Hispanic Rage/White Politeness

[Solomon Kane]

<H1>More "latino" puh-ride</H1>
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<H1>BRUNEY, K-ROD HAD TO BE SEPARATED</H1>
<H2>RELIEVERS WAR OF WORDS TURNS PHYSICAL</H2>
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<DIV ="relTop" jQuery1245209173706="33">By MIKE PUMA
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<DIV id=SLIDESTEXT>Francisco Rodriguez didn't want to hear an apology from Brian Bruney before today's Subway Series finale at the new Yankee Stadium.
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Last updated: 9:59 pm
June 14, 2009
Posted: 12:46 pm
June 14, 2009
Francisco Rodriguez appeared ready to see if he could take the "closer" role to another level.
A day after Brian Bruney ripped the Mets closer for his mound theatrics, Rodriguez saw his Yankee target in the outfield during pregame drills and went ballistic. The only thing missing was Michael Buffer replacing Paul Olden on the Stadium public address system, announcing "Let's get ready to rumble!"
The heated exchange never got that far. Mike Pelfrey and Jose Veras interceded, keeping the Subway Series from becoming a three-ring Subway Circus.
"It's over," Rodriguez said after the Yankees mauled the Mets 15-0. "Turn the page. That's it."
Bruney, who on Saturday said Rodriguez has a "tired act," indicated he ventured to the outfield today to speak with K-Rod and perhaps offer an apology for his comments.
But before the injured Yankee reliever could say anything, Rodriguez started pointing at him and screaming from several feet away.
"I saw [K-Rod] walking with attitude and asking guys, 'Is it him?' " Pelfrey said. "The next thing I know, he was in [Bruney's] face."
Rodriguez was resistant at first to leaving the scene, but the combination of Pelfrey and Veras as buffers helped ensure no punches were thrown.
Neither Rodriguez nor Bruney would divulge what was said. But Bruney said he's glad the two sides cleared the air.
"That showed me a lot," Bruney said. "I respect a man that comes at you like that. In my opinion it's over.
"I probably shouldn't have said what I said [Saturday], but I made that mistake and learned from it. The guy has had a great career. I don't have anything at this point to hang my hat on. I don't have a World Series title like he does. I don't have the save record like he does. For me it was nothing personal against Frankie. I've heard he is a good dude."
A day earlier Rodriguez called Bruney a "nobody" who should keep quiet.
Bruney made his Saturday comments after a rehab appearance at Double-A Trenton. A night earlier, Rodriguez was charged with his first blown save this season after Luis Castillo dropped Alex Rodriguez's pop up, allowing the tying and winning runs to score.
Bruney commented to reporters that it "couldn't happen to a better guy on the mound." Bruney then mentioned Rodriguez's penchant for showboating.
Some of the Mets found Bruney's comments amusing.
"Who is the other guy?" Carlos Beltran said today, referring to Bruney. "He's been with the team the whole year?"
Told Bruney has been on the disabled list and made a rehab appearance Saturday for Trenton, Beltran shook his head.
"You're hurt, just worry about getting ready," Beltran said. "He should worry about getting ready and trying to get back and help his team. Thank God he didn't mention me."
Alex Cora indicated it wasn't Bruney's place to rip Rodriguez.
"[K-Rod] has been around the game - he's got one of those big things you wear on your finger," Cora said, referring to a world championship ring. "That's who he is. [Emotion] is what gets him going."
With the Mets and Yankees set for a series rematch in less than two weeks at Citi Field - where the bullpens are adjacent to each other - Cora has a solution.
"Put a ring in there," he said. "Ultimate fighting."
mpuma@nypost.com<!--<hr size="1" width="100%">

Subscribe to the Electronic Edition and get the New York Post exactly as it appears in print.-->Edited by: Solomon Kane

 

[Solomon Kane]

I should have added..."white politeness...to a fault"...since it appears he said nothing wrong, and rodriguez' celebratory overkill is indeed lame.

one more reason the mets are going nowhere...they are overwound.

 

[Freethinker]

I think Bruney was 100% right in his assessments of K-Rod.

However, this incident makes me immediately think of the hippocracy involving "fist pumping". Joba Chamberlain has been criticized relentlessly by other players, the media and fans for fist pumping after recording big outs in high leverage situations. On the other hand, you have K-Rod who celebrates every save like its game 7 of the World Series. Does a 3 run save against a last place team really deserve a celebration?!? I just see K-Rod getting a pass his whole career for doing this crap. I'm glad someone finally called him out on this.

I guess minority athletes just get held to a lower standard than their white counterparts.

 

[Charlie]

I guess the following is 'Latino' related.

Has anyone read the A-Rod expose? I haven't, but there was an article from the book in SI.

While playing for Texas A-Rod would steal signs from his own catcher to give to opposing batters. He would signal the batter with glove movements (turning glove back and forth for a change-up) and with his feet (sweeping the ground with his foot for a slider).

As shortstop he would legitimately give signals to the infielders, but would do so only when the hitter couldn't benefit. Those who caught on said it was very subtle.

The understanding was he would be repaid when he came to bat. This way he and his opponent would go 1 for 4 rather than 0 for 4 in a meaningless game (which Texas then had a lot of, though one wonders why a $120 million contract player would consider any game meaningless).

I wonder if his partners were exclusively Hispanic. Does A-rod speak Spanish? Would they have found it easier to pull this off because they spoke Spanish and could also speak some sort of slangy Island patois version?

 

[white is right]

Joquin Andujar was threatened by a bunch of opponents in the 80's for taunting and I think he was bum rushed by another. Baseball has a tradition that goes back to the 19th century about taunting. It's not anti-Latino/Black. It's anti-hot dog.