Grip on Sports: Mariners play their part in making the holiday memorable
A GRIP ON SPORTS • Holidays usually put a damper on the sports news. But yesterday was, as someone younger than me would say, lit. Mainly because of baseball, but golf had a hand as well. Read on.
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• Make it two consecutive wins for the M’s, who opened their two-game series in Colorado by holding off the Rockies, 6-5.
The bullpen pitched just the way the team imagined before the season began, with a handful of guys doing their job, including closer Edwin Diaz.
And the day after we praised Colorado’s pitching in a column, the Rockies’ starter, Tyler Chatwood, made more mistakes than a high school freshman on a practice SAT.
In one key at-bat against Kyle Seager, Chatwood gave the M’s third baseman two or three “hit-me-hard” pitches, the first couple Seager was either unprepared for or just missed. Not the last one. A hanging breaking ball was poked up the right-centerfield alley for a two-run double.
• Speaking of mistakes, Buster Posey made one yesterday.
The Giants’ catcher, one of baseball’s best hitters, became a spectator at a time when being a spectator is unacceptable.
In case you missed it, the Nationals were en route to a 3-0 win over the Giants in San Francisco. Hunter Strickland was on the mound for San Francisco, Posey behind the plate.
Bryce Harper stepped into the box, the first time he’s faced Strickland since hitting two huge home runs off him in the 2014 playoffs. (Huge, yes, but the Giants won that series and the World Series that year.)
The first pitch was a fastball that caught Harper in the butt. Hard to miss the intent. And Harper didn’t, gesturing with his bat, saying something and then finally charging the mound, where a real baseball brawl ensued. (The two Giant players colliding trying to get at Harper was the highlight of the mayhem for this Dodger fan.)
So what does all this have to do with Posey? Nothing. As in what the catcher did.
One of the first lessons you learn as a catcher, from the day you first put on the tools of intelligence, is no one gets to your pitcher. A guy shows an inclination to charge the mound, you do what it takes to restrain him.
You may not like him. You may not agree with what he just did. But he is your teammate. You have his back. Get in front of the angry hitter. Tackle him if you have to. But don’t let him get to your pitcher.
This isn’t one of the game’s unwritten rules. It is a responsibility that comes with the position. You have gear on, you’re not likely to get hurt. Protect the pitcher.
Posey didn’t. And in doing nothing, he opened up a division on his team. There will be some players who agree with him, others who don’t.
This can’t help the Giants.
• By the way, that Harper helmet throw? Tell me this, what was worse, his misguided attempt to hit Strickland or 50 Cent’s first-pitch toss from a few years ago? Google them both and then make a judgment.
• Tiger Woods isn’t the golfer he once was. In fact, his injuries have kept him from really playing for the past few years.
But he’s still one of the richest guys on the planet, a true one-percenter. So why in the heck did he not hire someone, be it an Uber or a cab, drive him home the other night?
Woods was arrested for DUI, though he denied late yesterday he had been drinking, calling it an “unexpected reaction” to prescribed medications.
Whatever the reason for his arrest, it’s obvious by his booking photo he wasn’t complete in control of his faculties. And that’s not the right way to be operating a vehicle.
What’s sad is Woods hasn’t been making news recently the way he should, by competing in golf tournaments. It’s either been surgeries or tournament withdrawals. Now this.
• Finally, one of my childhood heroes died yesterday. Frank Deford, part of the great staple of Sports Illustrated writers at a time when it was the pinnacle of sports writing, died in Florida at age 78.
If you weren’t dialed in on Deford’s writing, these pieces will give you a sense of his style.
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WSU: The NCAA announced its baseball tournament field yesterday and only four teams from the Pac-12, the deepest, most competitive conference in the nation, were invited. The West Coast, as a region, was pretty much ignored again, proving majority rule – there are many more schools from east of the Mississippi – once again colors our national titles. Oregon State is the top national seed – the Beavers lost four games all season – and will host, as will Stanford. But UCLA, for some reason one of the last teams in, and Arizona will travel. … Oregon coach George Horton has been offered a new contract. … Bryce Alford has sympathy for LaVar Ball. … Washington AD Jennifer Cohen has been on the job about a year.
Gonzaga: The Bulldogs were one of the West Coast schools that were passed over for an at-large berth as the NCAA used an RPI system that many feel is flawed to justify its choices. By the way, the Los Angeles Times, used Cal State Fullerton’s baseball success as an impetus to tell stories of other “one-sport” schools. Gonzaga basketball is included. … BYU is in the baseball tournament, thanks to its WCC win. It will play at Stanford.
Mariners: It isn’t ideal, but Nelson Cruz was in the outfield in yesterday’s 6-5 win at Colorado. And he’ll be there today as well. … The M’s only hope this season is to get healthy and slowly work their way back into the pennant races.
Seahawks: Seattle begins OTAs today and Bob Condotta has some questions that need to be answered…. Richard Sherman is in the news a lot lately, but this is worth some publicity. … Are the Hawks and Colin Kaepernick a good match?
Sounders: Portland is trying to strengthen its defense.
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• I used Memorial Day for a lot of things, including finally getting my tomatoes into the ground. But I also used it to take a long (almost two-hour) walk through the Dishman Hills “wilderness.” It would have been shorter, but Kim and I got lost at one point. Luckily, we found our way back without having to resort to cannibalism. Instead, we ate lunch at Panda. Until later …