Silence is Golden

Rather than address strangulation by launch angle and velocity, baseball seeks salvation through a mix of flip and taunt. Let the players express themselves, goes this line of thinking, and maybe the ratings will get a bump. Only, someone might want to explain to Manfred and company what a “dead-cat bounce” is. Because the new way creates more than a few problems of its own, as this past weekend showed. On Saturday in Cincinnati, Reds’ reliever Amir Garrett struck out the Cubs’ Anthony Rizzo. The best way to put it is Garrett acted like it was the end of October instead of the first of May in a game his team lost anyway. Garrett’s mix of screaming and chest-thumping offended the visiting Cubs, infielder Javy Baez most of all. After the game, Baez, who loves to stand at the plate and watch his drives (mostly) leave the park, told reporters “I’m just not going to let him [Garrett] disrespect my teammates or my team.” If something like that happens again, “we’ll go out there again.” Meanwhile, on the South Side, the Minister of Fun (and Truth, it seems) was busy as well. After hitting a grand slam Saturday to help the White Sox beat the Indians 7-3, shortstop Tim Anderson was quoted on the team website saying, “I never lose.” For mere mortals, that might be pronouncement enough, but Anderson went on to say, “When I step on that field, I know I’m the best.” No doubt he does. And so do the overwhelming majority of major-league ballplayers appearing in a ballgame on any given day, only they don’t feel the need to proclaim it to the world. There’s something to be said for letting one’s actions do the talking. Talk by itself is just talk. The funny thing is, Anderson didn’t raise his voice loud enough to call off third baseman Yoan Moncada in the fourth inning of yesterday’s game, with a runner on third and one. A popup behind third should’ve made it a runner on third and two out. Instead, Anderson and Moncada collided, the run scored and Cleveland went on to win the rubber game, 5-0. Oh, and the ever-winning best went 0 for 4 with a strikeout and two left on base.