1) Are we still playing the game of baseball in Arizona? The one with 90 foot bases, a 5 ounce ball, and stick? Some people say we are, so I guess I will take their word for it, but pardon me if I feel like I am in some fantasy world these days when Brandon Webb pitches. It's not even funny anymore. Nobody told Webb that hitting a baseball is arguably the most difficult thing to do in sports, apparently. He is pitching like some sick joke these days, yoyo-ing his fastball to all quadrants of the strike zone and dangling the bait that is his change up on the hook that is his right arm.
Webb improved to 8-0 on Thursday, throwing a complete game against the Philadelphia Phillies. Webb surrendered 6 hits over nine innings, allowing two earned runs to go along with 4 strikeouts, all the while expending only 104 pitches, 71 of them for strikes. What was impressive was the fact that, out of the 27 outs in the ballgame, Webb got 18 of them on the ground, exactly his style. An economical performance, to say the least.
Despite allowing two runs today, God forbid, Webb had some of the best stuff I have seen all season from him. His sinker was running and diving more than it is accustomed to, sort of like the Phillies' hitters taking a couple measly swings and diving back into the dugout to hide. The change up not only had its usual extraordinary sink to it, but it had great fading action to it, making it an even deadlier weapon.
With his change up becoming one of the league's best, that two pitch repertoire is more than enough to get hitters out. But to make matters worse for the opponent, Webb's slow breaking ball was even working for him. The breaking ball is a "show me" pitch and should be primarily used to steal cheap strikes early in the count, although Webb will get some strikeouts with hit based on hitters being purely fooled.
These types of outings have already become mundane in a sense, and we are in the beginning of May. Mundane in the best possible way, and that is because we have grown accustomed to Webb simply dominating. Is that fair? Fair for Webb, fair for us? Niether, I suppose, since baseball will ultimately humble Webb at some point this year, it is only natural. We shouldn't get our hopes up every day he pitches, like he is superhuman, because there will inevitably be an outing where the sinker doesn't sink and the change up hangs, and he gets wacked around a little bit. That is what the law of averages, when applied to baseball, tells us. But us baseball fans love great feats and we will continually set ourselves up to be heartbroken sooner or later.
There was a telling sign in the ninth inning of Thursday's ballgame, one which tells us just how good Brandon Webb is. Arizona manager Doug Melvin became a little bit weay when Webb put two runners on in the ninth, even though the Diamonbacks were still ahead by five runs. Melvin had the bullpen getting loose, just in case.
The manager tells catcher Chris Snyder to go talk to Webb in order to give the bullpen time to warm up. Snyder obliges, but signals to his manager, telling him that Webb is all right. Leave him in, his catcher says. Melvin makes the slow walk to the mound, the one all too familiar. Once he is out there, though, Snyder continues to lobby for Webb to stay in the ballgame and Webb reassures Melvin he wants to finish the ballgame. Melvin looks at Snyder and says, "All right", walking back to the dugout.
What else could Melvin have done? Nothing, to be exact. That is the level that Brandon Webb is at. He is so good and is so in tune with his body and his game, that when he tells the manager he can finish the ballgame, the manager doesn't ask twice. So what happens? Next hitter grounds into the 1-6-3 double play to seal the victory. Unbelievable.
2) The Yankees beat the Cleveland Indians 6-3 on Thursday back by four homeruns and another strong start from Mike Mussina-- he has won his last four. But that was not what all of the talk was about after the ballgame was over. The talk was about Joba Chamberlain and his exuberant fist pumps after striking out David Dellucci to end the top half of the eigth inning and preserve the lead for closer Mariano Rivera to finish up in the ninth.
Apparently it is becoming a big deal that Chamberlain gets this fired up after strikeouts, and pumping his fist is being dipped in the "bush league" category. I see both sides of this debate, but I disagree that Chamberlain is in the wrong. Look, I can see why people do not like the kid getting fired up over striking out a batter in the eigth inning. Many feel he should be more professional and control his emotions better. Some believe he is showing up the hitter and that they are merely unnecessary girations. Dellucci said, among other things, "It's May baseball".
Is it a bit much? Possibly. But not probably. If the Yankees are up by five runs in the seventh inning and there is nobody on base and Chamberlain strikes out the number nine hitter who is batting .215 on the season, then yes, I can see where it is over the top. If Chamberlain is beating his chest and staring down the hitter, the one he just demoralized with a life-threatening fastball or a back-breaking slider, and yelling some profan choiced words at him while he is on his way back to the dugout, then yes, the kid should have a closed door meeting with the manager and be reminded that this isn't the style of baseball that is seen on Friday nights at college campuses. We act different here.
But that isn't the case, and I think some people are really missing the boat here. Dellucci, after he hit a homerun off of Chamberlain to give the Indians the lead on Tuesday night, stoically trotted the bases and touched homeplate nary a growl, and proceeded to place his helmet back in the hat rack. Been here, done that. That is great, that is the way it should be. But that is one guy.
Have we forgotten all of the hitters who yell and point to the sky as they are rounding second base after giving their team a lead with a homerun? How about the ones who are greeted by teammates with complex handshakes at homeplate? Worse yet, how about those who stand in the batters box for five seconds to watch their shot, then take an inning and half to circle the bases? Are these displays of emotion all right?
Many closers yell and pump their chest after closing out a ballgame. Yes, I see the difference between clinching a victory and clinching the final out of a monotonous eigth inning. But at the same time, why aren't they being accused of showing up the opponent?
The thing is, extremes of both cases are not acceptable. Hitting a homerun and walking to first base and strutting your stuff around the bases like nobody other than you has hit a homerun since Babe Ruth certainly permits a fastball in your back the next time up. At the same time, a pitcher staring a hitter back to the dugout like no pitcher before him has painted the outside corner with a fastball or has made a hitter look foolish on a breaking ball, is ridiculous.
The point is that Chamberlain is not in the extreme part on the pitching side. He is a firery guy who is showing emotion. It is debateable whether he should tone it down or not. I'm not saying you have to agree with it or support his actions, but he hasn't crossed the line, and therefore it is unfair to refer to him as a bush league player or one who disrepects the game. Emotion is part of sports, but sometimes I question whether baseball has lost it. There is a difference between being firery and competitive and cocky and abrasive. Joba Chamberlain is the latter.
And honestly, I have zero sympathy for the hitter, in this case. You don't want him fist pumping out on the mound? How about winning the ballgame or scoring a run on him? The best rebuttal in all of baseball will be exactly what Dellucci did prior to Joba's celebration. Crush a homerun to win a ballgame, and circle the bases with a competitve swagger and professional class.
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