Everyone looked at this game and said it could possibly be one of the best pitching duels this year. It certainly was one of the best matchups pitting two Cy Young candidates in Justin Verlander of the Detroit Tigers and Jered Weaver of the Los Angeles Angels against each other. The game was all fans had hoped it to be and more. The two pitchers allowed only a combined 5 hits and 3 earned runs.
The big story after the game was Verlander taking a no-hit bid into the 8th inning coming within 4 outs of what would have been his 3rd career no-no. However, what has been gaining momentum on all the talking head shows on ESPN the day after is the “unwritten” rules that were broken in the game. The first being when Tigers second basemen Carlos Guillen hit what turned out to be a crucial homerun in the 7th inning but then proceeded to stare at Weaver and gloat all the way down the first base line. It was obvious Weaver was upset as Guillen finished his trot and most people seem to agree that what he did was way over the top.
Weaver apparently felt so too as he threw his next pitch at catcher Alex Avila’s head and was then immediately thrown out by home plate umpire Hunter Wendelstedt. Weaver didn’t go quietly as he went off the mound screaming at what seemed to be umpires and Tigers alike.
Wendelstedt and his crew tried to keep the peace as tempers were flaring throughout the rest of the game particularly when Angels shortstop Erick Aybar tried to bunt his way on in the 8th inning to end Verlander’s no-hit bid and the surprised pitcher ended up throwing it away and letting Aybar reach second. Verlander stared down Aybar on his way back to the mound and later after the game called the play “bush league” for not trying to get a hit straight up.
Ok look, here’s my opinion: there are no “unwritten” rules in any sport, just the ones each league has in the rule book. It is ridiculous to expect any player on another team act accoding to how you think they should act just because your on the verge of accomplishing something. The game was still within reach at the time (it was 3-0) and Aybar’s job is to do anything he can to help his team win, not to help Verlander get a no-hitter.
In the end the Tigers held on to win and better heads prevailed thanks to Wendelstedt and his crew but they almost didn’t for the simple fact that other players did not act according to how the starting pitchers wanted them to act. Verlander and Weaver need to realize that the playoff race is heating up and whatever doesn’t get them fined or suspended is in play to help get wins.
