When I played ball as a kid one sound that resonates in my memory is the sound of "Hey, batta, batta, batta"! Continuous and unforgiving this phrase, along with others, was chanted from each posistion of the infield and a good set of lungs from the outfield too until that last out was made and it was our turn to bat
Along with that great sound in my mind are also the many "tactics" we used to attempt to catch an opposing player off base if it should arise an oppossing player reached base. (it always did arise)
For example walking to the pitcher for a "strategy" chat and cunningly slipping the ball into your glove and tag the man out who was on base when he took his "lead" off the base. More often than not this was a pathetic manuever which always was caught almost immediately by the opposing team who's entire bench would be yelling to the man on base that "Hey..he's got the ball, he's got the ball don't leave the bag"! (I should note, too, that us kids were "men" on base)
There were also the yelling of "rules" as oppossing players ran the basepaths in an attempt to confuse the runner and/or batter so we could get to bat quicker. For example as the runner begins to run after the ball being hit you might yell "foul ball"! Or, if the ball was in play, "Only one base on a ball hit to right"! We might yell anything to try and disrupt the pure, geometric, precise game of baseball for the opposing team. Anything!
The words were always innocent, hurting no one's feelings. We were kids, it was baseball and I sure heard some of the "batta, batta" stuff in "grownup" baseball games, where do you think we got it from?
Toronto, in Canada, seemed to take exception to this behaviour this past Wednesday when Alex Rodriguez apparently yelled something as he was approaching Toronto third baseman Howie Clark as a pop up was descending from the sky, Howie thought, into his glove for the third out ending a Yankee's rally.
Seems as Alex Rodriguez was passing behind Howie Clark, who was awaiting the descending pop fly ball, Alex yelled something directly behind the third baseman causing Clark to wince and back up thereby allowing the descending pop fly ball to land, unscathed and uncaught on the ground. This did not end the rally. The Yankee's went on to score 3 more runs.
Rodriguez was confronted on the field by the Blue Jays and then was attacked in the media by the Toronto manager.
Toronto manager John Gibbons became somewhat distraught by this manuever going to the lengths of publicly condemning Rodriguez and the Yankee's for what he called a "bush league" play. Gibbons stated "That is not Yankee pride right there. That's not the way they play." Then the "bush league" remark was uttered.
Did Alex Rodriguez call Clark's mum a combat boots wearing mum? (I remember that one) Did Rodriguez insult the educational level of Clark as he yelled running by him to third?
No. No fierery expeltive's here. Just a big loud "HAH", as he ran past , is what Rodriguez said he shouted. Yup...A good ole "try" from childhood baseball to cause an error or misdirection to keep a rally alive. And it worked. Didn't it always work? Well most of the time it worked. But this time it caused a Major League Baseball team, an entire team, to blusterly blunder and shout and point and accuse making Totonto and all those that agree with them totally whacked out and mindless all to the fact Toronto Bluejays baseball was "had" by an old, dusty, creaky but well honed and never forgotten tactic of baseball, the 'HEY, BATTA, BATTA, BATTA only Rodriguez only used the "HEY" and changed it slightly to "HAH"..
Like a dog with a bone - or an over/under or even a staff of good, hard wood
I am a FOX Sports Blogger who NEEDS to VENT. You may also enjoy my tuneful stylings at www.myspace.c om/billdyckns Don't try to give me all that money I know you're going to want to donate or any personal information. . .OR, be the 1st to buy one of my songs. The FIRST.
On top of all that...well.. .there isn't much more on top of that since i'm on the glidepath down. But, as I say in my best song, "Time keeps tellin' me to fold. You know that always makes me crack a smile. Mr Time he believe I growin' old." (copyright 2005 All Rights Reserved) (means don't try rippin' that line off)
OK, On 51 Hut BREAK!
