The REAL No Fun League
Baseball, Basketball, Football, Major Sports, Soccer
Posted by SK, May 14, 2008 - 9:38 pm
Let me tell you what really bothers me about baseball.
Steroids? Nope.
Bloated salaries and ticket prices? Not really. After all, anyone that paid attention in Econ 101 will tell you that’s simple supply and demand.
Roger Clemens hooking up with 15 year-old girls? Yea, that bothers me, but I’m guessing (hoping) that pedophilia isn’t a league-wide issue.
No, what bothers me about baseball has deep roots in the history of our fair national pastime.
This week, Hall of Fame pitcher Goose Gossage told reporters that “There is no place in the game” for Joba Chamberlain’s expressive strikeout celebrations. Apparently, what Joba does falls under the banner of “showing up your opponent”.
That’s what really bothers me about baseball. This whole idea that you can’t “show up” your opponent by celebrating on the field. No “slow trots” or jumping up and down when you hit a walk-off homerun, no fist-pumping after a strikeout. High fives were only judged to be acceptable recently. And if the opposing pitcher even feels like you’re “showing up” his team, then apparently the unwritten rule is that he can try to hit you with a pitch the next time you come to the plate.
So let me get this straight. If I do something that’s judged to be “showing up” the other team, whether I mean to or not, then I run the risk of a 90 mph fastball colliding with my head?
What the hell?
I mean, you can be penalized for excessive celebration in football and basketball, but you don’t risk death. And what would soccer be without its fist-pumping, arm-raising, shirt-ripping, grass-sliding goal celebrations?
So Joba drew attention again this week after he celebrated after striking out David Delucci of the Indians last Thursday. Delucci later said that if he did something like that, it would be considered “bush league”. Well, here’s a tip, David. If you don’t want someone celebrating after they strike you out? Don’t strike out. And if a pitcher doesn’t want a hitter celebrating after they hit a homer? Well, not giving up the home run is a good start.
I enjoy watching athletes bare all their emotions when they play. After Lastings Milledge hit his first big league homerun for the Mets last year, he high-fived fans on his way out to right field. I loved it - the kid was 22 and he hit a big league home run - put me in that situation and I’d do the same thing. When KG dunks, hangs on the rim, and screams? I get chills. When Ray Lewis busts through the line for a sack and screams? I think “Wow, that guy was arrested in a murder investigation.” No, just kidding, I love it. It pumps me up, and I’m not even a Ravens fan.
Now, some people may ask about those guys that hit a double and point to the sky when their team is already up by 10 runs, or the guy that does a sack dance even though his team is losing by 20. Well yes, they look ridiculous. But they sure as hell don’t deserve a fastball to the noggin.
Gossage needs to take a harder look at what he said. It has “no place in the game”. Well Goose, at the end of the day, that’s what it is - a game. I see nothing wrong with showing emotion. Baseball players and fans need to pull their heads out of their asses and embrace this instead of putting it down.
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