Perdomo Earns Respect in Padres’ Locker Room
In the game of baseball, there are certain unwritten rules. Certain angles and aspects of the game that only those who have played the sport competitively could possibly understand. One of those is about protecting your players. If another team goes out of their way to try an injure a teammate of yours, sometimes a pitcher has to do what he has to do.
What Luis Perdomo did on Wednesday afternoon reflects directly towards the type of pitcher and, most importantly, what kind of teammate he is. The world will never know the true reality of the situation in terms of who formulated the idea, but what we do know is that Perdomo had no issues in standing up to the Rockies. The fact he brushed Nolan Arenado back and sent a message to them indicates that he is a gamer. He will go to war for his team and his teammates certainly recognize that.
His actions went over well in the locker room, as several Padres had no problem speaking about the game and the brawl. Austin Hedges told Kevin Acee of the UT after the game “I think it proves… all the guys on this team have each other’s back.” The Padres were certainly looking for an edge and an incident like this could energize this young team.
Manuel Margot in on the D.L. after being plunked in the ribs by a 95 mph fastball on Tuesday night. The pitch did not appear intentional, but the Rockies have abused the inside corners early this 2018 season. Christian Villanueva still has a sore wrist after being struck last week by the Rockies in a game where he slugged three homers against the pitching staff. Something had to give. The Padres cannot be known as a soft team.
A.J. Ellis spoke about the Padres and the fact they have no issues in standing up for each other. “That’s what this team is going to do. We’re always going to fight for each other. We’re going to protect one another. Nobody’s going to bully this team.” This type of grit and an ambition to get better is what enabled the Padres to keep Ellis on the team after a subpar Cactus League. Ellis provides leadership, even though he is slow with the foot speed. A younger, nimbler Arenado had no issues rushing Perdomo unabated after the high and tight fastball. Ellis laughed about the situation as he described Arenado as a “bull in a china closet”.
The Padres need direction. They need an identity. They have quality chemistry currently, but being friends and getting along does not provide wins on the scoreboard. The team needs an edge to their style of play, and perhaps Wednesday’s melee will provide that for this young team. Andy Green has spoken about the team needing to find this “edge” before.
Finally, the newest crowned leader of the team, Eric Hosmer, had this to say about the situation after the game. “Everybody was out there sticking up for guys. You want your guys to fight for each other and have your back, and I’m not questioning anybody in this clubhouse.” The Padres have each other’s back. They will fight to the end. That is good, because this could be a long season for this growing ball club.
James was born and raised in America’s Finest City. He is a passionate baseball fan with even more passion towards his hometown Padres. Editor-In-Chief of EastVillageTimes.com. Always striving to bring you the highest quality in San Diego Sports News. Original content, with original ideas, that’s our motto. Enjoy.