Baseball brawls and managers' rants

[dawgball]

Do baseball players know how much they look like they are in high school when they fight like that? If you're not going to really punish these players for fighting, then let them fight like hockey. I, for one, think baseball players are the biggest bunch of pussies in sports and that thought is only backed up by the way that their "brawls" are handled. A bunch of grown men running around, holding each other back, and talking a bunch of shit! I tell you what--meet me in the parking lot after school, and I'll take your lunch money, too.

The other thing about baseball that is completely ludicrous is the way managers act when they don't agree with a call. Stomping on the bags, kicking dust on the plate, throwing water coolers--next he's going to call the ump's mom fat! These are nothing but senseless pre-pubescent temper tantrums. But for some reason, this is accepted in baseball.

It kind of reminds me of the men who just can't let their high school days go. Playing softball leagues like it's the World Series. I'm all for continuing to play sports, but I hate to be one to tell you that you weren't good enough to go pro and you're not 18 anymore. You're not as quick, as fast, as strong as you were--and most certainly you don't look as good as you think in the uni that you should have canned 6 seasons back.

Stepping off the soapbox.

 

[MadJack]

i really miss earl weaver. i used to love watching him go crazy with the umps and so did all the fans. it was great. i think he owns the record for being thrown out. it also pumped up the team.

 

[acehistr8]

I loved watching Earl back in the day, Larry Bowa yesterday was a little flashback. Personally I didnt mind the takedown yesterday, I mean Christ you still have to allow pitchers to come inside. Bring back Mo Vaughn back in the day, that guy used to load up on armor and dare guys to hit him. Batters are becoming little babies.

 

[dawgball]

If a pitcher comes in on somebody, then the batter has the right to go after him. What I have a problem with is the bench clearing "brawls". Basically everyone comes out, talks trash, maybe shoves someone, bows their chest, and then goes back to the bench staring someone down. It's such horseshit!

I loved the take-down. Not quite as much as Nolan Ryan wearing that guy's head out, but it was a perfect form tackle. If you're going to charge the mound, you should do so one on one. If a pitcher is facing Mo Vaughn, then he probably will not throw inside. That would actually mean that Vaughn's size is an advantage, and he controls the inside of the plate. That would be called strategy in most sports. In baseball, they send some weenie up to throw at a monster because the whole team is going to get involved. Ridiculous!

 

[acehistr8]

Yesterday was such a load of crap. The guy at the plate was 6'6 or some shit, hes lurching himself out over the plate, if you threw that pitch to a normal sized righty whos just standing there not hulking out over the plate, nothing would have happened because the pitch was barely inside.

 

[Blazer]

Dawg- again I agree.


I tried to think about anytime any other coach in a different sport acted like Baseball Managers. The only things I could come up with is Bill Cower (when he shoved the paper in the refs chest), Bob Knight (with the infamous chair), and hockey coaches with an occasional "cleaning of the bench onto the ice" stunt. IT took me a while to come up with anything close to what happened the other day on the pitch.

A baseball manager is ten times more likley to explode and throw a temper-tantrum than any other sport coach.

Why is this acceptable?

Why does this continue?

It's stupid and it turns my stomach to see some old fat guy in a uniform kicking and screaming like a child.

 

[Justinsmom829]

Great Thread Dawg.

I love Larry Bowa. Baseball isn't the most lively of sports so when I see Bowa coming out of the box and spit flying out his mouth I stand and cheer. Good for him. Get your boys backs.

I'm actually in a pool this year that goes like this ... you pick and inning out of a hat and you pay $5.00 every game and if he gets thrown out on your inning you win the money. So it is good if he keeps his cool for a few games the pot gets big and you get paid.

Miss Missy

 

[dawgball]

I definitely see SOME comic value in it, but I think it's pretty sad when baseball has to resort to things like this to draw a crowd. George Brett's tyrade is basically legendary now. I don't see Rasheed Wallace being praised when he acts like a "thug". If Brett was black, would it be looked upon so proudly?:shrug: Just a question. Just a question. I think it is more the sport than the race, so I am not pushing that concept.

 

[StevieD]

So much of it is just acting. And bad acting at that. But it is funny and it does liven up a boring game sometimes. But really, when was the last time you had a disagreement with somebody and kicked dirt on their shoes!

 

[AR182]

weaver & billy martin was the two best on putting on a show. pinella also does a good job.

i agree with stevie that some of it is acting. the players probably have a clause in their contracts prohibitting them from meeting other players in the parking lot.

 

[ozball]

Does anyone know if the Nolan Ryan takedown is available anywhere on the web?

That was one of my first baseball memories since coming to North America. I was just telling my son about it last weekend. the rookie hitter gettin' his ass whipped by the veteran pitcher...

My memory of it was Nolan Ryan standing his ground as this dude was charging towards him...then steps aside at the last minute, grabbing him in a headlock and beating the sh!t out of him....classic.

ozball