I'll start with the non-sports post...
The way we view the universe: I was thinking the other day that we (and by we I mean the "academic intellectuals" (Or AI's) among us) like to think that a) there is other intelligent life in the universe and b) it is technologically advanced beyond us. So basically, this is a way of being humble. "We aren't the greatest, smartest in the universe. There are others that have advanced far beyond us, and perhaps someday they will visit us." (It's a nice place to visit but I wouldn't want to live there?) I think Calvin (of Calvin and Hobbes) put it best when he said, "I think the surest proof that there is intelligent life out there is that none of it has chosen to visit us."
But I digress. I would like to submit some evidence that we (again, the AI's) are not as humble as we purport to be. How old do they believe the universe to be? Somewhere between eleven to thirteen billion years. And how old is our Earth? Somewhere between three to four billion years. How are distances in space calculated? By light years, or the distance light travels in one year. One Earth year. The arbitrary amount of time that it takes our planet to rotate around our star. We measure the age of the universe by something that has existed for less than half supposed age of the great expanse!
What happens when (if) we encounter another intelligent life form and their life sustaining orb takes 20 times longer to complete a rotation around their sun? We start comparing notes... How old is the universe? About 600,000 years. How far is there planet from ours? About a third of a light year away. Took nearly no time to get here.
Second, who's to say that the other life forms are more technologically advanced than us? Someone has to be first! If we aren't the most advanced, are the creatures that visit us? Or is there another, even more advanced culture than theirs?
So they get here, and we're more advanced than they are. Wouldn't they be like, "Dude, you guys are so much more technologically advanced than we are, We only live 1/3 of a light year away! Why haven't you come to visit us?!"
Ok, now sports.
Ozzie Guillen: Ozzie is the manager of the "World Champion" White Sox. (To see why it's in quotes click here, here, here, here, or here.) Recently, they were playing the Texas Rangers and one of his players was hit by two different pitches. He sent a rookie to the mound to hit one of the Ranger's stars in retaliation. (This is a great example for the "World Champion" manager to set). The rookie threw inside twice, both times missing the batter by a significant margin. He then got the batter to ground out, getting out of the inning.
What did Ozzie "Manager of the Year" Guillen do? He reamed him out in the dugout on national TV. Screaming that he didn't follow his instructions and that he was going back to the minors. What a surprise, this pitcher is no longer with the major league White Sox. He now plays for one of their minor league teams.
This is the reward this kid gets for respecting the game and keeping some honor in it? Let's say he even tried to hit the Ranger and failed. What would happen if he gave up a run or two? The same treatment? Probably not! Ozzie Guillen needs to be fined and punished for his behavior. MLB does not condone throwing at batters even in retaliation, that is why there are warnings issued, people ejected and fined. An example needs to be set. Ozzie's intentions were clear and action needs to be taken.
There you go. Today's "We don't have a baby yet" dose of just my opinion.
14 comments:
first rant: what????
second rant: werent' you advocating hitting Bond's everytime he comes to the plate.
I agree he shouldn't have reamed the pitcher in the dugout. Take it down to your office after the game. I like intensity and the we don't take it lying down attitude. I think throwing at batters is part of the game and their would be less fights if they would let the players police themselves.
first rant: - too funny!! I love it!
second rant: sorry, didn't bother to read it.... maybe I'll go back out and take a look again.
Marc,
I assume that you are referring to yourself as an academic intellectual? (insert guffaw here!)
Jason,
So throwing baseballs at and injuring players for entertainment is ok.....but forget about Homeland defense?
ali,
do you think throwing at baseball players and injuring them for homeland defense will work?:) If so I am all for it, can I pick the players we throw at.
I know you know what my point was.....
Jason: Yes, I was advocating beaning Bonds everytime. I'd also advocate beaning Giambi and every other cheater in the game. There is a difference between retaliation for a pitcher hitting your teammate and showing a guy how you feel because he is disgracing the game. Cheating and retaliatory beaning are both disgraceful.
isn't beaning a guy for disgracing the game a form of retalaitory beaning.
No, it is making a statement that MLB isn't doing enough to control the cheating.
If you bean Barry before your ballplayer is beaned, it's not retaliatory.
marc,
is it ok to bean the first player?
Is he taking steroids or HGH or any other performance enhancing drug? Then yes.
If not, no, not intentionally. But we all mess up and throw a breaking ball that doesn't break or a slider that doesn't slide.
How much proof do you need that he is on the juice before it is ok to bean him?
What about other types of cheaters? Or those who crowd the plate or wear body armor that puts the pitcher at a disadvantage. What about A-rod getting beaned for his slap at Bronson, he cheated is that ok?
What about Springer hitting of Bonds it was not about his steroid usage as much as a thing he had against Bonds for an earlier incident(sp?)?
Now hitting a pitcher is against the rules so can we make a statement by hitting the pitcher when he comes up to the plate? That works for the national league what about the American league.
What about the phantom tags at second? That happens all the time. All those runners in a double play should be safe.
How about: He said he was. Bonds and Giambi have basically admitted that they cheated. Neither has stopped.
If A-Rod had been called safe, then I'd bean him. The Umpires got it right and he was caught cheating. It's cheaters who are apparently immune to the rules of the game that should be beaned until they decide to stop cheating or leave the game.
Crowding the plate is not cheating, nor is wearing body armour. It's frowned upon, but no rules against it (and it makes it more likely for you to get hit. And I've seen people crowd the plate, get hit and the umpire called it a strike because the ball (and the player) was in the strike zone, no base awarded.)
Springer may have hit Bonds because he hit a homer against him in a previous appearance. But is that because Bonds was juicing? Perhaps. I still say it was a statement against the commish. (If a pitcher beans a player because of a previous at bat, that's cowardly.)
I might be ok with beaning a pitcher for beaning your player, at least he's the guy who did it. I don't understand hitting an innocent player because the other pitcher hit one of our guys (and it may have been accidental.)
The phantom tag is the responsibility of the umpire to call. If they started calling people safe, players would start actually touching the bag. It's not cheating.
the phantom tag happens because the can get away with it. it is cheating.
What about the american league? How do you handle a pitcher that hits you batter then?
Now what about pitchers on steroids can they hit a batter on steroids or do we have to change pitchers when the steroid user comes to the plate.
My feeling is, relax no one is trying to hit a player and hurt them. It is part of the game and everyone needs to take it easy; batter and fans and umps and commissioner. If you hit someone your batter should expect to be hit in return. If the return hitting is head hunting that is one thing but plunk the guy in the leg or backside no harm. Take your base.
Now more cheating. What about catchers who scuff the balls on their equipment for a pitcher can we hit them
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