Many a baseball mind will recall the controversy that transpired recently between the big-league Phillies and Mets. A night after Rhys Hoskins was thrown at by Mets reliever Jacob Rhame, Hoskins homered off Rhame and then took his sweet time getting around the bases:
— SNY (@SNYtv) April 24, 2019
It goes without saying that people were offended. I'll admit it stretched the limits for me, but I think as long as he was in a trot and not literally walking that I'm good with it. I stand by the mantra that "if you don't want him to do that, don't allow a home run." These are professionals after all.
Then again ... get a load of this nonsense.
A few days ago, the Syracuse Mets (Triple-A) were playing the Lehigh Valley IronPigs (Phillies Triple-A). Having since been optioned to the minors, Rhame entered the game for the Mets. The game was at Lehigh Valley. The home video operator played the video of Hoskins home run and trot while Rhame was warming up.
Now, I think that's hilarious. The dude threw twice at Hoskins' head and then allowed a home run to him. It's kind of deserved shaming and in the minors, hijinks are kind of expected.
But man, the Mets were MAD.
IronPigs president and general manager Kurt Landes came into the visiting manager's office and got an earful from Mets manager Tony DeFrancesco after the game. DeFrancesco told Landes the team was upset with the stunt, because whatever happened between the New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies last week at Citi Field had nothing to do with what transpired on a field in Allentown, Pa., the following week.
Hitting coach Joel Chimelis said someone needed to be held accountable for showing the video. Landes apologized and said he was unaware the video was going to be shown.
Rhame and DeFranceso did not want to talk about the incident after the game.
In the clubhouse after the game, players were still juiced up because of what happened in the sixth inning and for how they responded, erasing a one-run deficit in the final two innings to win, 7-4. To celebrate, DMX's "Ruff Ryders' Anthem" blared from a portable speaker.
"They didn't respect (us), not only the pitcher, they don't respect us as a team," Mets outfielder Carlos Gomez said after Monday's game. "They should not have played that video. We're all professionals here."
Good LORD, guys. Dial it back and stop taking yourselves so damn seriously. Held accountable? "The incident?"
Settle down, Triple-A Mets. Go have fun playing baseball. It's a fun sport. Stop paying attention to the opposing video board, get some thicker skin and flex some "mentally tough" muscles.
And, again, to any pitcher at any level, if you're going to be concerned with what a player does after he hits a home run, do better and don't allow said home run. You're free to pump your fists and yell after strikeouts, as your brethren has been doing for years unpunished.