After yesterday's post, JAT reader Austin Henley brought up the issue of "To run over the catcher in a spring training game, Or not to run over the catcher in a spring training game?" This question, of course, stems from the controversy surrounding the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay 'Don't call me Devil' Rays. The questionable play happened this past weekend when a Tampa prospect, Elliot Johnson, ran over a Yankees catching prospect, Francisco Cervelli at home plate, breaking Cervelli's wrist. Normally, this play would be seen as just a hard-nosed, competitive effort by Johnson, yet Yankees manager Joe Girardi didn't see it that way. He thought it was a bush-league play, claiming that Johnson broke an unwritten rule by running over the catcher in a meaningless exhibition game.
Much debate has taken place in the four days since the play, and I'm a little late to the party, but here's my two cents anyway: As far as I'm concerned, if it were Jorge Posada behind the plate, and BJ Upton was the runner, then yes, that would be a bit unneccesary, as each of them are established veterans who will have no problem making their respective teams. However, the play in question involved a young, no-name player trying to make a tough play an possibly catch the eye of the manager. There's no guarantee that Elliot Johnson will make Tampa, or any team for that matter, so what choice does he really have? He doesn't have the credibility or leverage that an established player, such as A-Rod, Jeter, Manny, or someone of that caliber would, to take any play off or to ease up at the plate to avoid a collision. If Johnson had done that, it's possible that he wouldn't have even made the roster the next day, much less the entire season.
The other side of that coin is, if spring training is meaningless, Mr. Girardi, why is your catcher blocking the plate? Oh, that's right, his name is Francisco Cervelli, another no-name youngster just trying to make a team. Do you think Girardi would be fine with Cervelli standing idle as Johnson scored standing up since it's 'just spring training'? I sure don't. (Side note-It's 'just spring training' for established stars who have long-term contracts with their team. For young guys and marginal vets, spring training is the proving ground to show that they belong. It's basically a month-long job interview, not exactly something to be taken lightly.)
Also, on the way to work this morning, I was listening to 'Mike and Mike' on the radio, and they told the story of a similar play ten or so years ago. It involved the Yankees, a home-plate collision, and Joe Girardi. This time, though, Girardi was the catcher on the questionable play. His reaction then, even though it was in spring training? "It was a hard play, nothing dirty about it." Hmmm, my how a little bit of money, power, and name regognition change things, eh Joe?
-Twig
PS-This may be old news as I type this, but when I went to espn.com to look up the names of the players involved with the brawl, I saw that, in their rematch this afternoon, the Yankees beaned one of the Rays top prospects, and another Yank went spikes-up at second base, starting a bench-clearing brawl. Classy, guys...One more reason to hate the New York Yankees.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
3 comments:
Lance,
For the most part I agree with you...there was nothing wrong with what Johnson did in this instance. They were both young players trying to catch their respective managers' eyes.
HOWEVER, I don't care if it's established players or not, if you're playing a game you need to play full speed. Even though these games don't count, why have them at all if you're not going to play hard? I'm not saying that managers should manage in such a way to win (i.e. playing starters the whole time every game), but when you're out there I expect you to play as hard as you can.
Furthermore, injuries can happen in a number of ways and the old adage goes that you're the most likely to get hurt when you're playing not to get hurt.
All that to say, I'm fully on board with running over the catcher in spring training, as long as it isn't a blatantly unnecessary or dirty play. This all reminds me of something I read about 2 weeks ago in reaction to Billy Wagner being upset that a college player tried to bunt off him in an exhibition game. I'll copy it below for your full perusal:
What is it About Bunts?
Billy Wagner was upset a Michigan ballplayer tried to bunt against him.
Of course, if it seemed like a friendly matchup, no one told Billy Wagner. During his one inning of work, Michigan third baseman Kevin Cislo dropped down a bunt that rolled foul. Wagner got him out and then got out of the inning without a run. But he was hardly happy.
"We're trying to get our work in and they're playing to win?" Wagner asked. "Play to win against Villanova. I'm out here trying to protect my guys."
Why do pitchers get upset when batters try to bunt for hits against them? It reminds me of the time Bob Brenly got upset because Curt Schilling's no-hitter was broken up by a bunt. What, can't they take the fact that their power pitches can be undone with a tap?
I like the FanHouse take on the playing to win statement:
All of a sudden, I get this picture of Wagner as Vince Vaughn when he was in Rudy, and he blasted Rudy for playing to win in practice, and coach Ara Parseghian came out tore Vince Vaughn's character a new one. Do you remember that scene? Wouldn't it have been great if Randolph heard Wagner's quote and went nose to nose with Wagner in the lockerroom and said "You just summed up your entire sorry career here in one sentence! If you had a tenth of the heart of Cislo, you'd have won a World Series by now! As it is, you just went from closer to mop up! Get out of here!"
Good stuff Austin. My point about established players was that no one would really blame them if they didn't go all-out in spring training. Of course we want our players to play hard all the time, but really, as a Ranger fan, the last thing i want is to see Mike Young or Hank Blalock bowling over a catcher in a spring training game. Save it for the ones that matter guys. At the same time, if it's a marginal prospect trying to make the team, yeah, he should absolutely go all-out to make a play, even if that means putting his health on the line. A bit of a two-faced answer, but some issues are sorta sketchy like that.
Also, had no idea that was Vince in 'Rudy' It's been forever since I watched it, I need to go back and take a second look, if only to see Vaughn in a serious role.
oh, i agree that i don't want to see mike young or any other rangers starter to run over a catcher, but if they did i wouldn't claim that it was inappropriate like girardi did.
Post a Comment