 |
| Despite the occasional physical proximity, Chipper Jones and Melky Cabrera are not buddies. (Getty Images) |
On Tuesday against the Braves, Giants outfielder (and All-Star Game MVP) Melky Cabrera raised Atlanta hackles by directing a WWE-style "crotch chop" gesture at the home fans. On Wednesday night, Cabrera kept that up and added to his repertoire by pretending to toss balls into the stands and apparently taunting Jason Heyward for opting not to tag up on a fly ball to the outfield. All of this, not surprisingly, has left the Braves less than amused by Cabrera's histrionics.
“That’s Melky, and that’s why he’s not here anymore,” Chipper Jones said after the game. “He got a little happy when (Gregor) Blanco hit the home run. It won’t be forgotten.” (Atlanta Journal Constitution)
Jones is referencing Cabrera's 2010 stint with the Braves, in which Cabrera played poorly, showed a disdain for basic conditioning and wound up being released the following offseason. Compounding those and more recent affronts is the fact that the Giants have taken the first two games of the series by a combined score of 18-4.
In the eighth inning Wednesday night, Atlanta reliever Eric O'Flaherty dusted Cabrera much to the delight of the hometown fans, and if Jones' comments are any guide, the more of the same could be in the offing.
Hostilities renew on Thursday at 12:10 pm ET.
For more baseball news, rumors and analysis, follow @EyeOnBaseball on Twitter, subscribe to the RSS feed and "like" us on Facebook.
