Remember when you were young and you played on your school's baseball or softball team or even an intramural squad, and you and your team mates came up with the most outlandish chants. Things like "We want a pitcher not a belly itcher" and "we want a single just a little single s-i-n-g-l-e single, single, single" and so on. Chants, songs and collective chatter has been apart of baseball since the start, yet once you hit the majors, out the window that goes. All of a sudden cheering on your team mate is looked upon as wrong and not subtle enough for the classy game of baseball. Sure you can high five in the dug out or laugh and joke with your team after the final out as you go to shake hands with your team mates. But never shall you do it out in the open, encouraging your fellow compadre for all to see is a big no-no.
Yesterday (5/12/08) during the Mets and Nationals game, with Nelson Figueroa pitching for the Metropolitans, according to man with every vowel in his last name the Nats broke a cardinal rule. Through out the third inning, as Figueroa was getting shelled left and right, the Nationals were clapping and cheering on their team mates. So instead of being the bigger man and a consummate professional, what does Figueroa do? After finally getting out of the third inning he turns to the Nationals dug out and tries to mock them by gesturing the clapping they were doing to him. Real mature Nelson, welcome back to the 5th grade.
The "rhythmic" clapping was getting to Figueroa and he was less than pleased after the game. "They were cheering in the dugout like a bunch of softball girls," he said. "I am a professional, I take great offense to that. ... They won tonight, but in the long run, look who they are, a last-place team."
So after the Nationals got into his head what does he do, he low balls the team and takes a cheap shot at them. If you Mr. Figueroa are such a professional you should not be mocking another team's struggles emphasizing their place in the standings. And if you really want to take a look at the numbers, the Mets and Nats are separated by a measly 4 and a half games.
There have been mixed reports of what the Nationals were chanting, one report says the team was chanting "Lets Go Austin" as outfielder Austin Kearns was at the plate. There is a conflicting report saying that the chant was actually "Lets go Figgy" referring to Figueroa who was pitching.
Either way what ever the chant was there was nothing wrong with it, its not like they were throwing peanuts out of the dugout or spitting dip at Figueroa. The game of baseball is just that, a game, and the purpose of this game is to beat your opponent. If your way of getting an advantage is chanting for your team to upset the pitcher then by all means, do what you have to do.
Felipe Lopez, the Nationals second baseman had this to say of Figueroa and his comments, "If he's worried about the dugout, he should be worried about the catcher," he said. "We won because we got in his head." Former Met Lastings Milledge also weighed in on the unhappiness of Figueroa. "We didn't try to rattle him." said Milledge "We're trying to get our guys going."
Since Figueroa is such a professional, a little chanting from the opposing teams dugout should not get him so rattled. He should have just brushed it off and continued to pitch and try and battle with his team mates.
All in all this was ridiculous, and the fact that Figueroa got upset by this really shows that he is not ready for the big leagues. If he thinks a little bit of clapping is so unheralded then he is in for a rude awakening in the following years of his career...if they ever come.
Thats right, in what has to be one one of the more interesting, Steven King like twists in baseball, Figueroa was designated for assignment today by the New York Mets.
Congrats Mr. Nelson Figueroa you just talked yourself out of a job, way to go.
P.S-
Now that Figueroa within the next 10 days will be out of a job, if the Nationals come calling, how quick do you think Nelson will start clapping and begging for a job?
2 comments:
Great article, its true what you say, whatever happen to those cheers in a dugout when you were a little kid. But at the same time ballplayers do treat the games they play as a job rather than for fun like they use to do but nonetheless they have the right to do whatever they want. Come to think about it none of the Mets players (to my knowledge) said anything about the incident so Nelson should stop being a sore loser about that and start concentrating on how to get batters out like how he started this year.
That clapping is something I believe that belongs back in little league baseball. These are grown men acting like kids...including Figueroa. Calling a bunch of grown men a softball team isn't something to do. Apparently, they were bored enough to start a silly chant and they were immature to even think about it. Would you clearly try to interrupt your peer(s) when they are trying to concentrate? I don't think so. Even if it is the opposing team, show some respect.
What if the Yankeees were to pull something like that?? That's right, the players would be in the doghouse. A perfect example that comes to mind is the Alex Rodriguez incident in Toronto last year, shouting to disrupt the concentration of the fielder. Leave it to those who paid to see the game.
Finally, that comment that Figueroa made about them being in last place is a bit of a low blow. That's plain insulting. (believe me, after watching this team since I can remember, he shouldn't be talking.
Like Figgy said, they are professionals. Again, let the fans do the cheering and jeering.
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