Again with the fist-pumping? Zzzzzzzz
Posted by: Peter Abraham - Posted in Misc on May 11, 2009 
Print This Post
| 
Email This Post
The Fist Pump Controversy is really, really silly.
• Does anybody really care what the Baltimore Orioles and Aubrey Huff think about Joba? It’s a perennial last-place team and a journeyman DH. That they are so concerned about Joba pretty much explains why they are in last place. Memo to the O’s: You lost the game.
• Joba didn’t care. He was more annoyed at the questions about it. His biggest concern is trying to figure out how to stop getting rocked in the first inning.
• Jonathan Papelbon does it. Francisco Rodriguez does it. Yet for some reason there is no controversy about them. Why is that?
• This is a perfect ESPN/WFAN story in that it creates something out of nothing and gets people riled up.
You know what is important about Joba? He’s 5-2, 3.15 in 18 career starts. In 100 innings as a starter, he has allowed 97 hits and struck out 108. Once he gets that first-inning thing fixed — and he will — the Yankees are going to have a 23-year-old ace on their hands.
If that’s the case, Yankee fans shouldn’t care if Joba does handstands on the mound.
i’m with you there
agreed.
Exactly Pete.
Mel,
Enthusiastic kid, doesn’t have much of a bat, is a good catch and ok throw guy.
He’s not going to hit much. Its not part of his game. Defensively, he catches and frames well and his arm is ok, not great.
I do love his enthusiasm though. On a team that goes through too many periods where they look dead, I really like his energy. They could use more of that around the ballclub.
Agreed Pete!!
Joba is an incredible talent, but too big for his britches.
He invites this attention by celebrating his efforts, even if same said efforts are not a net positive for his team.
His antics are going to result in Yankees players getting hit.
He needs to chill out.
I simply think it’s poor sportsmanship and displays a lack of class and dignity regardless of who’s doing it. I prefer classy players such as Mattinly and Rivera. They don’t need all sorts self congratulatory hysterics to let the fans know they made a good play or played a good game.
In the NFL, the level of showboating has reached such ridiculous proportions that it’s unwatchable. The league even had to institute rules to direct cameras away from such ridiculous displays. I’d hate to see baseball come to that.
Jonathan Papelbon does it. Francisco Rodriguez does it. Yet for some reason there is no controversy about them. Why is that?
BEST STATEMENT ON THE BLOG IN A LONG TIME!!!!! IS IT BECAUSE HE IS A YANKEE?? POLEASE I LOVE WHEN SOMEONE BRINGS EXCITMENT TO THE GAME..
I COMPARE THIS TO DUNKING ON SOMEONE.. A TOUCHDOWN DANCE..
IF I WAS JOBA AFTER MO CLOSED THE GAME I WOULD HAVE DID A FIST PUMP THEN!!!
The reality is, as a Yankee fan, I don’t care if he is doing his fist-pumping to celebrate an out. To your point, the NBA, NHL and NFL allow, and almost encourage, celebrations for lesser events (so long as they are not viewed as being taunting), why should people in MLB have such thin skin? They need to get over it. I don’t like taunting, nor would I support that, but what Joba does doesn’t seem to be intended for anyone but himself and his team, so what is the big deal?
You can tell it’s an off-day with no big story to follow. I’m not wild about the displays, but really, who cares? If it bothers enough players it’ll be taken care of on the field or in the clubhouse. Otherwise, let’s just worry about getting people healthy and stringing together some wins before much more of the season passes.
Huff is a Loser.
and Joba’s fist pumping is Last years news.
Boston.com has a piece about Lou Merloni saying that the Sox we’re lectured by a Doctor on the proper way to take steroids.
How come no one else in the media is talking about that?
MLB, ownership and PA continue to get a pass while a few players are pilloried.
Maybe Joba is fist pumping per his religious faith?
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/.....17I43D.DTL
Huff is a nothing journeyman playing on a nothing team
The reason Jobber stands out is because he is not a typical Yankee player that people come to expect. That is why people make a bigger deal out of stuff like this than necessary. We’ve prided ourselves on “The Yankee Way” and being a class above everyone in MLB (and have these stupid rules like no facial hair and such). Then we have a guy like Joba who doesn’t really fit the corporate, classy, go-about-business, stereotype of the Yankees like Mariano, Jeter, Posada, Bernie, Pettitte etc.
That’s why he is held to a ridiculous standard and can’t have fun.
Topics like this is why I am finding it much harder to listen to Francesa/Kay.
Joba is going to get Yankee hitters hit?
Really?
You know what happens if that takes place?
AJ Burnett and Joba Chamberlain, with their 98 MPH fastballs, use opposing hitters as target practice.
The reason why Yankee hitters WON’T get hit is because of having Burnett and Chamberlain ready, willing and able to nail guys who get out of line.
Its a non-story for Yankee haters to get on their soapboxes and whine about and nothing more.
The reason why Joba stands out is he has been in the league for one year and acts like he has been there for 20.
Rookies should shut up, play hard, and keep their antics down.
Do it for awhile, then act like you have been there before.
Hhe acts like an alcoholic hick from Nebraska, and he hates NY anyways, why in the world would we defend this guy?
