Chicago White Sox Morning BP: Robin Ventura kicks dirt on home plate
Aug 13, 2014; San Francisco, CA, USA; Chicago White Sox manager Robin Ventura (23) kicks the dirt at home plate as he contests a call by the umpires after replay overturned a call allowing a San Francisco Giants run to score during the seventh inning at AT&T Park. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
This is bit of a rare occasion for the Chicago White Sox, but they have two off days this week following a heated game with the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday afternoon.
Aug 13, 2014; San Francisco, CA, USA; Chicago White Sox manager Robin Ventura (23) argues with third base umpire Fieldin Culbreth (25) after a call is overturned giving the San Francisco Giants a run during the seventh inning at AT&T Park. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
A moment in the game was so bad on Wednesday, manager Robin Ventura was ejected … and he went “old-school manager” by kicking dirt all over home plate.
It was good to see he still had some fire left in him after yet another disappointing season in the standings by the White Sox.
I can’t blame Ventura for being angry, because at the time that was a huge call at the plate (it was a one-run game), where Tyler Flowers was said to be “blocking him plate.”
Here is what the official White Sox site said about the play in an article:
"“With runners on the corners and one out, San Francisco’s Joe Panik tapped a grounder to first baseman Jose Abreu, who quickly threw home. Pinch-runner Gregor Blanco was plainly thrown out, but Giants manager Bruce Bochy requested the review on the basis that Flowers denied Blanco a sufficiently clear path to the plate as he awaited Abreu’s throw.”"
After that the article goes on to quote Ventura:
"“You look at the spirit of the rule of what they’re trying to do and what it’s actually doing, and it’s a joke.”"
Personally, I’m not a big fan of the rule as it currently is.
Yes, there needs to be something to help protect the catcher at the plate, but what happened to the White Sox on Wednesday, where is changed the entire momentum of the game, was wrong.
Maybe this offseason MLB will tinker with the rule, and we all can go from there.
If anything else it was good to see the White Sox and Ventura haven’t phoned in the season just yet and still have some passion when it comes to the game.
Plus … it is always fun to watch a manager kick dirt on home plate. How often does that happen anymore?
Thoughts?
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In other White Sox news:
• Southside Showdown’s Louie Penna wrote about the great night of pitching by Carlos Rodon on Wednesday for the Winston-Salem Dash.
• Here is a breakdown by Southside Showdown’s Joshua McKenzie about the White Sox pitching prospects.
• The Chicago Sun-Times says Avisail Garcia could be back in less than a week.
• In a Chicago Tribune video Flowers talks about the “plate blocking rule.”
• CSN Chicago has the headline: “White Sox starter Chris Sale continues to enjoy word game.”