The Blue Jays Got REALLY Ticked After Orioles Reliever Made a Hand Motion in Their Direction
I am not one to beef about players showing their emotions on the field, or celebrating moments about which they are happy. I don’t even mind a little showy showmanship back-and-forth among competitors who are feeling the heat of the moment.
But if you’re going to do it, repeatedly, and square in the direction of the opposing bench, I think you probably do have to be prepared for the possibility that you’re really going to tick them off.
So it was between the Orioles and Blue Jays Tuesday night, with Orioles reliever Bryan Baker striking out Blue Jays third baseman Matt Chapman, and then making a hand motion toward the Blue Jays dugout (it looked like he was doing a ‘chirp’ thing, kind of like a, ‘yeah, you keep talking’ deal). He then pointed their way, seeming to challenge them to come have an additional conversation about it.
The Blue Jays IMMEDIATELY took considerable exception:
That was one of the more aggressive benches-clearing incidents that wasn’t caused by a hit by pitch, or some other physically dangerous play. Interesting how Baker didn’t last too long out on the field, even after inviting the Blue Jays to rush the field. I’m not sure he actually wanted the Blue Jays to have that conversation.
Also? Poor Jorge Mateo. How did he get the job of trying to hold back BOTH Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Teoscar Hernández?
So what actually happened, anyway?
Well, here’s how the Blue Jays explained it after the game (ESPN):
Blue Jays interim manager John Schneider said Baker has made similar gestures to the Jays in the past.
“I didn’t understand why Bryan Baker was looking into our dugout after giving up a run on back-to-back days,” Schneider said. “We were just surprised and unsure of why Bryan was looking in our dugout. Again, it wasn’t the first time he’s done that. So, I think guys were fed up with it.”
Baker allowed the first two Toronto hitters to reach base in the seventh, but with men on first and third, Teoscar Hernandez — who had homered off Baker in the first game Monday — bounced into a double play. A run scored on that play to make it 6-5, but it left the bases empty.
“When I hit the ground ball, he’s staring at me and saying, ‘Yeah, yeah,'” Hernandez said. “And then he strikes out Chapman. As soon as he strikes out, he turns into our dugout and starts talking and pointing at me, and saying that I was talking too much. But I wasn’t talking. I wasn’t saying anything.”
So there was clearly some build-up there between the sides, and eventually Toronto just wasn’t going to take it anymore.
For his part, Baker said he simply wanted to let Hernández know that he knew Hernández was talking. OK. Just acknowledging the conversation! Clearly!