Ahha yes, he wears the laundry
Peter is right on this. But its bigger this team in general has come out of the clubhouse very slowly and we need to start getting ahead in games. Their penchant for spotting teams a lead is a key issue to resolve if we are to get this machine in motion otherwise we will never put together the type of streak we need.
Huff has to find some sort of entertainment, being on an insignificant team and all.
Until a Bat accidentally slips out of a batter\’s hands in his direction.
Can\’t wait for that day.
The Merloni story is more of a “Blog” story right now, Uncle. I saw that deadspin ran a post on it this AM, so in another day or three, it will be in the Times.
That being said, I expect Gammons to –shill for the Sox– report on ESPN that none of the ’07 and ’04 Sox did ‘roids…
My yahoo fantasy team name is Joba’s Fist Pump.
SJ,
Thanks for the thoughts. I like his energy as well.
I wonder if Joba’s 1st inning issues are energy (emotional) related? From the quote in the last thread, he seemed to allude to the fact that holding back makes him less effective.
Someone (you?) said he needs to come out in that first inning like he’s coming out in the 8th. He always settles down in the 2nd anyway and progresses from there.
Whatever it is, it’s frustrating him (and Damon and the fans and…) to no end.
I’m actually quite happy that WROW no longer simulcasts WFAN from 1-7 p.m. up here like they used to. Francesca will dedicate 5-6 hours of programming today to the stupid fist pump issue. Worthless.
Pete ..aren’t YOU kinda making a big deal about it ?
Aubrey Huff may be a “journeyman DH,” but he had better numbers than Arod last year.
it’s a day off, radio needs some kind of nonsense to talk about
I think what turns people off is that Joba is only 23 yrs old and has been in the league for a minute, without accomplishing anything and he acts like that. I also think most people see it as excessive and showing up, rather than genuine emotion. Let’s be real… how many starters do we know that act like that? We reference Papelbon and K-Rod, those guys are closers. Beckett is a punk, but he doesn’t act demonstrative on the mound.
If he was a vet, I think other players wouldn’t care. Remember, Burnett struck out Huff with the bases loaded in the 3rd inning (and we were trailing) and he spun around and pumped his fist too. But no one said anything.
Don’t want Jobber to throw at Huff
Let Veras come in and do it
There’s a lot of negativity surrounding the Yankees-even when they win.
When they win, its about the HRs in the new place; the empty seats; Joba’s fist; Arod. They one the game and took 2 out of three on the road! Mike F., the Post, ESPN, and yes, even some fans seem to only care about the pre-fab, manufactured drama that surrounds this team…
Not a big fan of the fist pump, but it is better than adjusting the cup. Is that some sort of message, too?
If I remember correctly, C.C. also did a fist pump at the end of Friday night’s game. How come the Orioles didn’t complain then? I think I know the answer to that one. Let Joba be Joba and the Orioles be the Orioles.
This is a topic where all the internet tough guys, ie: 12 year old Red Sox fans, come on the blog talking tough.
Grab a book and get a life.
Mel,
I definitely feel like he is holding back a bit in the first inning.
Jim Kaat wrote an excellent blog piece last week about how pitchers should work their way into games. Kaat believes that in order to conserve pitches, starters should pitch more to contact early and that will keep them in games longer.
With Joba’s stuff, if he gets ahead of hitters, he can literally throw the ball in the middle of the plate and get early outs via contact.
I think if he can find a way to minimize his pitches in the first inning by pitching to contact more, he will last longer in games.
Its all part of his development as a starting pitcher. He will definitely figure it out. He’s too talented not to fix it.
Am i the only one who thinks that Joba gets alot of heat about the fist pump because hes still wet behind the ears? Im sure in a couple years when he’s shutting down opponents on a regular basis, no one will care.
Did anyone see the ridiculous antics of Paplebon yesterday? He acted like he won the freakin series.
Jerzz, you nailed it, thank you.
What really angered me was Peter Gammons criticizing Joba on Baseball Tonight, calling it immature and claiming that even some of Joba’s teammates feel the same way.
Pete, any truth to that?
eh, i’ve seen beckett fist pump numeroous times. most recently, against the yankees last week.
way to raise the bar pete…
now i want to see handstands. fist pumps were so last year.
I don’t think anyone is talking about this, but if I was Girardi I would use the Huff fist pump more as motivation.
Tell the team that when you are a .500 club, the O’s are using you as a punch line…the butt of their jokes and I sure that they aren’t the only team.
I hope this opens some guys eyes and they can start to role off some consecutive wins.
Point is it’s NOT like dunking on someone or a touchdown dance.
It’s more like harmlessly spiking a football because you’re simply psyched about making a good catch or a scoring TD. That’s just spiking the football, without spiking or throwing it at the guy you just beat, without getting in his face with some trash talk, and without a crotch-pumping, hot-dogging end-zone dance. It’s nothing like that.
The point is … yawn. It’s no B.F.D.
