A refreshing occurrence transpired on Thursday night in San Diego, California. What happened needed to take place whether people think so or not. It was necessary for someone to take a stand against the changing landscape in sports, and Carlos Quentin rose to the occasion.
The incident
arose in an early season matchup between the high spending Los Angeles Dodgers and
the financially strapped San Diego Padres. The Dodgers had their prize
off-season signing Zack Greinke on the bump. In the sixth inning, with the
Dodgers up by one run, Greinke hit Quentin with an 89 mile per hour pitch.
Greinke’s fastball usually touches higher than that on the radar gun,
especially on an out pitch with a 3-2 count.
A benches clearing brawl ensued
after Quentin rushed the mound like a middle linebacker hunting down a running
back. At first glance this did not appear to be a headline story. However, once
you consider the main characters in the narrative and the ill effects of the
brawl, one realizes why this drew attention.
First let
us go back to 2009. The Chicago White Sox and Kansas City Royals are playing in
an anything but pivotal midseason contest. Greinke, on the Royals, drills
Quentin with a pitch. Quentin walked towards the mound, they exchange words,
but that is the end of it.
In present time, it is difficult to remember that
incident. Only one obsessed with one of those teams (guilty as charged) would
remember such a non-prominent moment.
Fast-forward four years. Tensions between
the two have not subsided. But why would the mainstream media pick up on the
repercussion of something that took place four years ago? Well glance no
further than the man on the mound and the name on the front of the jersey.
When Zack
Greinke signed his eye-opening six year one hundred and fifty nine million
dollar contract with the Dodgers, he catapulted himself into an elite group.
Let us label this illustrious assemblance of individuals as the sports’ version
of “A-list” celebrities. Due to their mammoth salary, they become greater than
the majority.
Calls get made for them. People overlook their flaws. Most importantly,
if one were to be involved in a scuffle, every one else would run to his or her
corner.
Do not believe me? Take a gander at the history of the national sports coverage of particular events on
television. Kirk Hinrich became a villain for bear-hugging LeBron James to the
ground. Dahntay Jones received hate messages for injuring the beloved Kobe
Bryant. Tom Brady has a rule named after him following a season ending injury
caused by a hit below the waist.
However, all of these instances are different than the
Quentin-Greinke saga. None of the other incidents featured two individuals who
had prior history.
This case was different. Quentin knew what he was doing and
the repercussions he would face for his actions. Most media outlets labeled him as a monster
for running into Greinke and causing him to be out for up to eight weeks with a
broken left collarbone.
If it was a pitcher with a smaller paycheck, Quentin’s
head would still be called for, but not at this extreme of a level. Quentin continues to receive an enormous amount of blame because he injured the Dodgers’ prime gem. I
however, applaud him for what he did.
Do I
condone fighting? No. Did I want to see Greinke taken down to the ground
causing injury? Absolutely not. But we should all at least pat Quentin on the
back.
He took out a personal grudge when the unwritten rules of the hierarchy
of sports would not allow it. Players are taught to not attack those with the
largest bank accounts. He did it anyway.
Players on teams like the Padres, or those at
the bottom of popularity, are not permitted to cause havoc to an individual on
a media loving team like the Dodgers. He did it anyway.
When there is a fight
between men, one should not take sides based on salary. Recognize that Greinke
was in part responsible. Quentin stood up for what he believed was right.
He
broke through a wall, which stands around particular athletes, that was created by the media. For
this he does not deserve to be chastised, but given respect.
Follow Nick Kapetan on Twitter @KapN93
Tune in to @TheSportsReKap on Fridays from 6:30-8 PM CT on
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