Well Put, Joe

Cub hitters are suffering from a recent outbreak of homerun pimping.  According to Statcast, Starlin Castro took a shade over 24 seconds to circle the bases after homering Monday night (which may have had something to do with his getting hit with a pitch Wednesday night).  Yesterday, Junior Lake followed suit, staring at the ball, flipping his bat and adding this wrinkle: Lake put his finger to his lips to quiet the hometown Marlins as he passed their dugout.  For some reason, Miami players took offense and poured out onto the field.

After the game, Cub manager Joe Maddon left no doubt where he stands on stare-and-flip.  “We don’t do that here, and that will be the last time you see it,” Maddon was quoted by mlb.com.  This bit of showboating (I show my age using that term) bugs Maddon no end.  “It’s very, very much not cool.  If you’re watching the game back home in Chicago tonight, don’t do that.”  Lake hinted at a reason why in comments to the Tribune.  “I don’t want to create a bad influence with people who are following the game, especially kids.” 

Admiring homeruns goes back at least to the days of Babe Ruth.  If he wasn’t the first to stare and trot, the Babe may have been the first to be caught on film doing it.  There should be a standing rule:  If you think you can hit 714 or more homeruns, pimp all you want.  But hit thirty in your career, and it’s a $10,000 fine each time you do the pimp thing, to be collected upon retirement.  When trying to decide how to act after hitting a homerun, remember that the meek shall inherit the earth, and pitchers have long memories.