People care about it because Yankees fans are being completely hypocritical about it. Before Joba was called up, Yankees fans made a big deal about every time Papelbon fist pumped or K-Rod spun off the mound. It was “showing up their opponents” and they were told to “act like you’ve been there before.” Now that the Yankees have one of the bigger celebrators in the league on their team, Joba is merely being “young and emotional.” I don’t care if Joba celebrates, just like I don’t care if anyone else does or someone stares at their home run. There was no controversy about either of them doing it because there wasn’t some widespread criticism from Sox or Angels fans on the way other players celebrate. I just find it rather amusing when Yankees fans are all of a sudden very defensive when they used to regularly criticize K-Rod and others for the exact same thing.
Can the Joba struggles in the first inning be because he’s not warmed up enough? His velocity is really low in those innings. Maybe he needs to be in the bullpen warming up a little longer before he comes out. Thoughts?
Changing the subject.
Anyone see the Wade,Barkley and Howard commercial where Wade and Barkley are playing a video game and Barkley is playing as Howard? Did anyone notice that Wade tells Howard over the phone that Barkley just pulled Howard hamstring on the game but Howard is holding his ankle. Just thought it was a bit strange that they never fixed that flaw.
“Don’t want Jobber to throw at Huff
Let Veras come in and do it”
He’d miss, probably throw the ball right down the middle of the plate. Unless of course he was trying to throw a strike, then he might hit Huff.
“His antics are going to result in Yankees players getting hit.
He needs to chill out.”
Baseball Fab,
That might have been true a couple years ago. Guys like Mussina wouldn’t protect guys.
But other then Andy, every one of the starters throw hard, and will drill a guy.
Joba’s done it. CC’s done it too.
Do you think Mariano or Jeter would approve his fist pump?
Just let Joba be Joba. If anything, the Yankees need more youthful exuberance like he displays. Face it, Joba is likely going to be one of the leaders of this team in short order and will bring a different demeanor to the team than the current crop of graybeards. I’m fine with the fist pump…it shows he cares about winning!
Ever notice that most of these silly beanball wars happen against Baltimore?
Last year alone, Daniel Cabrera always used to hit our guys. Veras was ejected for retaliating after that. Millar charged the mound against Edwar after he threw over his head. Hawkins got ejected for throwing at Scott and the benches cleared after he retaliated for Cabrera again etc.
Nice Post Pete. I was getting so sick of hearing Kay rattle on and on about the fist pump yesterday. It sounded like he thought that Huff’s fist pump was more important than his HR. Remember the days when pitchers used to occasionally hit or brush back batters after they had a big hr or key hit so they wouldn’t feel so comfortable at the plate? If Joba had hit Huff yesterday, it would never occur to Kay that it might be for that reason. Kay is awful. Who cares about the fist pump?
Mariano doesn’t like K-Rod’s antics (remember last yr at the All-Star game, it was reported he requested that he did not want his locker next to K-Rod’s?), so he would be a hypocrite if he didn’t tell Joba to tune it down.
I’m bored enough at work and Francessa talking out of his butt has annoyed me enough today to do math!
If you add up the Yankees and the Red Sox position players, 5 SP, Closer and a primary reliever, the Yankees come out to 31 years and 3 months and the Sox come out to 31 years and 6 months old.
Where is this big age difference Francessa keeps talking about?
“Jonathan Papelbon does it. Francisco Rodriguez does it. Yet for some reason there is no controversy about them. Why is that? ”
is it really that hard to understand? those guys do it when they close out a save a get a win for the team. joba will do it in the 5th inning of a game that he’s losing.
mark my words that one day soon someone will charge the mound on joba – a guy like huff who would undoubtedly beat the junk out of joba.
The only people who care about this are ESPN and Mike Francesa groupies, and Red Sox fans.
That’s it. They are the only folks whining about this to no end.
Who cares what opponents think of Joba Chamberlain. As he said yesterday, he’s not being paid to win approval from opposing players. He’s being paid to win games.
He WON the game yesterday so, what did Aubrey Huff prove? Nothing. His team lost and now he has a bullseye on his back the rest of the year.
Its a waste of time, internet space and emotion to discuss something so silly.
I thought everybody wanted fire, a little edginess on this all too corporate team? Joba gets a little feisty, doesn’t give anybody the finger, and now all the Nerds are getting sweaty palms over the fist pump. Well, which is it? Let Joba color outside the lines a little or do you want him to play lifeless and dead? If Joba can take the heat for it, why is anybody else worried about it? And really, the fist pump is not a valid reason to drill anybody in pinstripes. It’s just not.
Edwar. Now THERE’s a guy to be intimidated by if he throws you a high one. Maybe Millar mighta had a touch of latent ‘roid rage?
Here’s the real deal with the haters and the Joba fist pump: Its because he’s a Yankee and has a great arm and might develop into a great starting pitcher. So they jump on anything they can to try to distract and derail his road to stardom…. that’s their entire agenda.
Make a big deal about the fist pumping, even though Papelbon does a 15 minute rain dance on the mound .. and K-Rod practically undresses the opposition with his pumping and pointing.. .its ridiculous.
But you have to see it for what it is. Desperate attempts by the many many many Yankee haters to try and negatively influence impressionable young Yankee talent.
“Where is this big age difference Francessa keeps talking about?”
Never let the facts get in a way of a talk show.
