A's/Royals don't like each other

[gunnarthor]

That was a pretty interesting* 3 game series.  Brett Lawrie took out the Royal's shortstop, Alcedis Escobar, with a slide dirtier than the one that broke Nishi's leg a few years back.  Escobar will miss a few games b/c of the injury.  The irony was had Lawrie tried for the bag, he would have been safe.  But instead he went for Escobar's knee.   

 

From deadspin: "Things got really weird after the game, when Lawrie claims he texted a long and heartfelt apology to Escobar only to get an angry reply from the still-fuming shortstop. But the next day, Escobar told reporters that he didn’t hear dick from Lawrie, which would mean that Lawrie not only texted the wrong person, but also got a reply from someone pretending to be Alcides Escobar. That would be very weird!"

 

Then the Royals hit him in game 2, which he took in stride but in game 3, after the A's hit Cain, Lawrie got thrown at by Herrera who threw behind him (it went behind his back although some inaccurately said it was near his head) and later pointed to his head, either meaning "next time I'll hit you in the head" or "think about how stupid you've been" depending on weather you are an A's fan or a Royal's fan.

 

A's and Royal's fans have been going at it on their SBnation accounts, too. One article is called Brett Lawrie is a disgrace to baseball and the other is called Kelvin Herrera is a disgrace to baseball.  Guess which fanbase wrote which article.  It's actually great troll-work by the Royal's writer in his piece.  

 

 

* And by interesting I mean "so much fun."

[TheLeviathan]

http://stream1.gifsoup.com/view3/4216418/slap-fight-o.gif

[gunnarthor]

 

http://stream1.gifsoup.com/view3/4216418/slap-fight-o.gif

If you could only but the A's and Royals logos on their helmets ....

[ashbury]

 

http://stream1.gifsoup.com/view3/4216418/slap-fight-o.gif

Slappy fights don't result in severed tendons (or whatever) when they go wrong, though. The aftermath of texts back and forth has a little more weight to it than normal, as a result.

[gunnarthor]

Apparently, this got better (and by better, I mean much more juvenile).  A KC sports radio station invited Alex Hall, the author of the A's sportsnation piece "Kelvin Herrera is a disgrace to baseball" onto their show.  He declined.  So, it sounds like the radio guys simply gave out Alex Hall's email address over the air to their listeners and encouraged fans to blow up his email.  

 

A's and Royals play again in June.

 

[James]

This one was another good article about this:

 

http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/2015/4/20/8458119/brett-lawrie-slide-royals-as-unwritten-rules

 

I think it's pretty much spot on.  It sets the tone pretty quickly:

 

 

It's been too long since we've scrutinized the actions of man-children in pajamas, but at least we have a whopper of a doozy of a dust-up to discuss.

 

 

[TheLeviathan]

man-children in pajamas, might make that my official way of referring to this nonsense from now on.  

[Hrbowski]

Kelvin Herrera should be suspended for 10 games.

[Platoon]

I don't know who threw where, but anything above the waist is in poor form!

[gunnarthor]

This one was another good article about this:

 

http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/2015/4/20/8458119/brett-lawrie-slide-royals-as-unwritten-rules

 

I think it's pretty much spot on.  It sets the tone pretty quickly:

It was funny - Brisbee's had some funarticles - but had an agenda. I prefer the pure joy of the mayhem over the soapbox morality. That's why I really enjoyed the Royal's "Brett Lawrie is a disgrace" piece. Just pitch perfect. But it's nice to see fans caring about the games. Sure beats an Astros/Red Sox snoozefest.

[TheLeviathan]

How is this, in any way, fans caring about the games?  Because of a couple of bitter, partisan blog entries?  Those happen all the time if you want to look for them.

 

You'll have to convince me this has had any relevant impact on the fan bases of these teams.  And I sincerely hope there isn't one - if it takes goonery to create interest than the sport is in more trouble than I previously thought.  (Hockey is experiencing a similar problem)

[formerly33]

The Royals took their World Series loss to their heads. They must be thinking "Everyone wanted us to win, but we didn't, so now they're mad at us. We don't deserve that, so we're gonna do our best to change that. How? We'll make them all hate us instead. For real this time." So they run around causing problems every which way they turn. Except Minnesota. Which leads to the conclusion that the Twins just may be the only team that doesn't end the season with a brawl or a losing record vs. the Royals.

[gunnarthor]

 

How is this, in any way, fans caring about the games?  Because of a couple of bitter, partisan blog entries?  Those happen all the time if you want to look for them.

 

You'll have to convince me this has had any relevant impact on the fan bases of these teams.  And I sincerely hope there isn't one - if it takes goonery to create interest than the sport is in more trouble than I previously thought.  (Hockey is experiencing a similar problem)

It's been a decade since Hunter used the White Sox catcher as a human speed bump and fans in Chicago still haven't forgiven or forgotten.  Laker/Celtic fans still revile/love the McHale/Rambis clothesline.  Rays/Red Sox have created pretty significant bad blood the last few years even though most of the actual players involved are long gone.  Hell, the Red Sox used to hit Yankee hitters every series for years.  

