Who doesn’t tape 40’s to their hands, I mean….c’mon!
I am typing this through the dense smell of cow shit on an Amtrak train hurtling at 80 mph through the California Central Valley from Sacramento to Los Angeles. What a strange, wild world we live in.
It looks like the Oakland Athletics’ lovable frat-boy, Brett Lawrie (pictured) found himself in a bit of trouble over the weekend–injuring Kansas City second baseman Alcides Escobar in an attempt to break up a double play. After seeing the replay, it seems to me if Lawrie manages to slide directly into the bag, he’s safe. Easily. Instead he takes out Escobar, cleats up, with his lead foot shin/calve, dragging his hand across the bag (and then past the bag). I’ve seen a talking head for MLBN state that it was a hard slide to break up Escobar receiving the ball and I agree. After a beaning in the back, a Twitter war between players and fans, a bench clearing “brawl” that consisted of players standing around and a few ejections; it looks like we have a good old-fashioned baseball rivalry on our hands. That’s just baseball. Obviously there is still bad blood between these teams due to last years playoffs, yet the season is still way too early for these kinds of things. It’s good to see that the Athletics have a lot of heart and competitive drive, but let’s get back to the summer marathon that we all enjoy shall we?
IN OTHER NEWS…I got a chance to see the (AAA) Sacramento Rivercats play the Las Vegas 51’s on Tuesday. Mind you, this was after swearing that I’d never step foot in their ballpark again after recently switching affiliation from the A’s to the Giants. Well, boredom and curiosity got the best of me. My mom was working that day and I needed something to do in a town that traditionally has nothing to do. I hadn’t stepped foot in Sacramento in over a year and wanted to see what the lions’ den would look like–what was once home would now be behind enemy lines complete with orange and black barbed wire.
The moment felt strange from the beginning. The sea of Giants caps and guilt made me feel a bit nauseous. “It’s OK, it’s baseball.” I kept telling myself. My positive emotions were soon turned to mush as I found out that the cheapest tickets were 12 DOLLARS! For a minor league game!!! Like always, I waited the unwritten baseball rule of 3 innings planted in a crap seat in the sun before finding a nice, shady seat right along the first base line. It was a typically fun day at the yard with a homer, a few great defensive plays, (even a bases loaded 1-2-3!) a few pitching changes and even a few great plays by the fans. I paid 6 bucks for a relatively fat hot dog (anything is better than the Dodger Dog, which are usually stale) that was quite tasty. The price was ridiculous but I came away happier and with a nice tan as I listened to the sea lions bark below the iconic Tower Bridge on the walk home.
Coco Crisp's Afro 
My, but that Brett Lawrie looks like a good old-fashioned All-American boy, doesn’t he?
Bill, he’s Canadian! hahahaha! 🙂
Yikes, what would Geddy Lee think?
Your A’s/Royal’s feud made the Orioles/Red Sox weekend (with the half-hearted Pablo Sandoval slide into 2nd, the no-warning quick hook for Ubaldo Jimenez who probably couldn’t intentionally bean the world’s fattest man at 40 feet, and the David Ortiz “But I’m David Ortiz!” temper tantrum) look pedestrian in a you-call-that-a-feud eye-rolling sort of way.
So where did the A’s AAA team go?
But, just for the record … hitting a batter is always wrong. And, a side note to Kelvin Herrera … pointing and implying the next pitch will go to the head is also always wrong. So wrong. And, stupid and disrespectful to the game itself.
Oh for heavens sake, where is my coffee this morning? Hitting a batter INTENTIONALLY is always wrong. There. Now I’m done yammering.
I disagree…sometimes hitting a batter is justified as long as its on the back, arm or somewhere else that could hurt but not potentially injure or even kill. Lawrie deserved his beaning the next day…he took it and and strolled down to first thinking the fracas was over. Apparently it wasn’t. I don’t think it was pure coincidence that the culprits were Latin players. They like to stick together and were obviously upset about the injury to Escobar.
They are now the Nashville Sounds.
Yeh, I’ve been trying to talk myself out of the “always wrong” comment I left. I think you are right … a message pitch does have its place. Not a bean-ball at the head, ever, or a 100 mph thing that can go awry. A good pitcher can make his point without injuring like you say. I think I was especially upset by Herrara’s pointing at the head thing. I hate having to think through bad behavior …
I didn’t see the play (or the replays of the replays of the replays). I know KC fans don’t want anybody going after their SS and that he is a fan favorite. Can’t blame him for that, I’ve always thought of Lawrie as a gamer, who was always hurt because he played at full speed all the time. For the moment, I’ll imagine that was the case in KC.
That ‘ol baseball season keeps rumblin’ along. We’ve got the Angels to worry about now.