Christina,
If Jeter and Rivera really wanted it to stop, it would. So be extension, they probably don’t care.
If the players start getting hit as a result of Joba, then they will tell him to knock it off.
Until then, why should they? He is a great teammate (always the first one to congratulate a player after a HR or something and is always on the top step of the dugout watching the games) and is doing nothing wrong. They know he isin’t showing someone up.
Crazy thought. Assuming Melky continues his hitting tear for another month and bats over 320. Does he have a chance to be an all star this year? I see a Siezmore as a lock. Maybe a Hunter or Granderson.
Gammons? Does anyone (outside of Red Sox Nation) take anything he says seriously anymore?
Pat
Thank You! 3 months
I looked at some of the ages and knew Fran was way off.
I can’t listen to him very much anymore. He’s really went downhill fast – he’s a horse’s rear
I think the only “old” pitchers we have are Mo and Andy.
“mark my words that one day soon someone will charge the mound on joba – a guy like huff who would undoubtedly beat the junk out of joba.”
What possible justification would he have for charging the mound? Fist Pump does not equal Hitting a Batter, Dusting a Batter, Knocking Down a Batter…. C’mon.
Poor kid is damned if he does, damned if he doesn’t. If he pumps his fist, he’s showing someone up. If he doesn’t, the Yankees are flat and boring and should be more spunky and interesting like the Red Sox. Let him do his thing. He demonstrated yesterday that he can take it just as well as he can dish it out. Plus he collected himself and got the win, which is the most important thing (even though he should be in the bullpen
)
Because Joba isin’t doing anything wrong.
When Shelly Duncan had that dirty slide against Tampa in the ST game to retaliate for the Cervelli thing, his teammates talked to him about it and told him he was wrong.
The vets will not be afraid to speak up if they feel someone is out of line. And Joba did nothing wrong unless you live on a high horse.
SoS
We can’t even vote in our stars in most cases. Melky won’t be an All-star. Damon has a shot.
Gotta say, this whole fist pump is way overblown. Joba has been “expressing his enthusiasm” like this since his days at Nebraska, and probably before that, and it was never a topic of discussion then. I think that he is trying to establish himself in the mold of one of his mentors, Roger Clemens (minus the steroids) and wants to establish a presence that batters fear a little and I cannot blame him for the old school mentality of that. It’s a dying attitude among pitchers. If he is getting under the skin of his opponents a little (intentionally or not), then more power to him. While it is not football out there, it isn’t golf either.
“What possible justification would he have for charging the mound? Fist Pump does not equal Hitting a Batter, Dusting a Batter, Knocking Down a Batter…. C’mon.”
i meant for hitting the batter
Joba gets a little feisty, doesn’t give anybody the finger, and now all the Nerds are getting sweaty palms over the fist pump.
—————–
Funniest post of the day so far.
“Edwar. Now THERE’s a guy to be intimidated by if he throws you a high one. Maybe Millar mighta had a touch of latent ‘roid rage?”
Best part: Sterling now calls him “Eddie” Ramirez. Makes him 20 lbs heavier and throw 20 mph faster
“Gammons? Does anyone (outside of Red Sox Nation) take anything he says seriously anymore?”
Now, there’s a great question!
Gammons quote on Baseball Tonight yesterday was
“Joba has a lot of enemies in the American League because of his headhunting and dancing on the mound.”
Also later said he needs to tune it down and his teammates believe so as well.
“Aubrey Huff may be a “journeyman DH,” but he had better numbers than Arod last year.”
Arod- .302/.392/.573 35 Hrs 103 rbis 18 sb in *138 games*
Huff- .304/.360/.552 32 Hrs 108 rbis 4 sb in *154 games*
hmm..who did better….
When Joba figures out the first inning he’ll have a much better chance making it through the 7th consistently. This is going to be the next big part of his development. Once he gets there all that’s left is to continue to work efficiently and stretch his innings out over the next 2-3 years.
Francessa…really misses Maddog, who was able to be the idiot and make him look like the smart one.
Joba gets a little feisty, doesn’t give anybody the finger, and now all the Nerds are getting sweaty palms over the fist pump.
————————-
Funniest post of the day so far.
*********************
Make a big deal about the fist pumping, even though Papelbon does a 15 minute rain dance on the mound .. and K-Rod practically undresses the opposition with his pumping and pointing.. .
——————-
Its all tied up.
I wouldn’t be so quick to say Joba would get the junk beat out of him – I wouldn’t like to meet him under the O’Neill banner on a dark night. Not saying much though I wouldn’t want to meet Freddy Patek there either
the old sux have a injured 1b and 2b.. they are an aging team.. why doesn’t fatcessa say that???
papelbons excitement goes on for 5 seconds this fist pumping bs is bs…
why would any person with a brain hate joba? comes from a very poor background, is self made, loves to play, and is extremely talented…i forgot all the outrage over his drunk driving… sure if the sux stud got a drunk driving it would be a minor discretion or a youthful mistake…
joba if healthy has a chance to be an elite pitcher, that ain’t bad…..
