Yet Another Idiot Fouls off in Baseball

When did America's "favorite pastime" turn from a somewhat civilized sport to a thug-like activity? I don't know if you saw this, but White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen sent one of his pitchers to the minor leagues because he failed (refused) to throw a pitch at an opposing player to retailiate for an apparent bean-ball tossed in the previous inning.

When he pulled his pitcher into the duggout, Mr. Guillen threw a very public temper tantrum; he then declared his supreme expectation that his players retaliate when ever this sort of thing happens. I've come to the conclusion that he is not a professional manager, he's a thug. He's not a role model, he's bully. He's not a champion, he's a cheat! His behavior is not befitting to a sport rich in history and heroics. Instead it reminds me of the overly zealous parent in Bad News Bears who is nothing but a whiner and spoil sport.

If baseball didn't have enough image problems (Raphael Palmaro's famous finger pointing episode during congressional hearings claiming that he has never taken steriods, only to test positive a few weeks later. Or Barry Bonds surly behavior and the laundry list of "juicing" accusations that follow him), now we've got his black eye on the heels of championship pitcher Jason Grimsley who was recently caught and "punished" for taking human growth hormones.

So what is Bud going to do this time? It was Grimsley who "retired" immediately after this news broke to spare his team (The Arizona Diamondbacks) further embarrasement. But not to be outdone, baseball commissioner, Bud Selieg then decided to suspend Grimsley for 50 games. What the heck kind of punishment is THAT? He's already retired!

I can only hope that public outcry about Mr. Guillen's off-base remarks are heard loud and clear by Mr. Selieg and that Ozzie gets a good dose of his own medicine. If he want's to play hard ball, then Bud, your obligation is to reciprocate with equal severity. I suggest an 81 game suspension (half a season) and hefty ($200k seems about right to me) fine might be a good place to start.

Sanctioned fighting sports asside, there is no place in sport for a coach or a manager to demand his/her players to intenially harm a player from the other team. It is even more pathetic when a coach/manager punishes players for failure to intentionally harm another. Maybe I don't know about sport, but in the REAL world such behavior is felonious. In the least, this behavior is not fiting for any rational adult, much less a coach or manager, it's criminal and should be punished as such!

Guillen, you're a blight to baseball, an embarrasment to competitive sport, and a sorry sack of a person when it comes to human decency. Combined you can add your name to a growing list of idiots who tarnish the sport of baseball. Congratulations, it is a sad day in baseball indeed.