Gomez

[jimbo92107]

Too bad he couldn't stay in the game just to be plunked. That was complete bush league behavior. He shouldn't have made it around second base.

 

I don't suppose the pitcher stared at Gomez after he intentionally hit him in the knee with a fastball in a previous series. When there's a history, let the boys play. I wish the Twins had a player with that much fire in his belly.

 

Oh wait, they did. He wasn't good enough.

[ThePuck]

Gomez took a wild swing at the pitch before the HR pitch, stumbling out of the batter's box. He stared down Maholm all the way back to the batters box, and when he hit the HR, he started doing all his antics the whole time around the bases.

 

I don't know how ANYONE can defend that.

[ThePuck]

I don't suppose the pitcher stared at Gomez after he intentionally hit him in the knee with a fastball in a previous series. When there's a history, let the boys play. I wish the Twins had a player with that much fire in his belly.

 

Oh wait, they did. He wasn't good enough.

 

No, Maholm didn't. They showed a replay of when Maholm hit him back in June or whenever it was.

[Mike Sixel]

McCann is the one that caused it to escalate. He just went to the bottom of my list of favorite players. Grow up, and let it pass, don't escalate it. It's his fault, not Gomez's.

[Jim Crikket]

From the AP game report:

 

Gomez didn't blame McCann for blocking his path to the plate.

 

 

"If I'm a catcher, I do the same thing," Gomez said. "I try to protect my pitchers, my teammates. I respect McCann, all his players. I'm going to apologize to his manager, his organization, that it went that far. The adrenaline, the emotion takes it more than you expect."

 

That tells me Gomez "gets it" at least a bit.

 

Of course, he has every right to pimp his home runs any time he wants for whatever reason he wants. That quote tells me he also understands that, at times, there will be consequences for doing so. As long as he's willing to accept that those consequences can mean he might end up in a fight or get knocked down or plunked and, perhaps, miss playing time due to subsequent injury or ejection, that's fine.

[ThePuck]

From the AP game report:

 

Gomez didn't blame McCann for blocking his path to the plate.

 

 

"If I'm a catcher, I do the same thing," Gomez said. "I try to protect my pitchers, my teammates. I respect McCann, all his players. I'm going to apologize to his manager, his organization, that it went that far. The adrenaline, the emotion takes it more than you expect."

 

That tells me Gomez "gets it" at least a bit.

 

Of course, he has every right to pimp his home runs any time he wants for whatever reason he wants. That quote tells me he also understands that, at times, there will be consequences for doing so. As long as he's willing to accept that those consequences can mean he might end up in a fight or get knocked down or plunked and, perhaps, miss playing time due to subsequent injury or ejection, that's fine.

 

Him getting it is one possibility. Another possibility is that his manager, teammates or the combo let him know how wrong it was and he was told to do the political dance.

[kydoty]

Gomez did nothing wrong. He can jaw all he wants, and it's your fault if you let it get to you. I've always believed that if you don't want people showing you up, then stop them. This isn't high school or college, these people are getting paid. If they **** up, they deserve the embarrassment coming to them.

 

But good to know that whenever someone hits a home run against the Braves, model citizen Brian McCann will be waiting for them to let them know if they "did it the right way" or not.

 

And between intentionally obstructing Gomez from getting to home plate and being the instigator of the fight, how the hell did McCann not get thrown out of the game?

[TheLeviathan]

This whole thing gets avoided without unwritten rules. A pitcher can retaliate and show up a hitter for any perceived infraction, but a hitter takes out frustration and he's demonized. Not saying Gomez was justified, but these ass backwards quasi-rules literally create these moments out of nothing.

[Mike Sixel]

Makes me sad people think throwing balls at people is a good idea....

[YourHouseIsMyHouse]

If Sano got suspended 3 games for his HR, the Twins probably would have suspended Gomez for a month.

[YourHouseIsMyHouse]

Makes me sad people think throwing balls at people is a good idea....

 

I could have swore taking 2000+ lbs/sq. in. of force + possible injury=Running your mouth? Doesn't help that Maholm provoked him.

[SydneyTwinsFan]

Fair play to McCann for backing up his pitcher, but I can't see how he doesn't get tossed for doing it.

[ThePuck]

I'm still trying to figure out how Maholm provoked Gomez yesterday, or at all. Unless, of course, every time a pitcher hits someone that is provoking the batter. Not only that, Maholm hit him in June and there was nothing then to suggest Maholm did it on purpose and he didn't stare Gomez down or anything. He just hit him.

[biggentleben]

McCann is the one that caused it to escalate. He just went to the bottom of my list of favorite players. Grow up, and let it pass, don't escalate it. It's his fault, not Gomez's.

 

LOL, really? I hope you're trolling here. McCann was giving ground and reported that he intended to back his way to the plate and let Gomez score, but not until he got his words in. Gomez has come out to admit he was in the wrong on the incident.

