I feel strange calling out Jose Bautista for his comments. I played with him in a past life. And in this present one I’ll have to go back into that locker room and see him when I do colour, or onsite television commentary, or just good old fashioned beat reporting.
But, the way I figure it is, if he’s got the wherewithal to make a statement like, “I have trouble dealing with my production being negatively affected by someone else’s mediocrity,” he’s got thick enough skin to take what comes of it.
In the context Jose made the comment, reflecting on his negative body language and dissatisfaction with umpires, his words do hold some weight. He did get robbed on a bad call in the season opener, and having your game tarnished by someone else’s bad performance is frustrating. However, in a two-game sample, with hundreds of at bats ahead, if this is tone Jose wants to set in response to human error, it’s going to be a long season.
I don’t think his comments were necessary, helpful, or even accurate as they pertain to a game built on margins of error. In fact, this kind of thing is so ubiquitous it has led decades of players to say, “it all evens out in the end” like some divine truth.
Jose’s comment, while absolutely true, was one that was better left shared through that unspoken understanding that baseball can screw you sometimes. It sucks when it does, but you can’t let it get to you.
I don’t think that Jose Bautista is a whiner, but I do think he could get typecast as one if this keeps this up. Bad calls are just as much a part of the game as anything else and no player can ever get big enough to change that. Complaining as if you are big enough only casts you in a negative light.
Furthermore, mediocre performances by umpires are something all players have to deal with. In those moments, it’s the manager’s job to see that his players are defended. And while a player can call out an umpire during the game and point to being frustrated and emotional in the moment, doing so in the press, long after the fact, reeks of premeditation, ego, and personal attack.
The fact is, there’s an abundance of borderline calls in this game that get blown the direction of the proven veteran. Umpires have a way of trusting players known for their abilities, sometimes more than they trust themselves. I won’t say umpires are vindictive enough to go after someone who criticizes them, but I do know that wind is fickle, and can change direction at any time.
On Baseball Central today, Jack Morris said he believed the Jays like this side of Jose, the fiery, competitive, never-back-down side. I believe they do as well, just not in front of the umpires. I admit there is something to be said for a veteran player making a comment that lesser players can’t make, but this is not a team full of lesser players. Not anymore. Jose has nothing to prove for any of his teammates that they cannot prove for themselves. In fact, he could very well do the opposite.
Hayhurst: Bautista’s comments not necessary
John Gibbons if unsure if Jose Bautista will play Friday.
I feel strange calling out Jose Bautista for his comments. I played with him in a past life. And in this present one I’ll have to go back into that locker room and see him when I do colour, or onsite television commentary, or just good old fashioned beat reporting.
But, the way I figure it is, if he’s got the wherewithal to make a statement like, “I have trouble dealing with my production being negatively affected by someone else’s mediocrity,” he’s got thick enough skin to take what comes of it.
In the context Jose made the comment, reflecting on his negative body language and dissatisfaction with umpires, his words do hold some weight. He did get robbed on a bad call in the season opener, and having your game tarnished by someone else’s bad performance is frustrating. However, in a two-game sample, with hundreds of at bats ahead, if this is tone Jose wants to set in response to human error, it’s going to be a long season.
I don’t think his comments were necessary, helpful, or even accurate as they pertain to a game built on margins of error. In fact, this kind of thing is so ubiquitous it has led decades of players to say, “it all evens out in the end” like some divine truth.
Jose’s comment, while absolutely true, was one that was better left shared through that unspoken understanding that baseball can screw you sometimes. It sucks when it does, but you can’t let it get to you.
I don’t think that Jose Bautista is a whiner, but I do think he could get typecast as one if this keeps this up. Bad calls are just as much a part of the game as anything else and no player can ever get big enough to change that. Complaining as if you are big enough only casts you in a negative light.
Furthermore, mediocre performances by umpires are something all players have to deal with. In those moments, it’s the manager’s job to see that his players are defended. And while a player can call out an umpire during the game and point to being frustrated and emotional in the moment, doing so in the press, long after the fact, reeks of premeditation, ego, and personal attack.
The fact is, there’s an abundance of borderline calls in this game that get blown the direction of the proven veteran. Umpires have a way of trusting players known for their abilities, sometimes more than they trust themselves. I won’t say umpires are vindictive enough to go after someone who criticizes them, but I do know that wind is fickle, and can change direction at any time.
On Baseball Central today, Jack Morris said he believed the Jays like this side of Jose, the fiery, competitive, never-back-down side. I believe they do as well, just not in front of the umpires. I admit there is something to be said for a veteran player making a comment that lesser players can’t make, but this is not a team full of lesser players. Not anymore. Jose has nothing to prove for any of his teammates that they cannot prove for themselves. In fact, he could very well do the opposite.