PHOENIX — How dare the Los Angeles Dodgers celebrate in "our" swimming pool?
That was the general sentiment of indignation after Adrian Gonzalez and 20 or so other Dodgers left the champagne-soaked visitors’ clubhouse and jumped into the iconic Chase Field pool in jubilation after clinching the NL West title in Phoenix.
The Dodgers insist they meant no disrespect, but that pool in the right field corner of Chase Field is as close to a landmark as the ballpark has.
Arizona utility infielder Willie Bloomquist and Sen. John McCain are among those who took to Twitter to decry the Dodgers for a perceived lack of respect.
"Congrats to Dodgers for winning the west — they earned it on the field," Bloomquist wrote. "I just wasn’t raised to boast in your opponent’s face."
McCain had a bit more vitriol, perhaps the common vernacular of politics in Washington these days.
"No-class act by a bunch of overpaid, immature, arrogant, spoiled brats!" McCain decried.
Feel free to imagine the responses that one generated.
There is, of course, plenty of history here.
The most obvious was that June 11 incident at Dodger Stadium, when Arizona right-hander Ian Kennedy grazed Yasiel Puig in the face with a pitch, then plunked Zack Greinke in his recently injured left shoulder. And the result? All heck broke loose. The big-time brawl resulted in eight suspensions by Major League Baseball, the longest a 10-game ban for Kennedy, who later was traded to San Diego.
Perhaps not coincidentally, the Dodgers took off on their amazing run from worst to first about that same time.
There also was that early-season game in Arizona when fans in so-called "special" seats right behind the backstop were told to change out of their Dodgers apparel or move.
And there’s the general backdrop of the not-so-free-spending Diamondbacks trying to keep up with the seemingly unlimited cash of the new Dodgers ownership.
"This game knows no names," warned Arizona outfielder Adam Eaton, also via Twitter. "What goes around comes around."
Perhaps Dan Bickley, Arizona Republic columnist and local radio host, had the best idea: The Diamondbacks should hold a ceremony to empty and cleanse the pool of this evil, maybe even call in actor Bill Murray in a HazMat suit a la "Caddyshack."