 

Physical play adds to rivalries and helps create them.  It's why Viking fans want Aaron Rodgers hurt more than they want Cam Newton hurt.*  The Twins and A's had a pretty good rivalry going back in the late 80s/early 90s and that included several HBP and bench clearing "discussions."  Who knows if this brouhaha will add anything to the Royals/A's match up, it might be nothing or it could be part of growing rivalry between two smaller market teams.   

 

I know you and I look at this differently and we've spilled a ton of ink on it in the other thread, no reason to kill another.  Your position baffles me and I feel at this point you might be too invested in that opinion to acknowledge anything outside of it.  But this A's/Royals thing was fun - it was a big event on ESPN/mlb.com and their teams leading websites.  It got people to pay attention and care about early April games against teams they don't usually care about.  A's fans are rooting for the Twins this weekend just b/c they don't like the Royals.  It's harmless fun.**  Sure, maybe four months from now, no one cares.  But maybe it becomes a bigger part of the two teams year.  We don't know.  So enjoy the mayhem.

 

* Don't give me any "I don't know any Viking fans who want Rodgers hurt."  Because you do.

** No one got hurt except Escobar, which ignited this whole thing.  

[biggentleben]

This has nothing on Braves/Padres.  When you get a man using his bat as a weapon and fans coming onto the field to join the fight, come talk with me.  Until then, yawn:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P61A9D4YqD4

[TheLeviathan]

 

ISure, maybe four months from now, no one cares.  But maybe it becomes a bigger part of the two teams year.  We don't know.  

 

No, it's undoubtedly true that no one will care.  Hunter's thing happened a decade ago but that had more to do with how tightly contest the division title was, the slide wasn't a catalyst for anything.

 

If your opinion were true the Astros and A's would still hate each other too, but they don't.  These kinds of babyish slap fights create an initial dust up and die because all they are is pouty nonsense.  The stuff that matters endures.  Vikings fans hate Packers players because we compete in the same division and play frequently.  (Not to mention have a geographical, general rivalry)  Those factors endure.  Two guys shoving each other because of a perceived slight?  Irrelevant.

 

A dust-up in any sport is not this magical rivalry maker you make it out to be.  The vast majority of the time it's totally irrelevant days later.

[gunnarthor]

 

No, it's undoubtedly true that no one will care.  Hunter's thing happened a decade ago but that had more to do with how tightly contest the division title was, the slide wasn't a catalyst for anything.

 

If your opinion were true the Astros and A's would still hate each other too, but they don't.  These kinds of babyish slap fights create an initial dust up and die because all they are is pouty nonsense.  The stuff that matters endures.  Vikings fans hate Packers players because we compete in the same division and play frequently.  (Not to mention have a geographical, general rivalry)  Those factors endure.  Two guys shoving each other because of a perceived slight?  Irrelevant.

 

A dust-up in any sport is not this magical rivalry maker you make it out to be.  The vast majority of the time it's totally irrelevant days later.

Yes, rivalries are created by geography and proximity - teams that play each other a lot are naturally better rivals.  But that doesn't always create rivalries.  The Twins and Tigers never had the rivalry with each other the Twins and White Sox had, despite competing for several division titles.  They never disliked each other enough.

 

Other factors - which can include blown calls by umps/refs, physical play/fights, free agent signings, draft picks, etc - can all add to a rivalry.  If Brady Aiken ever makes it to the majors, his games against the Astros are going to mean something more to his fan base simply b/c of how Houston treated him last year.  It adds something fun for the fan bases.  

[TheLeviathan]

 

It adds something fun for the fan bases.  

 

For some.  But these kinds of things are irrelevant unless a rivalry already exists.  You've tried to make that argument many times and it's just not true.  I'd love for you to name any long-standing rivalry that started with a pissing match like this.  

 

The truth is the incidents like this make a nice story but no one gives a rip really.  What really matters is winning on the scoreboard.  I doubt the Blues right now are happy that Steve Ott is winning on the goon board.  I'm sure the Royals fans care infinitely more about their WC win over Oakland last year than whatever their perception of this altercation is.  

 

I get that some people like this stuff.  I don't see why but I don't begrudge that, there are lots of things that are entertaining like this.  The problem is the turd polishing that goes on for why these things happen.  There is nothing sacred, special, or important about why this happened.  It happened because pro athletes (baseball players particularly) feel like getting butt-hurt about stupid things.  If you like the consequences of that - to each their own.  But let's call it what it is - grown men in pajamas acting like babies.

[gunnarthor]

From Schonfield's chat today:

 

Clay (Charlotte)

I, for one, like it when teams genuinely don't like each other. Let's be honest, is there any reason that you would want to watch an A's/Royals game when they play again if this hadn't happen? No, I don't want head hunters or anything, but two teams that really don't like each other makes for great entertainment.

 

David Schoenfield  (1:41 PM)

I'm with you there. You don't want to see anyone get hurt, but you have to love a little animosity and added intensity.

[notoriousgod71]

 

This has nothing on Braves/Padres.  When you get a man using his bat as a weapon and fans coming onto the field to join the fight, come talk with me.  Until then, yawn:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P61A9D4YqD4

 

 

I love that Pascual was in there for four ABs.