[biggentleben]

I could have swore taking 2000+ lbs/sq. in. of force + possible injury=Running your mouth? Doesn't help that Maholm provoked him.

 

When did he provoke him? Ever?

 

Maholm has gone inside on Gomez because Gomez launches toward the ball from a soft-throwing lefty. The best way to get him off a lesser fastball is to make sure he's not comfortable lunging. Gomez has been hit by Maholm a couple of times in the last couple of seasons, never above the waist, and typically on a sweeping curve. June was a looping fastball that hit him in an awkward spot, so Gomez held onto it. How is that Maholm's provokation?

[MichiganTwins]

Gomez did nothing wrong. He can jaw all he wants, and it's your fault if you let it get to you. I've always believed that if you don't want people showing you up, then stop them. This isn't high school or college, these people are getting paid. If they **** up, they deserve the embarrassment coming to them.

 

But good to know that whenever someone hits a home run against the Braves, model citizen Brian McCann will be waiting for them to let them know if they "did it the right way" or not.

 

And between intentionally obstructing Gomez from getting to home plate and being the instigator of the fight, how the hell did McCann not get thrown out of the game?

 

No one is claiming the Braves were in the right either. Gomez clearly crossed the line and so did the Braves. There is nothing wrong with celebrating a homerun, but Gomez was taunting and probably deserved to be confronted by the Braves. Not sure how you think GOmez was in the right. You cant tell me it is just baseball that has unwritten rules. Back in the day, you know NBA players would have stood up to someone if they were that blatantly crazy.

[gil4]

Gomez came up pissed that Maholm had the nerve to throw a 70 mph curve that hit his lower leg in June.

 

88 mph cutter is what I heard, but still, it was June. Get over it already. That said, if I saw McCann blocking the baseline like that I would have lowered the shoulder and gotten the brawl started a split second earlier. I don't know why he wasn't ejected, too. If he stays out of the way and says something as Gomez goes by, there's no brawl.

[TheLeviathan]

I'm still trying to figure out how Maholm provoked Gomez yesterday, or at all. Unless, of course, every time a pitcher hits someone that is provoking the batter. Not only that, Maholm hit him in June and there was nothing then to suggest Maholm did it on purpose and he didn't stare Gomez down or anything. He just hit him.

 

And hitters get hit all the time for trivial stuff. Maybe if everyone wasn't so sensitive about things none of this would happen.

[jokin]

Brian McCann just jumped toward the top of my favorite players list. Gomez - that was a joke!! Good for Freeman. And good for Reed Johnson, who I believe got a punch in.

 

What...someone is actually applauding an act of violence that is technically and potentially a prosecutable assault and battery, besides possibly ending someone's career? What Gomez did was typical insane Go-Go, but to some, his "just punishment" is apparently deserv-ed of a criminal asault (literally) in return? I don't get that....at all....I guess punching a guy out is just another one of those "unwritten rules"?

[iastfan112]

88 mph cutter is what I heard, but still, it was June. Get over it already. That said, if I saw McCann blocking the baseline like that I would have lowered the shoulder and gotten the brawl started a split second earlier. I don't know why he wasn't ejected, too. If he stays out of the way and says something as Gomez goes by, there's no brawl.

 

Gomez acted unacceptably, no question but I have a problem with McCann here as well. Getting your say in at the plate like he did with Fernandez is perfectly acceptable but to walk up the line and physically impede the player deliberately provokes the fight that ensues.

 

Also think its unfair Gomez got suspended, as far I could tell he never got a swing in despite having Johnson take a shot at him. Punishment doesn't seem equitable.

[scottz]

While Gomez was over the top, McCann and crew are equally over the top. 8/6/2013 Braves v Nats - Harper goes deep and they plunk him the next time up. Benches clear. 9/11/2013 Braves v Marlins - Fernandez goes deep and McCann stops him as he touches home to apparently tell him the right way to react to a home run. Benches clear. 9/25/2013 Braves v Brewers - Gomez goes deep and starts chirping about getting hit 2 months ago by the same pitcher who can't get him out, McCann stops him before he gets home. Benches clear.

 

How dare all these players hit home runs and watch them for a second (or two in Gomez's case)? We are the BRAVES. I am BRIAN MCCANN. YOU SHALL NOT PASS! The Braves are absolutely in the wrong as well.

 

Also, I've never been hit by "just" an 88 mph cutter, but I have been hit by a 70-ish mph pitch, and it hurt. I'm pretty sure getting hit by an 88 mph pitch would hurt. It doesn't forgive Gomez for his over the top-ness, but let's not pretend it is nothing, just because it wasn't a 96 mph heater in the helmet.

 

Also, isn't the bigger offense here that attendance at Turner Field is reported at 19,558 when clearly it appears to be more like 11,263? Way to support that division-winning team, Atlanta.

