Poor sportsmanship or smart baseball?

[Skywalker76]

I think it's classless. Sorry.

[DrungoHazewood]

Let me ask you something - is the hidden ball trick classless? Isn't that an attempt to pull one over on someone, trying to win by means besides your skills as a baseball player?

What about catchers (or any other fielder) blocking the plate or base before they actually have possession of the ball? That's actually illegal by the rules, but is never called. Shouldn't a good sport admit he broke the rules and insist the runner be called safe?

What about Chuck Knoblauck's phantom catch/tag that kept Lonnie Smith from scoring in the '91 Series while the ball was bouncing around the outfield?

For that matter, shouldn't an outfielder be ashamed when he dives for a ball, short-hops it, but comes up with it in his glove and tries his darnest to convince the ump he really caught it? Isn't that unsportsmanlike?

How are any of these things different than what ARod did? If you want ARod to play the game as a gentleman, like it's a cricket match at Lord's in 1878, shouldn't you apply that standard to all deceptive and/or technically illegal plays?

[bgfield]

I don't see any language like that in the MLB rulebook.

http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/official_info/official_rules/runner_7.jsp

http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/official_info/official_rules/definition_terms_2.jsp

[bgfield]

Let me ask you something - is the hidden ball trick classless? Isn't that an attempt to pull one over on someone, trying to win by means besides your skills as a baseball player?

What about catchers (or any other fielder) blocking the plate or base before they actually have possession of the ball? That's actually illegal by the rules, but is never called. Shouldn't a good sport admit he broke the rules and insist the runner be called safe?

What about Chuck Knoblauck's phantom catch/tag that kept Lonnie Smith from scoring in the '91 Series while the ball was bouncing around the outfield?

For that matter, shouldn't an outfielder be ashamed when he dives for a ball, short-hops it, but comes up with it in his glove and tries his darnest to convince the ump he really caught it? Isn't that unsportsmanlike?

How are any of these things different than what ARod did? If you want ARod to play the game as a gentleman, like it's a cricket match at Lord's in 1878, shouldn't you apply that standard to all deceptive and/or technically illegal plays?

What Rodriguez did is a little different. He interfered with a play being made, period. If this starts happening on a frequent basis, you're probably gonna see a lot of popups fall in for base hits.

Blocking the plate before you get the ball is something that's always bothered me, too. I never cared for that. I didn't realize it was against the rules; if that's the case, that rule should be enforced.

[66-70-83-??]

Poor sportsmanship or smart baseball ?

POOR SPORTSMANSHIP, plain and simple.

There is a difference between this stunt and a hidden ball trick.

AROD interfered with the play.

I coach a little league travel team. We teach the kids to call each other off in the field. We teach them smart baserunning. We tell them to keep their eye on the ball (ie hidden ball- make sure 1B throws it back).

We don't teach them to scream "I got it" as they are running the bases when there is a pop-up.

That is unnatural and cheap bush-league tactics. That would be like yelling "swing" to little leaguers at the wrong time when they are at the plate. Believe me- it will work sometimes.

Someone suggested that the 3rd basemen has to be able to instantly recognize the "sound" of his teammates voice ? That is ridiculous to ask any player, while concentrating on the ball, to be able to drown out all the other crowd/external noise, AND be able to tell one voice (teammate) from another (opponent).

[glenn__davis]

How in the world is this poor sportsmanship?

I'm with Mackus. It wasn't really a smart play, it just happened to work. I see nothing wrong with it, though.

[MChance]

I'd love to see how you all would change your tune if A-Rod did this to Mora ... or Markakis, if he was playing third base for some strange reason.

Classless, un-sportsman-like. It's vintage A-Rod. I wouldn't expect anything different from him. Personally, although it wasn't as direct, this is very similar to his swat. He's interfering with a play being made. Totally different than an OFer trying to convince an umpire that he made a catch when he did not. That's a judgement call for the umpire. Swatting a ball or yelling "mine" when rounding the bases is not trying to influence someone's judgement. It's blatant (assuming you are not deaf).

Nevertheless, all of these "tricks" is just more reason to implement instant replay in MLB.

[Why Not?]

http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/official_info/official_rules/definition_terms_2.jsp

Thanks. A-Rod's shout certainly seems to run afoul of this definition of interference. It's interesting that nothing that specific is mentioned in the expanded discussion of baserunner interference. I suppose that's because this sort of thing hardly ever happens.

I wonder if this will be more specifically addressed in the rules from now on. Of course, if A-Rod gets a fastball in his ear, I think others will be hesitant to try his little trick.

[Leitch]

Wow, nobody else thinks that's just funny as hell?

I laughed my ass off when I saw the replay.

[Mad Mark]

Miss Pay-Rod never misses an opportunity to look like a silly, silly girl on the field. Maybe she's trying to get Derek Christ to let her sleep over again.

Seriously, for someone who is so concerned with "image" Miss Pay-Rod just can't keep herself away from controversy.

Typical "Yankee class", typical Miss Pay-Rod baseball.

[MP]

Do you think Ripken ever would have done that? And if your answer is "no", why do you think that?

[tennOsfan]

I consider this act to be as "smart" as Ty Cobb sharpening his spikes to slash his opponents. Yeah, it worked, but Cobb certainly made himself a poor sport.

ARod is developing a history of this junk. The play a couple weeks ago where he WAAAYYYY overslid second and forearmed the second baseman in the chest ... the playoffs where he batted the ball away during a tag on his run to first. Now this.

MLB umpires need to start paying attention to him. They missed his interference on the slide at second, and now they miss a verbal interference. I umpire high school ball, and while I know it's not on the same level as the pros, we are always reminded that teams are not to benefit from verbally confusing the other side. Is ARod such a poor player that he has to resort to trickery in order to win?

What ARod did was wrong, morally and by the rulebook. What if Bobby Jones knocked his opponent's golf ball back into the bushes while the opponent wasn't looking? Or what if he yelled during the opponent's backswing? He'd have been declared an ungentlemanly jerk. And don't give me any junk about golf being different from baseball -- a person should play with a certain level of class in any sport (unless it's Conrad Dobler blocking a defensive lineman in unconventional ways - LOL).

[ledzepp8]

Yeah I think it's pretty classless and it's hardly the same as the hidden ball trick or trapping a line drive or missing a tag, etc.

Arod's excuse was pretty lame also. He said that he gets that 3-4 times a week in pop ups by the dugout with people yelling stuff at him and sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. There's a big difference between a dugout full of guys yelling stuff at you when you know exactly who it is and someone running up behind you in the field yelling something that sounds coincidentally similar to "Got it" in your ear.

[tennOsfan]

Arod's excuse was pretty lame also. He said that he gets that 3-4 times a week in pop ups by the dugout with people yelling stuff at him and sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. There's a big difference between a dugout full of guys yelling stuff at you when you know exactly who it is and someone running up behind you in the field yelling something that sounds coincidentally similar to "Got it" in your ear.

Exactly. ARod's just a jerk, and finally we're figuring it out.

[RayFink1e]

He yelled "Ha" not "I got it". The third baseman should of made the catch. I cant believe this doesnt happen more often. And what is the third baseman gonna do when a stadium is packed and he is chasing one down the line with a right fielder coming too. The whole crowd is gonna be yelling stuff at him