"Third baseman Carlos Correa did not deny the team's plans to go to Puerto Rico after Wednesday's game but denied it was because the players were confident they would beat the United States. "It's funny because they have been talking about that, but it's all about the country; it's not about our team," Correa said. "Our country has been behind us since we have started [the tournament]. When we were in Mexico, we told the governor in Puerto Rico that if we made it to the finals, we need to plane to get back and celebrate with our people."" http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/...ed-planned-world-baseball-classic-celebration
Regardless of what he says it doesn't change the interpretation that the US team had. The tone of Kinsler's comments could still be based on the fact that the US perceived PR to be putting the horse before the cart. They are also a reference to how our kids are taught. I have a Junior and a 6th grader. Both have played baseball since they were 3 and have always been taught to hold emotions in check. It is a different culture than how some of the Latin countries play, and I don't mean that as criticism (and I don't think Kinsler did either). It's similar to a situation I had with my kids several years ago. We went out to eat at a nice restaurant. We were seated near a couple that were obviously from a different country. He was of some Middle Eastern decent. Through the whole meal the man was belching and slurping and making all kinds of noise as he ate. His behavior went against the etiquette we have always taught our kids, but nothing was said because in other cultures that is acceptable. It was a good lesson in cultural differences for my kids, but it didn't mean I would accept that behavior from them with the excuse that it is acceptable in other cultures. They are taught proper etiquette according to our beliefs and the way someone else views etiquette is not going to change how we act. To me Kinsler is saying the same thing. We want our kids to see how we play the game and know that this is how we teach the game in the US. PR and DR can teach it how they want but in the US we play this way. He wants US kids to see how US players play the game.
I'm just not sure what Kinsler is getting at. American players celebrate during regular MLB games. They react when they make great plays or get the big hit. In the actual playing of the games, the Latino players don't do anything that U.S. players do. If he's talking about the fact the Puerto Rican players were going to celebrate their success in their home country, he is not understanding how much more important the WBC is to PR than to the USA. Just look at the USA players who chose not to play as to how important the players felt this tournament was. Where were Trout? Donaldson? Kershaw? Bryant? Betts? Harper?
After I posted I saw an article where he clarified what he was saying. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...okes-amusing-reaction/?utm_term=.f422988b01a2 He was referencing the differences in the way the game is played in different places. As for players who didn't play, they addressed that a little on the broadcast last night. They did not specify which players fell into which category, but they said that some players chose not to play and others were told by their MLB team that they would not allow them to play. Obviously you can look at some of the teams represented and figure those teams were okay with their guys playing but according to John Smoltz there were other teams that were not.
I wonder if Odor's bat flip (on his incredibly long single) was on his mind when he made his original comments.
Genuine excitement about a great play has never been a problem with me. But the staring, bat flips, and posing has, and always will bother me. It makes you look like a tool IMO. I just don't like posturing in any sport. Don't get me started on WR's and CB's in football acting like every batted pass/first down is the greatest thing to ever happen. But people certainly don't need to act like emotionless robots either.
Not that they were going to play, but Donaldson was hurt and Kershaw is coming off an injury plagued season. Trout, Bryant, & Betts are all disappointing absences. As to MLB teams telling players not to go, I would have thought that wouldn't be allowed.
I guess teams could 'encourage' players not to go without flat out forbidding it. It would have been better had the Astros told Bregman no since he only started one game and had 5 or 6 at bats total.
No idea on exactly how much control a team has on vetoing players participating, but I know they discussed it on the broadcast last night around the 7th or 8th inning. They flat out said there were some teams that did not allow players to play. Whether that was because of injury or not I don't know, but they did mention some players held out because they were coming back from injury. They also mentioned that they had to get specific permission for Sam Dyson to be used 2 days in a row. I assume they had to do the same with other pitchers too.
WORLD Baseball Classic -- WORLD Series Ready for the World ?? Correa and Altuve had bad postseasons, but it's still early. Correa's playing *WELL* this WBC can't hurt.
I know that the error Correa made against the Royals was pretty devastating but he did hit .350/.381/.700 for a 1.081 ops in that ALDS.
Why would I take away a game? Correa had a good postseason. Altuve didn't have a good postseason. Neither have any kind of legitimate sample size to draw a conclusion from.
Keep the game, keep the error. We lost his 'great game' partly due to him. And that *part wasn't surprising. Carlos has only shown to be average defensively at best. His performance the remaining postseason was bad. Including the WC game lowers his 1.000 OPS vs KC overall for the playoffs.. If Correa duplicated said production every playoff series, the Astros are disadvantaged at his spot. Altuve was beyond bad. Future is still bright.
I'll take an ops of over .900 (if you include the wc game) in his first postseason as a freshly-turned 21 year old. It surely beats what guys like Biggio and Bagwell gave the team in their first few go-rounds. Hopefully Altuve can turn it on in his next shot and not end up as a playoff dud. I have always loved Bagwell and have always preferred him to Biggio but Berkman was the only one who swang the same big dick in the postseason as he did in the regular season. And both Fangraphs and BaseballRef had Correa as above average at short in 2016. I think he's average to a bit above with the chance to get better.
Yeah, Berkman>Biggio>Bagwell postseason.. Lidge>Wagner Correa (and Altuve) show hope, but they need doing better going forward.
Kinsler's comments about wishing kids watch how they play, how they play is one of the reasons baseball isn't as popular in the poor areas of the U.S You got to have passion to play beisbol barefooted with a stick and pseudo mcgyvere'd gloves. I'm not saying players from here lack passion but somewhere along the journey they turned into robots and forgot about the days of playing in a sandlot with benny the jet. How long has bat flipping been around anyways? First one to bat flip? I was listening to the Wu tang's "Heaterz" and raekwon references "Bat flip the mic" that was 1996. That said, pitchers should always throw at Odor's head. Just walking up to the plate he's disrespecting the game.
I totally agree...yet... there's a time and a place to do that (example: you do NOT show up a pitcher if he just gave up a meaningless HR in the middle innings, esp if he's already had a bad day). Some people act like the Latin players were the first to invent showboating, it's been around for a long time. It's also how you do it. Bat flip...usually ok. Bat flip + stare at the ball...better be important. Bat flip + stare at the ball + slow jog...you're overdoing it (or that better have just ended the game) ...and nothing will make you look more like a jake than the "bat-flip...warning track fly ball"
