Yasiel Puig Needs to Shut His Mouth

He's arrogant, but he's good.  Or maybe it's 'he's good, but he's arrogant.'  Bryce Harper was sent down during spring training when he was first coming up because he was emotionally unfit to handle life in The Show. Yasiel Puig hasn't been shown the door in similar fashion, but that's probably because the Dodgers desperately need him to crawl back into the playoff picture.

Anyone who is going to sit there and argue Puig is not a good player is off their rocker.  Puig is an unbelievable player who hit just under .500 in his first 100 major league at-bats.  He throws guys out from the warning track. He's good.

By now I'm sure everyone has seen the video of him running into Diamondbacks catcher Miguel Montero at home plate from a game in early July.  Is it a huge deal? No.  But its a concrete example of how instead of playing a hard-nosed style, he just plays like a punk.  He blatantly ignores the third base coach Larry Bowa, and tries to score when he had no shot.  He doesn't slide and he doesn't try to bowl over Montero, instead he just leans in and tries to give him a forearm shiver. Poor move.

Montero, and a few other members of the D-backs organization have expressed their displeasure with the Dodgers standout.  Luis Gonzalez, a D-backs legend after he helped them win the World Series in 2001, approached Puig after a game and spoke to him in Spanish about his background and the game, but Puig did not once acknowledge Gonzalez's presence.  What does Puig say to all the haters?

“That’s my game,” Puig said Thursday. “I’m going to play my baseball the way I play. We don’t like the way [Gerardo] Parra plays or the way Montero plays, but we don’t go to the press or anybody and talk about how we don’t like it, because we’re more reserved.”

Wait...so you don't go to the media, per the quote from said media? Okay, got it.

However, there is one thing I agree that Puig said after those comments.

“I learned to play that way as a kid,” he said. “I always like to play aggressive and always try to put on a show for the fans. They come to spend their time and lose sleep watching us play. It is one, to me, of the more emotional things in baseball.”

Can't hate that mentality.  But if it leads you to think that you're bigger than the game, you're doing something wrong.  Oh, and leave it Jay-Z to sit back and inflate the 22-year-old's ego by attempting to lure him to his joke of an agency Roc Nation Sports.

Carlos Quentin Charges Zack Greinke, Breaks His Collarbone

Tensions boiled over in San Diego on Thursday night.  Dodgers pitcher Zack Greinke plunked Padres outfielder Carlos Quentin in the elbow during the bottom of the sixth inning, and Quentin was none too happy about that.

Benches cleared as Quentin bull-rushed Greinke, actually breaking the pitcher's collarbone in the process.  According to Quentin, he was pushed over the edge when Greinke said something to him as he was instructed to take his base.

"That was the final straw," Quentin said, although what was actually said between the two in unknown.

Dodgers catcher A.J. Ellis wrapped up Quentin and took him down as the mob moved in.  Along with the enraged batter and "instigating" pitcher -- as the umpires officially ruled it -- Matt Kemp and Jerry Hairston Jr. were ejected from the contest.  Kemp and Hairston came into the pile of players and, according to Dodgers manager Don Mattingly, when Kemp learned that Greinke suffered an injury, he "kind of lost it."

The Dodgers would eventually win the game 3-2, but although the game ended, there were still scores that needed to be settled.  In a hallway between the two clubhouses, Kemp and Quentin met face to face and had a not-so-friendly exchange, which had to be broken up by teammates.  As the two were separated, the last thing said from Kemp was a loud, "we'll see..."

The two teams will square off again in Los Angeles on Monday.  There has been no word on suspensions or fines yet from the altercations.

Shredder Making Plays

It seems the entire baseball world is talking about the blockbuster trade between the Red Sox and the Dodgers, but one guy keeps falling by the wayside.

With three of the four players moving from Boston to Los Angeles being Adrian Gonzalez, Josh Beckett and Carl Crawford, its sort of understandable that no one would be quick to mention Nick Punto, but if he's making plays like this, maybe his name will start popping up more.  I mean, the guy was a starter for the World Champion Cardinals last year.

