June 2, 2007

Remy's Comments On A-Rod's Baserunning Distraction

Remy, last night on NESN, as Youkilis batted in the third inning:
I really don't know what the big deal is about that, I mean, unless you've had your head in the sand, that stuff happens quite often, unless it's just completely stopped the last few years. We're up here, we can't hear it, but I know in my playing time, that happened all the time -- and if you're dumb enough to fall for it, shame on you.

"I got it". People have run by me -- "I got it". If you don't know the voice of your shortstop or second baseman I mean, you've got to know that. ...

If people think that's something new in baseball, please [laughs]. You ought to hear when a first baseman or third baseman goes towards the dugout to try to make a catch. How about a second baseman or shortstop dekeing a runner, you know, on a fly ball to the outfield?

Now like I said, if you're the opposing team, and you take exception to it, there are ways to deal with it and generally it comes from the pitcher on your club. That's how you deal with it. But don't tell me that that's something new in baseball.

6 comments:

tim said...

My one post on this issue:

Was it immature? yes
Was it unprofessional? yes
Was it against the rules? yes, but its one of those rules that arent followed/enforced (i.e. the fraternizing with the other team rule), so who gives a shit if it was against the rules. its part of the game, and for a professional third baseman to have been in the game for 13 years or whatever and never had that done to him...well, i dont exactly know who the hell "Howie Clark" is anyways. what a whiner, get over it. you screwed up because you let that effect you.

i played hockey for 10 years and we pulled shit like that all the time. if someone else on the other team had the puck i would yell at them "HERE!" and hit my stick on the ice, and it worked a few times. we would talk at the opponent from the bench, and it would happen to us.

its part of the game, sure it's unprofessional, but the bottom line is that it happens, and if you're that much of a cry baby that you're going to make a stink about it because you got pwned, then you deserved it. if you fall for it and make a shitty play you suck it up and move on.

allan said...

Some other reactions, found here and there:

Former Red Sox manager Joe Morgan: "I would say it's bush league all the way. His intent was to make him back off and let the ball drop, which happened. My wife says I've done it, which is not true. I remember when Eddie Stanky used to get behind second base, jumping up and down when guys were trying to hit, and they wound up changing the rules and making that illegal."

Jim Palmer: "It worked, didn't it? You're trying to win, aren't you? The guy's an easy target, come on. I don't know what he yelled, but they are underachieving and you do what you've got to do. Big deal. It's just baseball. ... There are just certain things you do. It's survival of the fittest. He yelled. They're desperate. They're playing like dogs."

Carl Yastrzemski: "It's a little bit both bush and smart, I guess. The third baseman should know where the shortstop is, and you pretty much know the guy's voice. But I would not have done anything like that."

Johnny Pesky: "I'm surprised and I think it's bush. You don't do that. If the umpire was on the ball, he'd have probably called him out and kicked the guy out of the ballgame. I never heard of such a thing. I'm surprised at A-Rod. He didn't strike me as being that kind of player, but for God sakes, he's done so many bush things this year, I'm a little suspect of him now."

Former infielder Mike Andrews: "I think it's a smart play, I really do. At second base, we always would fake like it was a double play to try to make the guy slide so he can't go to third. Gosh, I really don't see anything wrong with it. You yell and if the guy bites, that's a pretty good play. I'm kind of intrigued by it."

Troy Glaus: "Not since I think 'Major League II,' the movie; I think that's the only time I've ever seen it on the field. I've never heard of someone doing it and I've never seen anybody do it. That's not proper. That's not the right thing to do."

Joe Torre: "It's probably something he shouldn't have done. But it's over with. What the hell else are you going to do? I don't sense he's going to do it again. I think just the reaction probably told him that. He may have been excited about the fact that we were leading the ballgame, going around toward third base. It was probably inappropriate to do it at the time he did it, but you can't change it, unfortunately."

laura k said...

Tim, nicely said! I agree 100%.

laura k said...

Two other notes:

Troy Glaus, Blue Jays 3rd baseman, a perfectly unbiased, no?

and

Jim Palmer, please apologize to dogs everywhere.

allan said...

Great. You got infielders saying it never happens and infielders saying it always happens.

Someone's memory is faulty.

Anonymous said...

I respect Remy but he's wrong on this. What A-Rod did was "interference". The umpires may not call it like they don't call a strike a strike but nonetheless it is "interference".

read this take on it..

www.soxfaninny.wordpress.com/