A Team With Lots Of Class?

[Migrant Redbird]

Check out this Video of Brewers pitcher, Chris Smith, intentionally plunking Pirates pitcher, Jeff Karstens last night, in retaliation for Karstens plunking Ryan Braun in a previous game. Braun had been guilty of "show boating" after a home run, and the Pirates exacted the traditional baseball penalty for such behavior.

Now, check out Braun's antics after a 9th inning home run which left the Brewers still trailing by 3 runs with 2 out. Professional ballplayers don't celebrate individual achievements like that when their team is losing a game.

[Mooreisbetter27]

Check out this Video of Brewers pitcher, Chris Smith, intentionally plunking Pirates pitcher, Jeff Karstens last night, in retaliation for Karstens plunking Ryan Braun in a previous game. Braun had been guilty of "show boating" after a home run, and the Pirates exacted the traditional baseball penalty for such behavior.

Now, check out Braun's antics after a 9th inning home run which left the Brewers still trailing by 3 runs with 2 out. Professional ballplayers don't celebrate individual achievements like that when their team is losing a game.

Did I miss something? What did Braun do that was unprofessional?

[TGO]

Are you referring to the sparring and hand slapping in the on deck circle and dugout? He's keeping the next couple hitters loose since as you said, they're still losing and need baserunners and big hits from those guys. And you can pretty clearly see that Prince Fielder instigated the sparring thing. I don't see a problem with this at all.

I didn't see the HR the night before that instigated the bean balls, but this particular HR celebration was not unprofessional at all, IMO.

[Mooreisbetter27]

Are you referring to the sparring and hand slapping in the on deck circle and dugout? He's keeping the next couple hitters loose since as you said, they're still losing and need baserunners and big hits from those guys. And you can pretty clearly see that Prince Fielder instigated the sparring thing. I don't see a problem with this at all.

I didn't see the HR the night before that instigated the bean balls, but this particular HR celebration was not unprofessional at all, IMO.

I'm pretty sure the sparring thing is just something Prince Fielder and company does. At the HR hitting contest someone did it to him when he was coming off after one of his rounds.

[Migrant Redbird]

Let a Yankees player do that and listen to the roar from opposing fans.

[TyCobb]

Let a Yankees player do that and listen to the roar from opposing fans.

Are you talking about the sparring?

[sakata_catching]

I didn't see the HR the night before that instigated the bean balls, but this particular HR celebration was not unprofessional at all, IMO.

The instigating incident occurred 3 months ago in Milwaukee.

There was a lot of silliness in last night's Pirates-Brewers game, but this wasn't part of it.

[CrimsonTribe]

Harumph, harumph, harumph, harumph...

Sounds like a little NL Central bias to me. Nothing wrong w/ what Braun did.

[Migrant Redbird]

Sounds like a little NL Central bias to me. Nothing wrong w/ what Braun did.

Braun is a fantastic hitter, but he's still a cocky little twerp who disrespects the old game. Now, if you're into football end zone celebrations, I'm not surprised you have no objections to that, but there's a reason why the NFL puts dampers on them.

I have no personal objections to public display of sexual intercourse either, but I do object to said behavior when it offends people who do disapprove of it.

It would have been a little different if Braun's home run had tied the game, put the Brewers into the lead, or (at home) been a walk off. But celebrating personal achievements -- especially those which aren't career milestones -- while your team is losing the game is offensive. You're not supposed to be "happy" when you're going to lose the game. Respect the game and demonstrate a little bit of maturity!

I'm a big fan of Scott Rolen and Albert Pujols. Not too long after the Cardinals acquired Rolen, Pujols was batting against a pitcher who had struck him out in his previous at bat. Pujols had been offended by the pitcher's behavior following that punch out, when the pitcher had celebrated as though he'd just struck out the final batter of the game. After Pujols deposited the guy's next pitch into the stands, he gave a contemptuous flip of the bat, before trotting around the bases. When Albert got back to the dugout, Scott Rolen told him, "Albert, you're better than that! You need to set an example of professional behavior." Albert thought about it and decided that Scott was right. To my knowledge, Albert has not flipped a bat following a home run since.

What do you think about the religious gestures of some players. Some Catholic players make the sign of the cross before they step into the batters box. When he is batting, Yadier Molina kisses the cross suspended from a chain around his neck prior to every pitch. When Pujols gets a hit, be it a single or home run, as soon as he reaches the base and the play is over, he makes a pointing gesture toward Heaven. My opinion of that is that it's a religious gesture, similar to making the sign of the cross, which is typical of Hispanic players who are Catholics. I wouldn't do it, but I don't object to players doing that if it's part of their culture.

Recently, within the last couple of days, an Astros fan has been criticizing Pujols for that religious gesture of pointing towards the sky. I don't see it as a problem, but I could understand why some fans might. However, it doesn't belong in the same class as Braun's antics, in my opinion. In the old days, pitchers would have kept planting the ball in Braun's ear until he stopped with the excessive displays or was no longer able to drag himself up to the plate.

[wickedwitch]

It would have been a little different if Braun's home run had tied the game, put the Brewers into the lead, or (at home) been a walk off. But celebrating personal achievements -- especially those which aren't career milestones -- while your team is losing the game is offensive. You're not supposed to be "happy" when you're going to lose the game. Respect the game and demonstrate a little bit of maturity!

Given the nature of baseball, it isn't inconceivable that the Brewers could come back and win.

Personally, I don't have a problem with that. I don't have a problem with Papelbon's or Joba's fistpumps either.

[Spoonless]

Much ado about nothing. I'm sure there are and will be plenty of Braun antics for you to pick on, but this certainly isn't one of them. He didn't stare down the pitcher or gesture towards the other dugout. He went through his mild celebratory routines with his teammates.

[Migrant Redbird]

... I don't have a problem with Papelbon's or Joba's fistpumps either.

I do, but I'm more "old school" than you younger whippersnappers. It wasn't that long ago that Papelbon and Joba would have been "disciplined" by their opponents, if the veterans on their own teams didn't get around to it first.

[beaner]

Al Hrabosky anyone?

A lot of players have their little things they do, handshakes and such. Tejada, Roberts, and Mora used to do their little thing after each win, it's all in fun.

In the first clip, like the announcers said, Karstens should have taken his medicine and gone down to first. No "antics" at all.

[xKHx]

I do, but I'm more "old school" than you younger whippersnappers. It wasn't that long ago that Papelbon and Joba would have been "disciplined" by their opponents, if the veterans on their own teams didn't get around to it first.

Dennis Eckersley use to point at batters and fist pump all through out his career starting in 1975.

[Migrant Redbird]

Dennis Eckersley use to point at batters and fist pump all through out his career starting in 1975.

When Eckersly was with the Cardinals, I was in the Army and rarely saw him pitch, so I don't recall that. It didn't come through in the box scores.

I do remember Al Hrabosky's antics, but I recall them as being more prior to the pitch, rather than afterwards. Al was just trying to get into the batter's head -- and stall until the batter became overly eager. It's similar to what Mark Fidrych did -- I don't recall if anyone got too upset with The Bird's routines?