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Next time have a coffee Rick, your memory is cloudy:
So I wake up this morning and do my morning routine, turn on Mike and Mike and get ready to go to work. The first thing on the air was all the controversy about Jose Bautista's bat flip. I was not home to see the crazy 7th inning between the Rangers and Blue Jays so I had no idea what kind of craziness had transpired. They had old school pitcher(former Cub so take that for what it's worth) Rick Sutcliffe on and he is talking about how he doesn't really have a problem with the players of today showing emotion but that if Joey Bats had done that in his day "He would have never made it around the bases". Really? C'mon now Rick what were you going to do back then? Run over and go Ronda Rousey on him? I remember you as a pitcher and that fast ball of yours hardly brought much intimidation. I am amused by some of these former athletes when they get put behind a microphone how the longer they are retired the better their era was. Listen, I never had the pleasure to watch Bob Gibson pitch so I guess I will have to believe the stories about some of the things he did from the mound. But what I do know is that as far as self promotion and emotion and what players got away with it hasn't changed much if at all. Do you all remember the Jeffrey Leonard one flap down home run trot? I don't recall seeing anybody do a cross body block. And that series had enough emotion for five series. What about the king of self promotion Rickey Henderson? I remember him doing a 360 spin just a few steps out of the batters box on a home run and don't recall much being done(although I loathed the man). Here is my point, there always has been and always will be emotion and players with look at me attitudes. But what Bautista did last night in my opinion was spontaneous and spur of the moment and I have no problem with it. Now that being said, Jose WILL catch one in the ribs the first series against the Rangers you better believe that. I am not crazy about retaliation because it is too easy to lose control of a pitch and I don't want anybody hurt. But it is just a known fact that there will be retaliation. I am not going to lie, I love good, honest, spur of the moment emotion. Remember Joe Carter's World Series winning home run? What about the bat flip the non home run hitting Tom Lawless did after hitting a home run for the Cardinals? Those are genuine and not showing up the opponent. Nobody seems to say much when some of the closers in baseball lose their mind after striking out the side. So why is it not ok going the other way? You hit a home run then flip the bat, point to your team mates in the dugout, etc. Just don't stand there in the box and wait for a sculptor to come make a bronze statue of you. Emotion creates interest which creates fans. After all, look at all the attention this has received today. It is what October baseball is all about.
You want a story that will restore your feelings on athletes, please read:
Last night in Kansas City something took place that will not get much attention but should. So keep in mind that the Houston Astros had just lost to the Royals and were eliminated from the playoffs. Astro bullpen catcher Javier Bracamonte took his equipment and handed it all out to a group of young Royals fans thus making this 45 year old baseball lifer the hero for life to the games next generation. Can you imagine being a kid and having a guy hand you a mitt, mask, etc and say there you go kid? Those boys don't know that the man in uniform is a guy that never sees an at bat. What they see is an athlete in uniform, that had warmed up pitchers nearby, hand them game worn gear. What a cool gesture by Bracamonte. Check out more on the story
Shame on the NFL:
Last week Pittsburgh defensive lineman Cam Heyward paid tribute to his late father Craig "Ironhead" Heyward by wearing eye black strips that had Iron on one and Head written on the other. The No Fun League fined Heyward $5,787 for violating a rule against "personal messages". Are they serious? I realize Cam Heyward will hardly go bankrupt over nearly $6,000. That isn't the point. The point is why is it so bad to show love for a man's loved one? Especially considering his dad had played in the league. If he drew a Nike swish or a McDonalds "M" I would understand. But the man's father's nickname? Side note: Craig Heyward had a short stint with the Rams in the late 90's. When I attended training camp in Macomb, IL he may have been the most popular player. He was hilarious and always mingled with fans. I will never forget the site of Heyward jogging out to the practice field in uniform with dress socks on. A fan asked why he had dress socks on and he yelled he overslept and its all he could find and he didn't want to be late and get fined. Priceless moment R.I.P. Iron Head.
