Saturday, May 29, 2010

Hey Kendry Morales. Sometimes it is good to act like you've been there before









I probably shouldn’t tell players to NOT be emotional. I used to jump up and do a dance when I would a game using my Digital Diamond.

And I never hit a home run in any baseball game at any level save for whiffle ball… so I don’t know the sensation of a walk off extra inning grand slam like the one Kendry Morales hit today in Anaheim.

All I know is if you break a bone celebrating and you will probably miss 1/3 of the season and your team is trying to get back into the race and you are one of their best hitters… then maybe you need to tone down your celebrations.

I’m getting tired of the mass huddle and jumping up and down for a walk off homer. Yeah, celebrate and hug, but shouldn’t the wild celebrations be for pennant stretch homers? Back breaking homers? Post season walk off shots?

This was a match up between two underachieving sub .500 teams in May. This wasn’t Magglio Ordonez sending the Tigers to the World Series.

It’s kind of like the whole Gatorade on the coach in football. Yeah it was cool when the Giants were doing it in the mid 80s, but now it is a strange and tired obligation.

Just celebrate naturally, not in a choreographed way. I think Morales hurt himself doing all the proper steps. Throw the helmet and jump on first base… CRACK! WHOOPS!

Take a look at this celebration of a homer. This is Tommy Henrich being greeted at home plate by Yogi Berra, coach Bill Dickey and a bat boy. Do you know what he just did? He hit a walk off homer in the World Series! The first ever… and a player, a coach and a bat boy are there to greet him.

I’m not saying go to THAT extreme of no celebration… but celebrate according to the sincere moment of the game. There’s no mob at the pitchers mound with the catcher leaping into the closer’s arms after every save.

If Morales had a more sincere celebration, the Angels might have an every day first baseman for the next 2 months!

Just saying

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1 comment:

  1. Amen, Sully. Let's see if players notice what happened yesterday and stop acting like wild idiots just because someone hit a game-winning home run.

    I can't imagine the reaction among Sox fans if that had been say Dustin Pedroia or Kevin Youkilis getting hurt...

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