Just Play Ball

Baseball has a set of codes that players usually follow. It's the only sport I can think of that pretty much governs itself. Players and coaches should act certain ways and if they don't, expect some sort of retaliation. To me, that is unbelievably stupid.

When the Cincinnati Reds played the Pittsburgh Pirates in Pittsburgh for the first time this season, Derek Dietrich blasted a home run out of the ballpark and into the Allegheny River. He stood there at home plate and watched it sail out of the stadium. Apparently that broke one of baseball's unwritten laws and his next time up to bat, Pirates pitcher Chris Archer threw a ball high and behind Dietrich as a way of retaliation. The umpire issued a warning to Archer and both benches. This upset Reds manager David Bell who came charging out of the mound and was complaining that the Reds can't retaliate against the Pirates. A big brawl broke out after that and players from both teams were ejected and suspended. Is this Major League Baseball or Little League?

Baseball is a game. It is supposed to be fun. I had no problem at all with Dietrich watching his ball fly into the river. I would have done it also. If Chris Archer didn't like Dietrich admiring his home run shot, then Archer shouldn't have thrown a pitch that Dietrich could power out of the stadium. Also, Archer is notorious for celebrating strikeouts and has even moon walked off the mound. What is the difference between watching a home run and celebrating a strikeout? If you can celebrate a K without retaliation, you should be able to celebrate a home run without retaliation.

The whole retaliation aspect of baseball is stupid in my opinion. I watch the sport of baseball because I love the game. I want to see players celebrate when they do something great. What I do not want to see is a petty retaliation that makes everybody involved looked childish. It can seriously hurt a player, and brawls, ejections, and suspensions usually occur as a result. That ruins the game in my opinion as it takes away the opportunity for fans to see some of their favorites play. Just get rid of retaliation and play ball.