I think that some of the Joba mania was brought on by the media. When he first came up and was so good out of the BP he was on ESPN highlights all the time . The fans worked into a frensy because of how dynamic he was. Alot of the hype is media driven and now they choose to use it against him.
I never heard much from the media when Manny would stand and admire HR, which was his way of showing up the pitcher.
There are so many cases of players showing emotion in baseball that hardly gets a mention.
Jeter does a fist pump after they win a game. Ever hear any thing said about that.
Is a curtain call showing up a pitcher?
All this Joba stuff is shear ignorance. It is more media driven than anything.
“i meant for hitting the batter”
OK, fair enough. But he didn’t hit Huff.
That’s the point. Huff over reacted and made a bit of a tool of himself. Huff gave a fist pump as he rounded 1st base and then gave the international sign of contempt at home plate, jamming his left fist into his right elbow and shootng up his right fist. That’s just a case of losing his cool and for what? It’s May and the O’s are out of it and they lost on top of that. Huff is the big loser here.
Joe I,
I don’t know if you’re being sarcastic or not. But, I’ve seen plenty of people (Yankee fans) say they would never miss any of his columns. But in recent years (post stroke), he’s lost (or just stopped trying) his objectivity. Talk about rose-colored glasses.
The sooner people accept that Joba’s not going to change, the better off they’ll be.
“Joba has a lot of enemies in the American League because of his headhunting and dancing on the mound.”
Translation, the Red Sox don’t like him. He’s only headhunted on Youkilis, and he last did his fist pump twirl against Boston. Gammons poor babies got their diapers dirty because of Joba, and he’s voicing their displeasure on ESPN. Why doesn’t Gammons just do his dream job, and fill in for Remy. Maybe he can be Boston’s PR guy.
I just had a mental picture of Joba doing a handstand in the mound after an inning. Quite hilarious.
SoS
We can’t even vote in our stars in most cases. Melky won’t be an All-star. Damon has a shot.
————-
Uncle Elseworth,
Not sure what you meant by we cant even vote in our stars? Do we resign Damon for next year if he continues to shine even though he is a glaring weakness in left?
“Gammons quote on Baseball Tonight yesterday was
“Joba has a lot of enemies in the American League because of his headhunting and dancing on the mound.”
Also later said he needs to tune it down and his teammates believe so as well.”
Why would any Yankee player say that to Gammons? Wouldn’t they just talk to Joba directly.
And “Joba’s mom sold me an 8ball”. That’s soft man. Lot’s of guys have family issues. If you are a Red Sox fan, then you know Pedroia’s.
Who cares what Huff say or does. Just another no name player on a last place team with nothing else to worry about. The 1st fist pump was fine who cares but the second one just really made him look stupid. It was more embarrassing himself in the 1st inning then trying to prove a point. It is not like it was the end of the game. He is the same idiot who said that Baltimore stinks(he used a different word).
seriously now, this is a story?
Joba can fist pump all he wants, Huff too. What do we want out there a bunch of drones?
Let them play the game for Pete’s sake, no pun intended.
Maybe Joba does the fist-pump because some Yankee fans don’t think he’s an exciting player?
Did you know that you’re not allowed to pump your own fist in New Jersey and Oregon?
“Francessa…really misses Maddog, who was able to be the idiot and make him look like the smart one.”
Martin and Lewis, Rowan and Martin, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. I rest my case.
“I don’t know if you’re being sarcastic or not. But, I’ve seen plenty of people (Yankee fans) say they would never miss any of his columns. But in recent years (post stroke), he’s lost (or just stopped trying) his objectivity. Talk about rose-colored glasses.
The sooner people accept that Joba’s not going to change, the better off they’ll be.”
Not being sarcastic. I apologize if it came out that way. If Gammons wasn’t on ESPN, I wouldn’t miss him. I still wouldn’t watch because Kruk, Phillips and the other clowns are still there. Pre-stroke Gammons was bad. Every time he mentioned a trade rumor, it wouldn’t happen. He was the trade killer.
The question I ask myself is that if it would annoy me of I rooted for another team… And I guess it would. I know papelbon annoys the he’ll out of me. But, if the guy is that good, and Joba is, then you really can’t say a darn thing.
When papelbon blows a game I’ll be the on the long line of people ready to rub it in his face. It makes it more interesting. As far as “The Yankee Way” those rules are outdated. Let them all have beards and shaggy hair for all I care. As long as they WIN
cc is 28, wang is 28, hughes is 22, joba is 23, coke is 27, bruney is 27, robertson is 23, melancon is 23 or 24, abeledajo is 26 or 27, veras is going to be 28 or 29, etc.. they may not be good but they are not old.
marte, pettitte, aj, and tomko are all over 30 that i really it out of guys who we will se on the big club this yr.
Kirk Gibson called Huff and said he has the copyrights to fist pumping around the bases.
I didnt read all the comments on this subject, so forgive me if I’m repeating someone else.
I really dont care what a player does to celebrate in the heat of the moment…and yes that includes non-Yankees players. But what Huff did was just silly. It was premeditated and it’s sole purpose was to show up the pitcher. I could live with the pump as he was rounding 1st base…but the one at home plate was bush.
