Padres Editorial: The Padres Need to Show a Backbone
San Diego Padres catcher Austin Hedges heads to the dugout and looks at the ball he held on to after tagging out Chicago Cubs' Anthony Rizzo during a collision at home during the sixth inning of a baseball game Monday, June 19, 2017, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
2017 has been a tough year for San Diego sports fans.
First of all, we lost our NFL franchise to greed. Now it seems that the Qualcomm Stadium site will be abandoned for the foreseeable future, because SDSU will only play there for the next couple of seasons and the city has no clue on how to get out of their own way and built something in Mission Valley.
The one thing that we do have is our baseball team. The beloved San Diego Padres. You could argue that most San Diegans are ready to embrace the Padres, as they once embraced the Chargers. But in my opinion, this Padre team needs to develop an identity.
As most of you saw on Monday, Anthony Rizzo of the Chicago Cubs slid, at home, in a rather irresponsible (dirty) way, injuring young catcher Austin Hedges in the process.
A lot of fans expected some sort of retaliation on Tuesday, but manager Andy Green decided not to.
This is not to say that Andy Green is a bad manager or that he doesn’t knows baseball, but in sports, as in life, you want those close to you to stand up and show some character every once in a while. I know that millennials are not used to seeing fights on the field. But back when we fell in love with the sport of baseball, it was a pretty common thing. You stand up for your teammate, whether it’s right or wrong.
I must point out that I’m not advocating violence, and that I don’t want to see anyone get seriously injured. However, baseball is famous for its unwritten rules, and according to those rules, Rizzo should have been hit. But not only did he not faced retaliation, he hit a home run leading off the game for the Cubs. Talk about adding insult to injury.
I’m old enough to remember when Dan Fouts showed up to training camp with a hat that said “MFIC” (we all know what means) and everyone loved him because of that. It showed leadership. San Diego is dying for a team like that. A player like that.
Yes I know, these Padres are still young and finding their way, but it’s important that their manager stand up for the team when the reigning Champions are trying to bully them.
Look, I know that the future is bright, and I also still think that Andy Green is the right man to lead this franchise into what could be their most successful run in history. However, I think that Tuesday was a teachable moment for this young team, and the young manager didn’t come through. At least he has not yet. There is still one game to go in this series. The two teams will not face each other again this year. If the San Diego Padres’ franchise wants to progress, they need to show a backbone.
I am a lawyer that loves everything San Diego!
We owe the Cubs 2. One for John Lackey and the other for Rizzo.
There should be a mandate handed down from the front office, that for now on, there will be no tolerance for managers who do not manage these type of situations, the old school way.
And that same front office needs to be prepared to totally stand behind their skipper, when he orders a pitcher to bean a guy.
Kevin Acee is right when he says Green is teaching his team how to win…well, winning sometimes involves running out on that field to bang heads and rattle some bones. Backing your teammate, bleeds into how well a team plays, a lot of the time.
You forgot one – we also lost the greatest coach in San Diego sports history to retirement this year.
He is waiting until today. Last game of the series, last time we face the Cubs this year. This way no one from the Padres will get hit.
Could not agree more. Gutless move by a double A manager who is more interested in being a wordsmith than a winning leader. By the way, he did set the tone …… just sit down and be a nice little team while the big boys play.