Next time have a coffee Rick, your memory is cloudy:
So I wake up this morning and do my morning routine, turn on Mike and Mike and get ready to go to work. The first thing on the air was all the controversy about Jose Bautista's bat flip. I was not home to see the crazy 7th inning between the Rangers and Blue Jays so I had no idea what kind of craziness had transpired. They had old school pitcher(former Cub so take that for what it's worth) Rick Sutcliffe on and he is talking about how he doesn't really have a problem with the players of today showing emotion but that if Joey Bats had done that in his day "He would have never made it around the bases". Really? C'mon now Rick what were you going to do back then? Run over and go Ronda Rousey on him? I remember you as a pitcher and that fast ball of yours hardly brought much intimidation. I am amused by some of these former athletes when they get put behind a microphone how the longer they are retired the better their era was. Listen, I never had the pleasure to watch Bob Gibson pitch so I guess I will have to believe the stories about some of the things he did from the mound. But what I do know is that as far as self promotion and emotion and what players got away with it hasn't changed much if at all. Do you all remember the Jeffrey Leonard one flap down home run trot? I don't recall seeing anybody do a cross body block. And that series had enough emotion for five series. What about the king of self promotion Rickey Henderson? I remember him doing a 360 spin just a few steps out of the batters box on a home run and don't recall much being done(although I loathed the man). Here is my point, there always has been and always will be emotion and players with look at me attitudes. But what Bautista did last night in my opinion was spontaneous and spur of the moment and I have no problem with it. Now that being said, Jose WILL catch one in the ribs the first series against the Rangers you better believe that. I am not crazy about retaliation because it is too easy to lose control of a pitch and I don't want anybody hurt. But it is just a known fact that there will be retaliation. I am not going to lie, I love good, honest, spur of the moment emotion. Remember Joe Carter's World Series winning home run? What about the bat flip the non home run hitting Tom Lawless did after hitting a home run for the Cardinals? Those are genuine and not showing up the opponent. Nobody seems to say much when some of the closers in baseball lose their mind after striking out the side. So why is it not ok going the other way? You hit a home run then flip the bat, point to your team mates in the dugout, etc. Just don't stand there in the box and wait for a sculptor to come make a bronze statue of you. Emotion creates interest which creates fans. After all, look at all the attention this has received today. It is what October baseball is all about.
You want a story that will restore your feelings on athletes, please read:
Last night in Kansas City something took place that will not get much attention but should. So keep in mind that the Houston Astros had just lost to the Royals and were eliminated from the playoffs. Astro bullpen catcher Javier Bracamonte took his equipment and handed it all out to a group of young Royals fans thus making this 45 year old baseball lifer the hero for life to the games next generation. Can you imagine being a kid and having a guy hand you a mitt, mask, etc and say there you go kid? Those boys don't know that the man in uniform is a guy that never sees an at bat. What they see is an athlete in uniform, that had warmed up pitchers nearby, hand them game worn gear. What a cool gesture by Bracamonte. Check out more on the story
Shame on the NFL:
Last week Pittsburgh defensive lineman Cam Heyward paid tribute to his late father Craig "Ironhead" Heyward by wearing eye black strips that had Iron on one and Head written on the other. The No Fun League fined Heyward $5,787 for violating a rule against "personal messages". Are they serious? I realize Cam Heyward will hardly go bankrupt over nearly $6,000. That isn't the point. The point is why is it so bad to show love for a man's loved one? Especially considering his dad had played in the league. If he drew a Nike swish or a McDonalds "M" I would understand. But the man's father's nickname? Side note: Craig Heyward had a short stint with the Rams in the late 90's. When I attended training camp in Macomb, IL he may have been the most popular player. He was hilarious and always mingled with fans. I will never forget the site of Heyward jogging out to the practice field in uniform with dress socks on. A fan asked why he had dress socks on and he yelled he overslept and its all he could find and he didn't want to be late and get fined. Priceless moment R.I.P. Iron Head.