Who watches ESPN anyway? MLB network is a hundred times better
Wow…I’m sorry to talk about this but when did Francessa become the gate keeper to how New York fans can act???
Also, he can’t stop talking about the Sawx pitchers, Lester, Beckett, Bucholtz…did he not see Lester get knocked around by the Rays and Bucholtz is in the minors who got sent down last year.
I really think Francessa is strating to get the Howard Stern treatment…people who like him listen for 10 minutes and people who don’t like him listen for 2 hours.
why do all of you listen to Francessa if you really hate him so much?
Which is sillier: a fist pump after an important strikeout, or the name Aubrey?
Yankees will win the World Series by trading for Huff’s bat midseason due to A-rod cracking his lips while kissing a picture.
“Kirk Gibson called Huff and said he has the copyrights to fist pumping around the bases.”
And he hit the HR against a guy who pointed at hitters when he struck him out. Funny that Gammons defended Eck’s actions last year on ESPN 1050 with Michael Kay when the Joba fist pump started. Of course Eck was with Boston and works for NESN now.
countryclub,
I wrote almost the exact same thing.
It’s one thing to show emotion, another to provoke.
SoS
Sometimes guys we want to vote in are not voted in. last year there was a concerted effort to get Giambi in that failed. Weather he deserved to be there is another issue.
Melky may not even be on the ballot.
Joe I,
Sorry, about that. We screen potential members of the fire gammons bandwagon.
The espn guys are insufferable because the Yankees are struggling. If and when they’re back on top, these guys will all pretend they were on the Yankee gravy train the whole time.
So Gammons was the guy gm’s used to float false rumor diversions?
Personally i dont care either way about the fist pumping. But for some reason this is getting out of hand. PPl here make it sound like Joba acts this way all the time, when in fact since hes become a starter again he does it rarely (or at least significantly less then when he was in the pen).
Pete i’d really like to thank you for partnering up with that redsox blog and getting all of this awesome opinions in here.
What a non-story. Next thing ya know, people will get upset at baseball players scratching themselves during the game
Imagine if Joba wore a kilt and did the river dance after big wins, now THAT would cause an apocalyptic moment over at ESPN,WFAN, etc. LOL
m,
No problem, and they still do float false rumor diversions to him. Even during the winter meetings, he would report stuff, and I’d wait, wait, wait, then it didn’t happen. Now, when he reports something, I look to see if anyone else has it before I believe it.
Really
is anyone credible these days?
Imagine if Joba wore a kilt and did the river dance after big wins, now THAT would cause an apocalyptic moment over at ESPN,WFAN, etc.
==================================
Well, that sure would be something to see.
Oh, maybe a leprechaun can join him while he does his dance?
“And “Joba’s mom sold me an 8ball”. That’s soft man. Lot’s of guys have family issues. If you are a Red Sox fan, then you know Pedroia’s.”
sorry you think its soft, whatever that means…. i actually created this righteous name in direct response some dude that posts as “pedroias brother lies little boys”
“Imagine if Joba wore a kilt and did the river dance after big wins, now THAT would cause an apocalyptic moment over at ESPN,WFAN, etc. LOL”
Or have some musicians (Bruce and E Street Band perhaps?) run onto the field and have an impromptu jam session with Joba/mini concert as celebration
1 – He plays 1B for the Orioles
2 – Orioles have finished in last place ONCE since the Wild Card format was implemented. Sure they suck, but that is not perennially last place. Tell you what is perennial, arrogant yankee fans and bloggers
Couple of questions Pete:
Didn’t the media make this a story? Are Huff or Joba talking about it after the game if they’re not being asked by the media types?
When did someone’s status as a baseball player or a team’s position in the standings become the standard for whether their opinion has any value?
“i actually created this righteous name in direct response some dude that posts as “pedroias brother lies little boys””
Well then, you are clearly the bigger man……asshat.
“Did you know that you’re not allowed to pump your own fist in New Jersey and Oregon?”
Ah, an allusion to the most ridiculous law. Ever.
When I was a new driver-1997-my first out-off-state gas pumping was a debacle. I sat in my car for 5 mins, waiting for the attendant to no avail. And they wonder why kids from Jersey are not-so-well-adjusted to the real world.
Ugh. I can’t believe it’s about the fist pump AGAIN.
For those dumb enough to actually care about this and say “well he shouldn’t do it when he’s given up 4 runs, blah blah blah”, at that point in the game, his team was down 1 run and he knew he needed to hold. He got out of an inning and was (GASP!!!) excited about it.
So Papelsmear and K-Fraud do it at the end of the game. That’s still not ‘showing up’ the batter? They do that ridiculous crap whether it’s a strike out or a pop out to end the game. But somehow, it’s only Joba that is a jackass for ‘showing up’ the batter?
It’s so friggin’ stupid that anyone is actually talking about this.
“So Papelsmear and K-Fraud do it at the end of the game. That’s still not ‘showing up’ the batter?”
I still think Papelbon’s 21 fistpump salute last night was out of pure relief that he didn’t have to face Longoria.
http://a323.yahoofs.com/ymg/ep.....BDvRGCU_Kf
No Joba’s clearly the first
Maybe if Joba wouldn’t fist-pump while he is losing. Looks kind of bush-league. Just sayin’.
