Not a Rivalry? Rrrright

By: Chicago Sports Review

It’s odd to write or use the term “rivalry” to describe what the city - and nation - saw this weekend, because prior to the affair, Ozzie Guillen, his players, and even Dusty Baker and the Cubs summarily dumped the notion that this weekend was anything more than a three-game set each side wanted to win.

Same as every other, they said. As of Monday, save it.

It was something more. And for now, even with the Cubs only clinging to shards of respect, it will remain so. It was two blow-outs, a brawl, and an emotional, face-saving victory that has me wondering if the Cubs got more out of this than the Sox, who are clearly the better side.

To that end, some thoughts…

Finally, Some Emotion … from the Cubs. Sure, it started with an overheated Michael Barrett, and happened during a humbling loss. And even as it was because of a little throwdown with the catalytic A.J. Pierzynski — who sleeps well in the center of a storm — perhaps the Cubs can take something from Sunday’s post-brawl win.

Last week we lamented that this team seemed wholly resigned to its typical loser’s fate, pointing out that only Carlos Zambrano ever seemed to show much emotion. (pouting over being booed doesn’t count.) On Sunday the team rose to the defense of their best pitcher after a further subtle insult from Pierzynski, and got a win they desperately needed.

Unfortunately, emotion in baseball is only as valuable as tomorrow’s starting pitcher, and the Cubs are still deeply troubled in that category.

Still, it was a brief spike on a generally flat-lined heart monitor.

At the post-game press conference, one thing I found fairly peculiar was the sense that Pierzynski enjoyed the tussle. He smiled. He laughed. He grabbed the mic instead of letting it sit in its stand on the table … He held court and seemed to genuinely enjoy the attention.

 Does Pierzynski Deserve Scorn? Not for what happened on Saturday, though his reputation — merited or not — plays into what went down, despite what others might say. At the post-game press conference, one thing I found fairly peculiar was the sense that Pierzynski enjoyed the tussle. He smiled. He laughed. He grabbed the mic instead of letting it sit in its stand on the table.He held court and seemed to genuinely enjoy the attention. He noted that it somehow showed what kind of team the Sox have — as though players flying out of the dugout to join a basebrawl is some remarkable phenomenon.He smiled and joked, and noted that he owed Brian (Anderson) a dinner. Anderson sat next to him and smiled along with the veteran. When in Rome.

And yes, to be fair, Pierzynski’s is the enjoyment of a winner — a champion even — which can’t be taken away.

Still, one thing lingered.

Pierzynski noted that he was surprised Barrett was angered. He was surprised that the Cubs catcher lashed out in fury, after all, as Pierzynski said, “I’ve known (Barrett) since high school.”

But perhaps that was just it.

Barrett and Pierzynski know each other, and admit they respect each other. Thus, though Pierzynski didn’t break some catcher’s code by running over the vulnerable Barrett — who really had no chance to even catch the ball after it hit A.J. — and though he may have just been looking for his helmet when he lowered his shoulder just so slightly into Barrett, and though he was just displaying his fire when he slapped the plate in celebration while Barrett laid on the ground stunned … it all added up.

And worse, it added up for a guy he’s “known since high school.”

Maybe that’s why Barrett threw a punch, I wondered. Maybe because he really does know A.J., and expected more.

It was a clean play. Just baseball. Maybe he just didn’t find all of it necessary. Maybe he was pissed, and considered it not something you do to a guy you know pretty well, who plays your position. That’s kind of petty. Still…

If you added up all the fights in this country, and the punches — or cheap-shots — thrown, a good percentage of them are thrown from brother to brother. In fact, sometimes it’s easier to do so. It’s because respect is assumed, so even the little things can set it off.

Barrett was wrong.

Still, he might assume differently the next time.

Dusty the, Um, Defender. One thing I didn’t want to miss after the brawl was the Dusty Baker dugout interview on national TV. These are typically terrible interviews, but this one had me in the press box grill, eager to hear what lawyer stance Dusty would pull for his catcher.

Let’s just say the manager/esquire didn’t appear as though he wanted to take the case.

Baker essentially told a national TV audience and what I assume was a thrilled Bud Selig that what Pierzynski had done was “just baseball.” Baker was right … and it threw Barrett to the mercy of the suspension gods.

Sure, Barrett didn’t completely deserve Johnny Cochran just then. His act was foolish, and should have been inconceivable for a starting catcher hitting clean-up for a struggling team. Still, didn’t Baker also realize those facts? Why admit guilt for your client before you’ve even seen the tape? Whatever happened to pleading the fifth?

Dusty was right. Still, you think Ozzie would have thrown his guy to the wolves just then, with Uncle Bud still tuned in? He’s your starting catcher. He’s going to get suspended. Defend him, no matter what. Apologize later.

If I’m a friend of Barrett, I’d advise new council.

And Ozzie? He is both right and wrong on the brawl.

Prior to Saturday’s game, reporters surrounded Guillen and needed fire extinguishers for their digital recorders when it was all said and done, as Ozzie took the 10:30 AM dugout chat session with reporters and pushed it into overdrive. All told, a solid 47 minutes by my count. Could be a record.

I counted about three questions that related directly to the series.

When there are disagreements on bad teams, it’s internal strife. On good teams, it’s guys airing it out. When there’s a player saying the wrong thing to the press on a bad team, he’s a cancer. On a good team, he’s got a loose tongue. A good team gets in a brawl and it brings them together, on a bad team, it’s further signs of the frustration of losing.

 His most pertinent comments however, were post game.In the press conference, Ozzie said he throught the brawl would bring his team together. Yet any player on this team — and the manager and coaches — will admit that this clubhouse was one of the looser ones in the league, and the players are very good with each other already.Sure, a fight always brings a team together. Except when a key guy gets hurt, or dinged up, which absolutely happens. Then it was unfortunate, and people start pointing fingers. It shouldn’t have happened, etc.

Ozzie is completely correct that his team was perhaps further cemented by the whole affair, but this has been the great story of his managerial run with the Sox. When the wins come, it’s always roses.

When there are disagreements on bad teams, it’s internal strife. On good teams, it’s guys airing it out. When there’s a player saying the wrong thing to the press on a bad team, he’s a cancer. On a good team, he’s got a loose tongue. A good team gets in a brawl and it brings them together, on a bad team, it’s further signs of the frustration of losing.

In fact, the first question for Barrett in his press conference was just that. Did the losing contribute? Were you boiling over? His answer? Predictably, no. Sure it wasn’t, everybody thinks immediately.

Ozzie Guillen does not deserve to be questioned. Not yet. Thing is, we don’t need to hear good spin on a brawl. Nobody does. It does nothing for your team, and only encourages further idiocy. My publisher once said, “Ozzie Guillen may never be a manager of a losing team.”

He wasn’t implying that Ozzie Guillen — the exceptional manager that he is — is incapable of losing.

Who Got More Out of It? It doesn’t make sense from a won/loss standpoint, but it might just be that the Cubs got more out of losing two games and winning an emotional one than the Sox got for taking to easy ones out of three.

The Cubs have been on cruise control at 35, the Sox at 65. The Southside team is light years ahead of the Cubs in both pitching and pop right now, even if they try to preserve gas and drop 10 mph for a bit. They expect to win. As someone in Vegas would point out, they’ll be favored to beat the Cubs every time they play.

Still, for the Cubs to reclaim a sense of dignity during a game with actual emotion involved might have meant something more.

Then again, the problem is, who’s starting tomorrow?

The Sox don’t need to be bothered with such concerns.

On the Southside, they don’t exist.

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