Thursday, September 9, 2004
Barry, Barry, Barry
I've seen Barry Bonds dog it before. No question about it; we all have. It's never acceptable.
But last night's display was absolutely the most disgusting lack of effort I have seen in a long time.
In the third inning with one out and Durham on second and Feliz on first, Bonds hit a grounder to first for an inning-ending double play. It wasn't particularly a bang-bang play; it was a tough turn. But the Rockies turned it.
But as it unfolded, I watched Barry as much as I could.
He fucking jogged.
And not only that, but once he got to within five feet of first base...
...unbelievably...
...he slowed down even more.
It was like somebody had paid him to hit into a double play.
Had he sprinted, like any fucking normal person would think to do, he would have been standing on first and Durham would have been on third, and Alfonzo would have been able to hit with two runners on.
Had he kept at his original, out-of-the-box, dog-jog pace the whole way, he might have created a tie-goes-to-the-runner situation.
I can't believe for one moment that a ballplayer would ever dog it like Barry did last night.
I can forgive people for not running all out on a pop up or a lazy catchable fly ball with a runner already standing at first base. There's no need to sprint for that; you can't go anywhere until you see where the ball and the runner go. This is pretty much the only situation where not sprinting down to first is not only forgiveable but completely reasonable.
But on a ground ball there is absolutely no excuse. Barry, get your fucking ass in gear, and run goddammit.
That's all I have to say to you right now, you lazy-ass. Screw you, man. No props for getting that late-inning double. Forget it.
But last night's display was absolutely the most disgusting lack of effort I have seen in a long time.
In the third inning with one out and Durham on second and Feliz on first, Bonds hit a grounder to first for an inning-ending double play. It wasn't particularly a bang-bang play; it was a tough turn. But the Rockies turned it.
But as it unfolded, I watched Barry as much as I could.
He fucking jogged.
And not only that, but once he got to within five feet of first base...
...unbelievably...
...he slowed down even more.
It was like somebody had paid him to hit into a double play.
Had he sprinted, like any fucking normal person would think to do, he would have been standing on first and Durham would have been on third, and Alfonzo would have been able to hit with two runners on.
Had he kept at his original, out-of-the-box, dog-jog pace the whole way, he might have created a tie-goes-to-the-runner situation.
I can't believe for one moment that a ballplayer would ever dog it like Barry did last night.
I can forgive people for not running all out on a pop up or a lazy catchable fly ball with a runner already standing at first base. There's no need to sprint for that; you can't go anywhere until you see where the ball and the runner go. This is pretty much the only situation where not sprinting down to first is not only forgiveable but completely reasonable.
But on a ground ball there is absolutely no excuse. Barry, get your fucking ass in gear, and run goddammit.
That's all I have to say to you right now, you lazy-ass. Screw you, man. No props for getting that late-inning double. Forget it.