“Topics like this is why I am finding it much harder to listen to Francesa/Kay.”
Great post. Couldn’t agree more.
Totally Agreed Pete, The Clowns on MASN talked about that Fist Pump for 9(nine) Innings strait. Even after they lost, thats all Rick Dempsey talked about in the post game. Clowns!
It is only a controversy when a Yankee does something, because of media wide Yankee Hate. It is so crystal clear that ESPN has complete and udder love for the Boston Red Sox, and I used to deny that claim all the time…
But Goodness, does Peter Gammons have Man Love for Kevin Youkliss or what? And the opening segment on sports center is always something about the GD Red Sox, and the closing highlight to last nights game was Pappelboner doing his fist pump action which not only looks awkward…. but is so stupid.
Whatever, the only thing that will shut the clowns up in ring #27…
“Well then, you are clearly the bigger man……asshat.”
yeah… you can go ahead and blow me
“So Papelsmear and K-Fraud do it at the end of the game. That’s still not ‘showing up’ the batter? They do that ridiculous crap whether it’s a strike out or a pop out to end the game. But somehow, it’s only Joba that is a jackass for ‘showing up’ the batter?”
How hard is this to understand? Before Joba was called up Yankees fans regularly complained about K-Rod and Papelbon doing it. Are you denying this? Now Yankees fans are pretending they never cared about it in the first place and it’s just Joba being emotional. Prior to him coming up, it was “classless” for K-Rod to spin off the mound. The lack of consistency is what people are pointing out. No one is saying Joba can’t celebrate, it’s just funny to see Yankees fans complaining about it now. It’s like you punching someone in the face and complaining when you get punched back.
We agree Pete. People need to stop grab assing with this crap already. If you can do it in football and other sports why not baseball?
Does anyone think any of the Yankees care what Joba does, as long as he wins?
The fist pump thing is a moment of excitement on a team full of primadonnas.
This team needs more excitemnt and more emotion. I’d rather have fist pumps and journeymen making fun of the fist pump than the zombies that have been playing in Yankee uniforms.
Sport and Athletics should have emotion attached to it. Otherwise, why (as fans) should we care about them, if they don’t care about the game or the situation.
Great post Pete!
Said it before and I’ll say it again, if he was on any other team, you wouldn’t hear a peep about this.
“The more you watch guys like Papelbon and K-Rod jump around after getting three outs, the more you appreciate the dignity of Mariano Rivera. Unfortunately, he’s the anomaly these days.”
Right from this very blog. Does Joba not have dignity or have the feelings about celebrating suddenly changed?
Well stated – I don’t get this controversy. They fist pump in golf… GOLF!!! You’re telling me that baseball is less exciting than GOLF????!!!
PETE— start a new thread ASAP about ANYTHING else. This is such a non-topic to me. I don’t give a rats butt who yells and pumps fists and who does it with quiet grace and class…. just get it done.
Have they moved Berroa yet?
“Aubrey Huff may be a “journeyman DH,” but he had better numbers than Arod last year.”
I don’t know if someone else already pointed it out, but this is patently untrue. Despite fewer games and PAs, A-Rod was on par with Huff’s counting stats and bettered his OBP, Slugging, OPS, wOBA, etc. Factor position and defense into this equation, and Rodriguez was 42% more valuable than Huff in 2008. (27MM vs. 19MM)
BLOG POST OF THE YEAR!!!!!!
Alex is clearly a superior player, but I’ve always liked aubrey Huff as a hitter. He’s not great, but he’s pretty darn good. I thought the second pump was a bit much, but the best reaction was the eight 2/3 shutout innings that followed.
So what Pete’s saying is that Joba is comparable with Papelbon and Francisco Rodriguez. What’s not clear is whether we’re talking about 3 guys guilty of chronic asshattery or 3 young pitchers who play the game with a certain emotional exhuberance.
“1 – He plays 1B for the Orioles”
True, assuming you are using the term “plays 1B” loosely, because Huff has been brutal & is on track for a -21.3 UZR/150 after 30 starts. Nice catch on your part though.
In Pete’s defense, Huff has historically played a great deal of DH. In fact, he has already “played” more games at 1B this year than all of last year.
Oh Really? – Pete’s discussing the media treatment of Joba and the two other pitchers. Here’s exactly what he wrote…
“Jonathan Papelbon does it. Francisco Rodriguez does it. Yet for some reason there is no controversy about them. Why is that?”
*This* is the issue. And it’s an excellent question, one that I think Yankee fans know the answer to, especially when Gammons is leading the charge.
“[J]ourneyman DH”? That’s more than a little uncharitable, Pete.
I don’t know, Pete. Handstands can’t be too good for the shoulders.
Brilliant Post.
Ok, I am tired of this debate about the fist pumping. Everyone has had an opportunity to express their opinion at least twice. Now let’s hope we play better against Toronto than we have against Boston and Tampa. Aubrey Huff will get his somewhere down the line. Mark my words.
I cannot wait till joba figures out the first inning. By this time next year he might be the third or second man in the rotation.
Alex: You miss the point of my post. My post was not about whether or not Pap/K-Rod do it, but why Joba is the only one that is ‘called out’ for it.