The range he shows in this play is unbelievable.  I've watched it time and time again, and I still don't know where that speed comes from to catch up to that ball.  He has no business being there, and saves what could have been a big early run for the Marlins.  Love it.  Shredder's going to play great ball no matter who he plays for.

Not In Favor of Replay, But Something Needs to be Done About MLB Umpires

As expanded replay is being heavily considered in the game of baseball, the umpires sure are making a great case for its approval.

A new expanded replay system is being tested using camera and radar-based technologies to identify the truth behind fair or foul calls, and can even conclude whether a player is out or safe at first base.  Many are opposed to the new system, allowing human error to be a part of the game.  But a little too much leeway has been given of late, and maybe its time for a change.

“It would take a lot less time to go look at a replay than to go out and argue a call,” Mets manager Terry Collins said, “so why not get it right?”

It has been an issue for years, but this season, it seems like now more than ever Major League umpires are attempting to take over the game of baseball, exercising their will over games with idiotic calls and quick ejections.  And there are plenty of examples to back this up.

Does anyone remember the call made in early May by umpire Tim Welke during a Dodgers-Rockies game at first base?  Rockies first baseman Todd Helton picked the ball as Jerry Hairston Jr came across the bag, but the problem was, Helton was a good four feet off the bag.  Misfortune befell the Dodgers again on Thursday when Angel Campos tossed Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp for, as Kemp says, saying "let's go 'Dre" to Andre Ethier who was at the plate. (Listen to the video, you can tell Kemp doesn't say anything worthy of getting sent packing, yet Campos tosses one of the best players in baseball in the second inning because he can.)

Not enough evidence for you?  Alright, we'll keep going.  That same Thursday afternoon, A's pitcher Brandon McCarthy came off the front of the mound to make a nice sliding catch on a popped-up bunt, but home plate umpire Laz Diaz immediately ruled it a trap.  You can watch the video a million times, in no way does that even look like a trap based on how his glove is turned and how the ball landed in there.

Fine, but just one more.  Friday night, during the Orioles-Tigers game.  Jhonny Peralta grounds a ball to third, rookie sensation Manny Machado throws a laser to first baseman Mark Reynolds who, after watching the replay multiple times, makes an amazing tip-toe-on-the-bag diving pick for the out.  But then the impossible happens.  The umpires reversed the call.  They reverse an out call at first base.  Can that even happen?  Reynolds slams his glove down, and the second base umpire, feeling neglected that no one is yelling at him, immediately takes action, giving Reynolds the hook.

In all of these instances, expanded replay would help tremendously.  Umpires wouldn't be calling ridiculous strikes that are practically in the other batter's box, they wouldn't get a simple 5-3 putout horribly wrong and act like they're omniscient when someone argues.  I am adamantly opposed to expanded replay, but if this is what we're in for with Major League umpires for the remainder of this year and the future, something needs to be done.  And fast.

Vin Scully Attempts to Read Jim Tracy's Lips, Nails It

An average game for the Los Angeles Dodgers can always be made better by listening to announcer Vin Scully.

When Rockies outfielder Dexter Fowler made a diving catch originally ruled an out, the umpires put their heads together and reversed the call, declaring Fowler trapped the ball.

Rockies manager Jim Tracy came storming out of the dugout to have a few words with the umps, and using his best lip-reading skills, Scully attempts to deliver the conversation in a more G-rated format.

How Exactly Does This Happen? Jerry Hairston Throws Ball Backwards, Into Stands

Few things are as frustrating as making an error in a baseball game, but when it happens like this, well, that's rock bottom.

Dodgers outfielder Jerry Hairston loses control of the ball while trying to transfer it to this throwing hand, and into the stands it goes.  How a major league player can mess up something like that is beyond me, but it makes for a good blooper.