend Jeremy Pink called La Russa baseball's equivalent of "likes-to-fight guy" - you know that guy, the one who is always looking for a fight just to prove he's tough (and if you turn it down, that you are not tough). That stereotype showed itself in full form on Tuesday.
Thankfully, Milwaukee let their bats (or rather struggling Casey McGehee's) do it for them in Wednesday's finale.
- Adam Krebs is the sports editor of The Monroe Times and can be reached at 328-4202 ext. 33 or sportseditor@themonroetimes.com.
Whether it's not bunting to break up a no-hitter, or beaning a player after a teammate admires a home run shot from the batter's box, some things are not tolerated in the baseball world. Because of that, players often enforce punishment to offenders, and, unless they go too far, are not punished by the league or its umpires.
Not such the case Tuesday night in Milwaukee's 8-7 11-inning loss to St. Louis.
What you should probably know about St. Louis (if you are a fan of the Cardinals, I suggest to stop reading now), is that the Cardinals - the players, managers, upper management and some fans - have crowned themselves the holy ones of the sport. Or rather, the keepers of the game, and the ones who are in charge.
Unfortunately for them, that is incorrect. In fact, all teams are equal, and Major League Baseball and its umpires are the primary enforcers of punishment.
Tuesday's string of events makes even a non-Brewer fan wonder just how far a team will push the envelope for superiority.
It all started with a formal complaint that the Brewers (and Miller Park employees) brighten the "ribbon" scoreboard when the opposing team bats. St. Louis asked for punishment, or even fairness. MLB found no such fault, and the issue was taken care of swiftly. But, the issue was still raised, and in the 24-hour news world, well equipped with Twitter and Facebook, news got out and opinions quickly formed.
When the game started, the second in a three-game set, tempers and emotions were already high. For several years St. Louis manager Tony La Russa has deemed himself the ruler of the diamond, and a strict conformist to whichever unwritten rule helps his cause. The biggest one has been the old eye-for-an-eye adage: You bean our best hitter, we will retaliate.
The problem with that thinking is that many times in baseball, you are not looking to put a man on base, regardless if it is Albert Pujols. Take Tuesday's situation: Seventh inning, two on, no outs, Brewers holding a 7-6 lead with Matt Holiday and Lance Berkman coming up to the plate. For additional reference, Milwaukee is 3.5 games ahead of St. Louis for the NL Central lead, and Berkman and Holiday are both premier All-Star hitters in the league.
So Milwaukee continued to pitch Pujols the way they had all series, running a few fastballs inside the plate, and as high as the letters. Takashi Saito, a veteran reliever, had just entered the game in relief when he clipped Pujols' wrist with a pitch. Earlier this season, Pujols injured the hand in a collision at first base.
But, because Pujols was hit (on an 0-1 pitch, with a run scoring on Holliday's double-play groundout), La Russa deemed it necessary that Milwaukee's next batter, four-time All-Star Ryan Braun, get pelted.
So follow to the bottom of the seventh, as St. Louis' hardest thrower, Jason Motte, stays in the game in relief and goes inside with a 98 mph fastball. Even in baseball terms, this is agreeable as "sending a message" because Braun got out of the way. But then Motte did something bewildering, something that surely came from the dugout - he threw another heater (97 mph) inside and pegged Braun. Immediately, La Russa pulled Motte.
In his fiery postgame press conference, La Russa defended his actions, not saying that it is wrong to go after Braun and that it was "just business." He suggested Braun avoid the unavoidable second heater. La Russa also called out Milwaukee's TV announcers for calling the play Bush League (though, maybe it's Busch League, given that St. Louis plays at Busch Stadium), and the Cardinals' manager also called Milwaukee's fans idiots for their heckling. I understand drunk baseball fans, from anywhere, can get unruly from time to time, but as someone who has been around the professional game for more than 30 years, you would have thought La Russa wouldn't be so thin-skinned (and that is not in reference to his recent bout with shingles).
But the umpires never tossed Motte, and Milwaukee failed to capitalize in the inning to make matters worse.
Not to be outdone by his manager, Yadier Molina, who has made a name for himself as one of the premier catchers over the past decade, was so furious at being called out on strikes in the 10th inning, he did a big no-no - he bumped the umpire, and was yelling so furiously that spittle was spewing from his mouth. Home plate umpire Rob Drake had to wipe his face - twice - after the rant (which of course got Molina tossed.) Molina is now likely to sit over 10 games for the blowup, and that could be crucial in a pennant race that may be Pujols' last in St. Louis.
This is the type of thing that has been happening more and more recently over the La Russa's tenure in the league. People are starting to notice. Remember, this is the same guy who didn't mind Jose Canseco and Mark McGwire pumping steroids and bashing home runs both in Oakland and St. Louis. This is also a guy who was arrested for DUI after falling asleep at a stop light.
This is the guy that thinks he is superior to all in baseball. His career wins and loss record (2,696-2,345), plus his five pennants, two World Series titles and four Manager of the Year awards suggests he is one of the best managers in history. But his actions, both on the field and off the field, sometimes resembles that of a child who, though not large physically, bullies others with whining, complaining, and by using his minions.
My co-worker and longtime friend Jeremy Pink called La Russa baseball's equivalent of "likes-to-fight guy" - you know that guy, the one who is always looking for a fight just to prove he's tough (and if you turn it down, that you are not tough). That stereotype showed itself in full form on Tuesday.
Thankfully, Milwaukee let their bats (or rather struggling Casey McGehee's) do it for them in Wednesday's finale.
- Adam Krebs is the sports editor of The Monroe Times and can be reached at 328-4202 ext. 33 or sportseditor@themonroetimes.com.