Whether I believe it’s ridiculous or not, there is a media (read: ESPN) bias that says Joba is showing up a batter when he does it, but those two clowns aren’t when they do it, just because it’s at the end of a game.
This is the last time I’m going to write about this, because it’s a ridiculous topic to begin with: If he were to do at the end of an inning where he gave up runs, or if the team were getting blown out, then I could see why some might find it particularly stupid. But those that have an issue with it here have used the reasoning of ‘he shouldn’t do it when he’s losing’. Well, if it were a 1-0 game, then it’s still not okay to be hyped about a strike out? He’d still be losing. It was a 4-3 game at that point, not 4-0. That IS a different situation.
Whether I think they should all do it or not is not the issue to me. The issue is, ESPN and the other media clowns are talking about Joba doing it, and they don’t talk about anyone else (starters included) doing it.
” Jonathan Papelbon does it. Francisco Rodriguez does it. Yet for some reason there is no controversy about them. Why is that? ”
Gee, I don’t know. Maybe it’s because those two players you’re comparing him to are closers and do it when they’re closing out a game they’ve won instead of in the middle of a game where their team is losing?
If Baltimore takes notice of Joba being a jackass, no doubt the rest of the league does too.
Sarah -
John Smoltz does it as well. It’s not only closers who get pumped up after striking someone out or getting a big double play, or whatever. Sabathia was struggling on Opening Day, got a big double play grounder that temporarily stopped the bleeding, and also did the fist-pumping. Yet, interestingly enough, nobody cared.
For some reason, it’s only when Joba does it that people care. I don’t know why he is held to some standard that nobody else is held to.
• Does anybody really care what the Baltimore Orioles and Aubrey Huff think about Joba? It’s a perennial last-place team and a journeyman DH. That they are so concerned about Joba pretty much explains why they are in last place. Memo to the O’s: You lost the game.
memo to pete- those awful O’s were a game back of your expensive yanks heading into that game. you might wanna take note of them, as the yanks are closer to them in the standings than the Jays or Sox.
• Jonathan Papelbon does it. Francisco Rodriguez does it. Yet for some reason there is no controversy about them. Why is that?
papelbon and k-rod do it when they close out a game, not after giving up 4 in the first en route to an L.
I see nothing wrong with Joba showing emotion. Why can Papelscum do a fist pump and not only that sometimes he throws in a ridiculous dance too. Maybe its because he’s a rookie people have a problem with it? I like that he has emotion. He’s different from some players. He’s got a spark to him
Joba doesn’t bat so he can drill Huff. Joba celebrates, so did Huff.
People don’t get it. Papelbon and K-Rod celebrate after WINS.
Did you ever see them celebrate after blowing a save and then striking out the side? Joba celebrated while his team was losing. He gave up 4 runs.
I still prefer the way Mo acts, calm and cool.
Good post, Pete. This ‘fist pump’ story is really tiresome and is ungoing only because Joba is a Yankee. The other guys do it and don’t get flack for it. The reason my daughter does not like the Yankees because when Jeter was younger he always did a fist pump somewhere along the way. As a matter of fact, a small picture of him doing that was on the Yankee home page for a while this year. I have always liked to see him do it because it showed he wanted to win. And so does Joba.
To ALL those posters who are referring to the BoSox 4/5/09 (I score all Joba’s games) He gave up 5 hits and 4 runs in the first inning. In innings 2 and 3 he face only 6 batters, striking out 4. Until he was taken out only one batter got to 2nd and he still struck out the side. No one scored on him after the first inning and he recorded 12 strike outs and KEPT his team in the game. It was the bullpen who gave up the rest of the runs.
Yes, they lost the game but any baseball fan has to marvel at a pitcher who was able to buckle down and pitch that many strikeouts and keep the team scoreless the rest of the innings. Ideally he would not have given up those first four runs. But he showed the promise of a future ace with those strikeouts. He was shutting down the hated Red Sox and he was celebrating because of the emotion of that fact. Didn’t you see the game, for hecks sake?? He was on a roll when he was taken out because of pitch count – he already had 2 SO’s and the reliever got the 3rd out to end the inning.
Joba is the real thing. As long as he keeps healthy we will see a lot of Joba this year and in the future. In a couple of games he has got batters to hit into double plays. He started one himself.
And give it a rest about his family. It has nothing to do with his ability to pitch or fist pump. You are showing your ignorance by doing so.
quality post jeterjobafan. here’s my highlights…
“I have always liked to see him do it because it showed he wanted to win.”
get that cashman? more fistpumpers. those guy’s want to win more than all other players who don’t fistpump.
“He was shutting down the hated Red Sox and he was celebrating because of the emotion of that fact. Didn’t you see the game, for hecks sake??”
looks like you were the one not watching jeterjobafan. joba was acting like a fool to finish out the first inning. you know, before the 12 K’s and right after giving up the deciding runs in the game. remind me again what joba’s done in his career to warrant such self aggrandizing.
hey, we may be below .500 and in 4th place, but boy do our boys shake a mean fistpump.
That is the essential question that we must all ask ourselves. ,