As a note in preparation for the upcoming Yankees-Nationals series, I have to say that I'm digging Bryce Harper as a player, and as an interview. He gave that idiot Canadian reporter's question about drinking a beer the answer it deserved: “That’s a clown question, bro.” I'm going to start using that phrase as an answer to everything. Hear that, Squawker Jon? That's a clown question, bro!
Here's the thing. Reporters ask those kinds of questions not to get a good story, but to drum up controversy. How was Harper, who is a non-drinking Mormon teenager, supposed to answer that? If he had said yes, there would have been a whole story about how Harper, age 19, thinks he's above it all. It was a total gotcha question. So Harper gave an obnoxious question an obnoxious answer. Good for him. Frankly, I wish A-Rod would do that sometimes, with some of the clown questions he gets.
Speaking of which, I heard some Yankee "fans" devalue A-Rod tying Lou Gehrig on the all-time grand slam because Alex took PEDs. Everytime I hear a Yankee fan complain about that, I ask them how they feel about Andy Pettitte taking PEDs, and if that devalued his career achievements. Every single time, the fan goes into contortions to explain that Pettitte only did it once (not true!) to recover from an injury, blah blah blah.
If you are going to criticize A-Rod for PEDs, then you have to do the same with Andy Pettitte, even if Andy is part of the Core Four, has five rings, etc., etc. To do otherwise makes you a hypocrite.
In other news, I noticed that R.A. Dickey should have gotten a no-hitter last night, but an obvious error by David Wright was ruled to be an infield hit. That's the perfect rejoinder for those who complain that Johan Santana's no-hitter doesn't really count, due to the Carlos Beltran hit being called a foul ball. Because even though the Mets are appealing the infield hit ruling in the Dickey game, there is very little chance they will win that appeal. And Dickey will not get the no-hitter he earned last night.
Speaking of which, Squawker Jon sent me an email last night about Matt Cain's perfect game, and I was about to write him back that Cain pitched a perfect game, while the Mets still do not have a no-hitter, only to remember that they do now! So thanks to Santana, something I loved to mock Jon about is done. Oh well.
What do you think? Tell us about it!
4 comments:
That was a base hit by BJ Upton in the first inning last night. No way in the world David Wright throws Upton out if he cleanly fields that ball.
There was a precedent for scorer to change the Wright play to an error. In 1952, Virgil Trucks of the Tigers pitched a one hitter where the one hit was a ground ball fielded by the shotstop and dropped. After the game ended the scorer changed the hit to an error and Trucks got his no-no. Trucks pitched two no-hitters that year yet only won 5 games all season!
"That's a clown question, bro!" can become our generation's, "Take a hike, son!" (Alvin Dark to Jim Bouton, 1954, according to Bouton)
Sorry for the "Unknown." That was mine -- if the historical reference didn't give it away.
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