Wednesday, September 29, 2004
Dodger Bruise
In case you missed it, there was an incident at Dodger Stadium last night and, unfortunately, I'm not referring to the Dodgers 5-run ninth inning rally to win. I'm referring to the right field water fight between Milton Bradley and a disgruntled fan. After Bradley committed an error with the bases loaded, allowing two runs to score, a fan threw a water bottle on the field at Bradley. An infuriated Milton (is there another kind?) approached the stands and threw the water bottle back, yelling at the fan.
Are you f'ing kidding me, Dodger fans?! It's one thing for Oakland fans to harass their opponents' bullpen, but you choose to throw objects at your own players?! A player on a team that is in first place after being predicted to finish third no less! I'm not sure if you can get much more despicable than that as a fan. Are you the same guy that shot a Giants fan outside of Dodger Stadium last year? If not, I'm sure you must know him. I find it hard to believe that the two biggest bonehead fans in Los Angeles don't hang out. Maybe this idiot wasn't even a Dodger fan you say? Had they been hosting the Yankees, you might have a point, but this was Colorado. I'll bet my next paycheck (or a 2-liter bottle of soda which is actually worth more) that this moron was not part of an L.A. splinter cell of Rockies Nation. No, he was definitely an Angeleno. It's no wonder why fans everywhere else chant "Beat LA."
By the way, Arte Moreno, that chant is not something I'd like to be applicable to an Angels game.
And what the hell were you thinking, Milton? I can understand how you would be emotionally fragile after committing an error with the bases loaded and how one of your own fans booing you might push you over the edge a little bit. But what was that taking-your-jersey-off thing? Why were you taunting your home fans as you entered the dugout even if they were booing you? They surely were not upset with your error so much as your childlike temper tantrum. They've been laughing it off all year as you turned your tirades on umpires. Don't you think they deserve a break when you focus your fury on one of your own even if that fan was well over the line? Of course they do. With the Playoffs a week away, now is not the time to create a rift with your fans.
Despite all the criticism he gets, I think Jim Tracy is a good manager. However, after his quote last night, I have to question his PR skills. Tracy had this to say about the rumble in the ravine:
"Obviously, Milton let his emotions get the best of him tonight, and I feel terrible about that. I think that fans -- our fans, anyone's fans -- they pay money to come to the game. And jeering and getting on you is a part of it. We've all been a part of that. That's part of the game. Unfortunately, he allowed his emotions to spill over on the other side of the wall, and that's something you can't let happen."
The first thing he has to say is to defend the lunatic fan?! Jim, fans do have a right to jeer the players, but they have absolutely no right to throw things at them. That's not "part of the game" or at least it's not supposed to be. Yes, Milton is very much in the wrong here, but you're his damn manager. You should be sticking up for him and leading with your view of how unfortunate it was to see fans throwing at players. Remember that this fan let his emotions "spill over on the other side of the wall" first. This was hardly a random attack on Bradley's part. Your guy's gonna get fined and suspended for this incident and you're gonna jump on board and put all the blame on him too? I think a manager should back up his guys a little better than that. You don't need to make excuses for him, but you don't need to sell him out either when there was more than one party at fault.
First Guillen gets suspended, now Bradley goes postal. Does it seem like October to anyone else? One more case like this and I think we have legitimate grounds to declare Playoff Fever an official disease.
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Are you f'ing kidding me, Dodger fans?! It's one thing for Oakland fans to harass their opponents' bullpen, but you choose to throw objects at your own players?! A player on a team that is in first place after being predicted to finish third no less! I'm not sure if you can get much more despicable than that as a fan. Are you the same guy that shot a Giants fan outside of Dodger Stadium last year? If not, I'm sure you must know him. I find it hard to believe that the two biggest bonehead fans in Los Angeles don't hang out. Maybe this idiot wasn't even a Dodger fan you say? Had they been hosting the Yankees, you might have a point, but this was Colorado. I'll bet my next paycheck (or a 2-liter bottle of soda which is actually worth more) that this moron was not part of an L.A. splinter cell of Rockies Nation. No, he was definitely an Angeleno. It's no wonder why fans everywhere else chant "Beat LA."
By the way, Arte Moreno, that chant is not something I'd like to be applicable to an Angels game.
And what the hell were you thinking, Milton? I can understand how you would be emotionally fragile after committing an error with the bases loaded and how one of your own fans booing you might push you over the edge a little bit. But what was that taking-your-jersey-off thing? Why were you taunting your home fans as you entered the dugout even if they were booing you? They surely were not upset with your error so much as your childlike temper tantrum. They've been laughing it off all year as you turned your tirades on umpires. Don't you think they deserve a break when you focus your fury on one of your own even if that fan was well over the line? Of course they do. With the Playoffs a week away, now is not the time to create a rift with your fans.
Despite all the criticism he gets, I think Jim Tracy is a good manager. However, after his quote last night, I have to question his PR skills. Tracy had this to say about the rumble in the ravine:
"Obviously, Milton let his emotions get the best of him tonight, and I feel terrible about that. I think that fans -- our fans, anyone's fans -- they pay money to come to the game. And jeering and getting on you is a part of it. We've all been a part of that. That's part of the game. Unfortunately, he allowed his emotions to spill over on the other side of the wall, and that's something you can't let happen."
The first thing he has to say is to defend the lunatic fan?! Jim, fans do have a right to jeer the players, but they have absolutely no right to throw things at them. That's not "part of the game" or at least it's not supposed to be. Yes, Milton is very much in the wrong here, but you're his damn manager. You should be sticking up for him and leading with your view of how unfortunate it was to see fans throwing at players. Remember that this fan let his emotions "spill over on the other side of the wall" first. This was hardly a random attack on Bradley's part. Your guy's gonna get fined and suspended for this incident and you're gonna jump on board and put all the blame on him too? I think a manager should back up his guys a little better than that. You don't need to make excuses for him, but you don't need to sell him out either when there was more than one party at fault.
First Guillen gets suspended, now Bradley goes postal. Does it seem like October to anyone else? One more case like this and I think we have legitimate grounds to declare Playoff Fever an official disease.
# posted by j.h.k. @ 1:06 PM 
