A new controversy is surrounding the Chicago White Sox, one of the top teams in MLB so far and holder of the best record in the American League to this point.
On May 17, with his team up 15-4 in the ninth inning, Yermin Mercedes, the White Sox’s designated hitter this season, belted a solo home run to take the score to 16-4.
Yermin Mercedes – Chicago White Sox (6) pic.twitter.com/4Ig4e1sTuK
— MLB HR Videos (@MLBHRVideos) May 18, 2021
The Minnesota Twins had sent Willians Astudillo, a position player, to the mound to complete the game without ‘burning’ the bullpen.
After Monday’s game, Twins’ manager Rocco Baldelli had stated he was ‘surprised’ to see Mercedes swing with the outcome of the game virtually decided and in a 3-0 count.
Rocco Baldelli said given the context of the game, he was surprised to see Yermín Mercedes swing on a 3-0 pitch in Monday’s game. #MNTwins
— danhayesmlb (@DanHayesMLB) May 18, 2021
But it was Tony La Russa, the White Sox’s manager, that blasted his own player for being ‘clueless’ about baseball’s unwritten rules.
La Russa on Mercedes: "The fact that he's a rookie and excited helps explain why he just was clueless. But now he's got a clue."
— Jesse Rogers (@JesseRogersESPN) May 18, 2021
By breaking that ‘rule’, which is more of an old-timers way to say that you should stop trying to be competitive when the score is lopsided, La Russa implied that he would punish Mercedes somehow.
Mercedes said prior to Tuesday’s game against the Twins, a day after the incident, that he wouldn’t change the way he plays.
Yermin Mercedes today before La Russa spoke: “I’m going to play my game. I can’t be another person. If I change, everything is going to change.”
— Jesse Rogers (@JesseRogersESPN) May 18, 2021
During Tuesday’s game, Twins reliever Tyler Duffey was ejected after throwing behind Mercedes, presumably in retaliation for Monday’s homer.
After Tuesday’s game, La Russa shockingly said he didn’t have problems with the way the Twins handled the situation.
"I don't have a problem with how the Twins handled that."
White Sox Manager Tony La Russa gave his thoughts on Twins Pitcher Tyler Duffey being tossed from tonight's game after he threw a pitch behind Yermin Mercedes.
(via @NBCSWhiteSox) pic.twitter.com/9iGYXaY51n
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) May 19, 2021
There are several reasons why La Russa is wrong here, but we’ll name three.
3. Yermin Mercedes Has to Pad His Stats Whenever Possible
MLB is a business, and players, sooner or later, get paid judging by their performance.
When Mercedes is in arbitration, or is negotiating a free agent deal, stats and totals will come to light, and these negotiations often get ugly.
It’s his responsibility as a competitor, and as a man trying to secure the best possible payday for him and his family, to give his best every time he steps on the batter’s box, no matter the score.
La Russa won’t pay the bucks Mercedes stands to lose if he stops trying when games are seemingly ‘over’, winning or losing.
That home run will go to Mercedes’ stat total, and it wasn’t wrong: he was just doing his job.
2. Unwritten Rules are Outdated and Often Make no Sense
Baseball’s so-called ‘unwritten rules’ often make no sense whatsoever.
If players are paid to play to the best of their abilities, why should they stop trying?
It is perceived that swinging the bat and trying to score runs in that situation could be seen as offensive to the other team, but that makes no sense.
It’s MLB, the best league in the world, and as some players have stated: if you don’t want the other team to score runs off you, be better.
If you don’t things to get ugly score-wise, don’t use a position player as a pitcher and certainly don’t put someone with a 47-mph fastball.
These ‘rules’ also condemn people swinging when the count is 3-0, which doesn’t make sense either.
There is no reason to see that as offensive.
1. La Russa Failed to Back His Own Player
Perhaps the most evident reason why La Russa is evidently wrong is that he threw his own player under the bus.
He publicly reprimanded him and exposed him as a dishonorable player when he didn’t do anything wrong.
La Russa, by saying that he had no issues with the way the Twins ‘handled’ the situation, basically said it was fine for them to hit Mercedes when all he did was play baseball.
La Russa is an accomplished manager with multiple World Series titles, but he has no business in the modern game.
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