31 May 2011, 9:09 am
The confrontation between Chicago White Sox left-hander John Danks and Toronto Blue Jays slugger Jose Bautista on Sunday afternoon seems like an excellent opportunity to revisit Major League Baseball's unofficial (yet seemingly integral) code of player conduct. Bautista screamed at himself and slammed down his bat in exasperation. Danks yelled back as he made his way to the dugout.
"I just told him to run the bases," Danks said. "He was out there acting like a clown. He's a good player. He's had a great year and a half, no doubt, he's been one of the best hitters in the league. He was out there acting like he's Babe Ruth or something.
"I've had a pretty [crummy] year to this point but I have pride still," Danks added. "I'm not going to let him sit out there and show me up like that."
Anyway, Bautista was unapologetic afterward, saying he wasn't here to make Danks feel good. And, to be fair, his intent wasn't to show up Danks in the first place; he simply was mad at himself for not putting a good enough swing on the ball. As a result, however, he violated an unwritten rule and DISRESPECTED THE OPPONENT.
Share on del.icio.us
Share on digg
Share on Technorati
Share on reddit
Share on Yahoo!
Share on Facebook