Sports

Baseball is for sensitive people

Bob CollinsBob Collins Apr 21, 2018
10

The Minnesota Twins have company now in their campaign against people actually playing the game of baseball against them.

You’ll recall earlier this season, the Twins — citing an “unwritten rule” — were upset that a Baltimore Orioles player tried to get on base by bunting against the shift, in which a team moves players from one side of the infield to another, anticipating a player will try to pull the ball.

In essence, the Twins’ Brian Dozier disputed the decision by the player to have a strategy against his team’s strategy.

Last night, Houston Astros pitcher Justin Verlander joined Club Snowflake, when he took exception to White Sox thirdbaseman Tim Anderson broke up his no-hitter in the fifth inning (there should be an “unwritten rule about thinking no-hitters in the fifth inning are a big deal), celebrated and then stole second in a 5-to-0 game.

“He steals on 3-0 in a 5-0 game, that’s probably not great baseball,” Verlander tells the Houston Chronicle. “Maybe it is, maybe it isn’t, I don’t know. But he celebrated that, though. And it’s like ‘Hey, I’m not worried about you right now. It’s 5-0, I’m giving a high leg kick, I know you can steal. If I don’t want you to steal, I’ll be a little bit more aware of you. But I’m trying to get this guy out at the plate.'”

Anderson reached second on a botched throw and celebrated, but then Verlander picked him off second. And celebrated.

“Stealing third in a 5-0 game with two guys on in an inning where I was clearly struggling — I walked a guy on four pitches and went 1-0 to the next guy — and I pick you off on an inside move after the way he had kind of been jubilant about some other things, I was just as jubilant about that,” Verlander said.

“I’m not going to let the situation dictate what I do out there, I’m going to slow everything down and that’s what veterans can do — see the game, play the game, play the game the right way,” Verlander said.