[Alex]

I have a tough time with people making McCann into a hero and with the fact that he's the clear reason the benches ultimately cleared and likely didn't receive more than a slap on the wrist.

 

I've got no problem with him telling Gomez to run or even jawing with him the whole time but once he stood on the baseline, the outcome was inevitable. McCann is not the baseball etiquette police and the fact that he said he was going to step out of the baseline after he had his say really doesn't matter -- he's not entitled to that.

 

I don't really see anyone's actions here as admirable, just a big bunch adult men who were acting like boys.

[071063]

Brian McCann just jumped toward the top of my favorite players list. Gomez - that was a joke!! Good for Freeman. And good for Reed Johnson, who I believe got a punch in.

 

Really? I thought McCann was a total douchebag. I think Gomez was out of line but I thought the Braves handled it very poorly also and McCann was terrible. That's twice he's done something like this after doing it to Fernandez of Miami too. He better sprint around the bases when he hits a home run or he is a huge hypocrite.

[wavedog]

What;s the old saying...Stick and Stones can break bones but words can never hurt me but apparently words carried more weight in this fight. Everything pretty well covered here and while I can see how annoying Gomez can be and his jawing started the mess but I think the umps blew this big time. I don't see how you can allow McCann to block a runner from the basepath, instigate the brawl and not suffer any discipline. (Maybe the Twins can adopt this is a new defensive strategy - just block the runner from the basepath.) Normally you let the runner touch the plate and then you get into it. So the runner never touched home plate but the run counted but no one was disciplined for not allowing the runner to score but the runner himself was thrown out of the game? Doesn't make sense to me. Reed Johnson coming out of nowhere to throw a sucker punch at Gomez - he should be suspended for more than 1 game - maybe 5-10 games. Why was Freeman ejected? Why really was Gomez ejected? So now admiring a home run is an ejectionable offense or was it for mouthing off from the beginning of his plate appearance to his trot around the basepaths or because the umps don't really like him?

[big dog]

The whole thing was pretty embarrassing. Gomez is an egotistical moron, and the Braves completely overreacted. I was surprised by the Gomez suspension, but he did his best to create a bad situation by yelling all the way around the bases.

 

I hope those arguing for more suspensions aren't the same people who complained when Sano was held out of several games for his home run stroll. You want professionalism, teach it in the minor leagues.

[biggentleben]

People seem to think that McCann got away scot-free. He was fined (as was Freeman), not a huge amount, but he was fined, while Gomez and Reed Johnson were suspended for one game. A game that they get paid for even though they can't play.

 

Also, bringing back up the Fernandez thing over and over is just getting silly as Fernandez has said he was way in the wrong, and the verbage used by McCann as Fernandez crossed the plate would be more fitting in a proper English cup of tea than in trash talk familiar to modern sports.

 

Recalling the Harper incident is also silly. 95% of pitchers in baseball will issue a brush back pitch when a batter walks that long into a home run trot. That's just the way it's always been in the game. The pitch was not a head-hunting pitch, rather one at his side, like you're taught to do in little league if you're doing a retaliation HBP.

 

I'm not saying the Braves are innocent in all this by any means, but to state that there's some sort of reputation is hogwash. Nearly every team in baseball does exactly this, and some take it the step further of throwing high and inside. To the Braves' credit, the two times I can recall the high and tight pitch being thrown, Fredi Gonzalez has immediately removed the pitcher. In one instance, the reliever didn't pitch for a number of days following the up and in pitch.

[Fatt Crapps]

Oh my gosh Reed Johnson is such a tough guy! Did you see how he went for the sucker punch and then immediately hid behind his teammates? So tough..don't mess with these Braves!

[TheLeviathan]

Recalling the Harper incident is also silly. 95% of pitchers in baseball will issue a brush back pitch when a batter walks that long into a home run trot. That's just the way it's always been in the game. h.

 

Youre a smart guy Ben, listen to yourself. These are eexactly the arguments you just used:

 

1. Well.......everyone else is doing it!

2. It is how it has always been which makes it ok

3. He threw something tht could seriously hurt him the "right way" for having the audacity to shift himself in the batters box.

 

good god, that's Fallacies 101. We don't accept that from kindergartens on the playground but we justify professional adults with it.

[Alex]

People seem to think that McCann got away scot-free. He was fined (as was Freeman), not a huge amount, but he was fined, while Gomez and Reed Johnson were suspended for one game. A game that they get paid for even though they can't play.

 

.

 

You get paid in the MLB for games you're suspended?

[PseudoSABR]

While enforcement of the unwritten rules is unseemly, those that would rather that enforcement be left off the feel, would have to stomach a lot more of Gomez/Puig kind of behavior. If the goal is to get the antics off the field, without steadfast, on-field enforcement, baseball would be far more a circus.