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Breaking the rules of baseball
I love the game of baseball, but it's getting to be way too self-important.
With the latest uproar over New York Yankees reliever Joba Chamberlain's post-strikeout celebrations, as well as the fit that New York Mets now-minor leaguer Nelson Figueroa threw earlier in the week over the Washington Nationals' enthusiasm, I think the game of baseball needs to take a collective chill pill.
But eighth-grade verbiage aside, I want to share a valuable piece of advice that I learned during my time in the tree removal business. For two summers during college, I operated a chainsaw, a chipper and learned a whole lot about hard work. I also learned a lot about poison ivy and bee stings, but the hard work was a little more fun.
My boss there once told me that the seventh-most important rule of working in the tree removal business was, "Never take yourself too seriously."
He never did inform me what rules one through six entailed, but he didn't have to. The seventh one was good enough.
Anyone who can get riled up when Joba Chamberlain pumps his right fist should really just shut up and settle down. Don't be so dramatic. Don't take yourself so seriously.
If the kid gets excited by striking someone out, let him celebrate. Let him do a flip and dance off of the mound. He's a professional athlete and that's his job. Boo him mercilessly when he gives up a homer, that's your job.
But what about the hackneyed argument that "he doesn't respect the game." Guess what ... some baseball players make $25-$30 million a year and then hit the disabled list with fingernail injuries. They sit out multiple games with "flu-like symptoms." The respect ship sailed long ago.
I'm sure Figueroa has a thing or two to say about the Chamberlain mess. Why not, he has a thing or two to say about everything else. As you would've read above had you clicked on the link, Figueroa was angered during his start Tuesday night that Washington outfielder Elijah Dukes started to clap and that his teammates followed suit.
Oh no.
Don't tell me that professional athletes are ... gosh, it can't be ... cheering. I hope someone got Bud Selig's approval. We have tainted records and a finger-waggling man with a mustache that testified/lied on the country's biggest stage, but we're going to worry about the Nationals' enthusiasm? Are you kidding me?
Quick intermission to brag about what I'm currently watching on TV: The Nationals just won a 1-0 ballgame over the Mets, which makes it three of four to take the series.
First baseman Aaron Boone just snagged a line drive with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning with a runner on third. Boone doubled up Carlos Beltran -- who broke from third to home on the pitch -- to end the game.
I laughed and smiled, but I didn't cheer. That's just not right. I also thought it was funny that MASN went to its first postgame set of commercials with a shot of Ronnie Belliard leading some sort of chant/dance in the dugout.
In case Mr. Figueroa hadn't noticed, the Nationals weren't exactly knee deep in wins. They're still not now, but three out of four against Figueroa's parent club certainly does help.
Dukes was only trying to generate some sort of enthusiasm for his team, and the Nationals were simply trying to start and maintain a rally. What's wrong with that?
I guess a few people broke rule No. 7.
This blog is solely the opinion of the author and does not reflect the opinions of The Fairfax County Times. Blogs and the comments associated with them are not edited. Please click the Report Offensive Content link found on a blog or comment if you feel it should be brought to the attention of site moderators.
Nelson Figueroa was not angry. He did not throw a fit. He had given his interview taking responsiblity for the game and after everyone was walking out a reporter off handly asked him what they were saying and Nelson said, "I really don't know, they were cheering like some softball girls in the dugout". That was it. The media had their sound bite and went with it, blowing everything out of proportion.
Posted by hdarvick
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