- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
Baseball, similar to many sports, has its testosterone fuelled moments of controversy. On Sunday evening the Toronto Blue Jays played the Texas Rangers and in the eighth Inning, a bench-clearing brawl erupted after Texas’ Rougned Odor punched the Blue Jays’ Jose Bautista.
The storm and debate that followed the incident has been unprecedented, and makes one reflect deeper on issues within the game, or in society as a whole.
Before getting into any depth on the debate, some context for Sunday’s events is necessary. Last year’s American League Division Series saw the Rangers eliminated by Toronto, chiefly through a home run by Bautista in Game 5.
In what has become an iconic image, Bautista “flipped” his bat in celebration, as if indicating a knockout blow – the baseball equivalent of the famous picture of Muhammad Ali defiantly standing over Sonny Liston.
As quick as you can say the word ‘repercussions’, baseball purists vocally condemned Bautista’s arrogance, while a new generation appeared to embrace his swagger. It was baseball’s equivalent to ‘Make America Great Again’ versus ‘A Future to Believe In’.
On Sunday, in his final at bat against the Rangers for the season, Matt Bush hit Bautista with a pitch as perceived retribution for a slight some seven months earlier. The Rangers likely thought this would put an end to the matter.
Later in the inning, while running for second base (Odor’s position), Bautista appeared to slide aggressively and block Odor from throwing to first. Odor said something to Bautista, Bautista said something back, then he was met with a right hook to the jaw many boxers would admire. The benches subsequently cleared and several ejections ensued. Hand bags at 12 paces everywhere gentlemen.
This spectacular incident is, however, symbolic of a larger war in baseball. Traditionalists lament the end of the modern players adherence to their long held “unwritten rules.” Today’s fans enjoy more flamboyant players – something the sport could really use more of. And besides, baseball traditionalists are a hypocritical bunch.
They chastise batsmen for celebrating their home runs. This can be such egregious crimes as ‘cadillacing’ (the practice of cruising the base paths, rather than running them out quickly), ‘flipping the bat’ like Bautista did, or even admiring the ball exiting the park for too long. But these older fans don’t question pitchers fist pumping a strike out, outfielders sauntering to the dug out after a long pop-up catch to end the inning, or teams celebrating on the field for a walk off win.
One of baseball’s greats was famous for pointing into the stands where he was going to hit a home run in 1932. The phrase “playing with integrity” couldn’t be more ambiguous than now.
Even more perplexing is why are players taking umbrage today for incidents like those with Bautista.
It’s not exceptionally clear, or logical. Rather it is steeped in ideology. An ideology that is not acceptable.
Baseball relies so heavily on its traditional imagery. For many it’s an overly ‘white’ image. Baseball needs to realise it not just the game of white America. The Latino, Asian and Black influence on the game has been around for eons. With it are more diverse, flamboyant traditions. Gasp! Players might start flipping their bats! They may hype the crowd up! They might wave to the crowd while they run the base paths! To other cultures, the game is more ‘a game’ – not a time honored tradition. They bring their own flair and flavour to the game. If stuffy traditions are the price to pay for a more spectacular game then so be it. Just as the USA is a cultural melting pot, so is the modern game.
Rougned Odor is a Latino player himself, so him taking offence to Bautista’s flair complicates matters. Was he feeding off of his management’s sentiments? Were his teammates complicit? We’ll likely never know. Odor in the press conference after the game was evasive on the matter.
What we can conclude after the incident is a number of things. The game is suffering from an identity crisis, a crisis of conscience and even living in fear of the shadows of the past.
Why not build your own fantasy team? Take on other players for a chance to win cash prizes on your favourite sports. Try out Draftstars and PlayUp to put your money where your mouth is! What are you really gambling with? Set a deposit limit.