Post by seaver41 on Sept 6, 2007 19:22:12 GMT -5
canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5j78Z-UlUG35DXgAEzPzzHm4JdqEQ
A true statement with a selfish motivation. He is right, the umpiring has been lousy all year. But where was Chipper when Glavine, Smoltz, and Maddux were getting 6 inches off the plate? Was that lousy umpiring? Probably not because his team was benefiting from it.
He did something like this earlier. He complained how the Braves had to play Cleveland, Detroit, and Boston in interleague, and even use the Mets' schedule to prove how unfair it was. He was right but I don't remember him saying anything when the Braves were playing the Royals, Devil Rays, or some other crappy AL team while other teams in the division or league had a tougher IL schedule.
ATLANTA (AP) — Not long after the Atlanta Braves lost for the 10th time in 14 games, Chipper Jones had some choice words for home plate umpire Rick Reed.
The Braves struck out six times in a 5-2 loss to Philadelphia on Tuesday night, continuing their descent in the NL East. Jones hit a solo homer in the fourth and accounted for another RBI in the fifth when he walked with the bases loaded. He did not strike out in the game, but his at-bat against Phillies starter Kyle Lohse in the fifth made him furious.
"The first pitch to me with the bases loaded was in my batter's box, inside," Jones told reporters after the game. "Now you tell me how I'm supposed to hit that. We have to get Questec here in this ballpark. We've got to. Umpires have got to be held accountable. That's Little League World Series stuff right there."
Jones, the 1999 NL MVP, was hardly pleased to see the two hitters in front of him, Willie Harris and Kelly Johnson, both pop up in the infield, and the batter behind him, Mark Teixeira, ground out. But he simply couldn't make sense of his own at-bat in the fifth.
Jones, who began the night with a .328 average that ranked sixth, didn't think Reed's crew gave the Braves a fair chance.
"It's a joke," Jones said. "I'm tired of it. And baseball can fine me whatever they want. I do not care. Somebody's got to say something. I've got more walks than strikeouts in my career - I know what a strike looks like."
The Braves, who went 1-for-6 with runners in scoring position, showed more frustration in the ninth.
With Andruw Jones on first and no outs, Yunel Escobar failed to check a third-strike swing before his bat crossed the plate against Phillies closer Brett Myers.
Braves manager Bobby Cox jogged out of the dugout to argue with first base umpire Alfonso Marquez and protect the emotions of Escobar, who was visibly upset. In less than one minute, the manager turned his back and walked to the dugout. As Cox was stepping into the dugout, Marquez ejected Braves reserve catcher Brayan Pena for arguing balls and strikes.
"You're going to see frustration from now on as long as the officiating is abysmal," Chipper Jones said. "Major League Baseball ought to be ashamed. It's abysmal. It's awful. Not all of them but some of them. It's awful."
Cox was less animated when he spoke to reporters. Jones was interviewed after Cox's post-game session, and the manager wasn't available for comment after his third baseman talked.
"We really have to start capitalizing with some men on base," Cox said. "We just didn't do it."
Added right fielder Jeff Francoeur, "We can't put a streak together to save our lives."
The Braves struck out six times in a 5-2 loss to Philadelphia on Tuesday night, continuing their descent in the NL East. Jones hit a solo homer in the fourth and accounted for another RBI in the fifth when he walked with the bases loaded. He did not strike out in the game, but his at-bat against Phillies starter Kyle Lohse in the fifth made him furious.
"The first pitch to me with the bases loaded was in my batter's box, inside," Jones told reporters after the game. "Now you tell me how I'm supposed to hit that. We have to get Questec here in this ballpark. We've got to. Umpires have got to be held accountable. That's Little League World Series stuff right there."
Jones, the 1999 NL MVP, was hardly pleased to see the two hitters in front of him, Willie Harris and Kelly Johnson, both pop up in the infield, and the batter behind him, Mark Teixeira, ground out. But he simply couldn't make sense of his own at-bat in the fifth.
Jones, who began the night with a .328 average that ranked sixth, didn't think Reed's crew gave the Braves a fair chance.
"It's a joke," Jones said. "I'm tired of it. And baseball can fine me whatever they want. I do not care. Somebody's got to say something. I've got more walks than strikeouts in my career - I know what a strike looks like."
The Braves, who went 1-for-6 with runners in scoring position, showed more frustration in the ninth.
With Andruw Jones on first and no outs, Yunel Escobar failed to check a third-strike swing before his bat crossed the plate against Phillies closer Brett Myers.
Braves manager Bobby Cox jogged out of the dugout to argue with first base umpire Alfonso Marquez and protect the emotions of Escobar, who was visibly upset. In less than one minute, the manager turned his back and walked to the dugout. As Cox was stepping into the dugout, Marquez ejected Braves reserve catcher Brayan Pena for arguing balls and strikes.
"You're going to see frustration from now on as long as the officiating is abysmal," Chipper Jones said. "Major League Baseball ought to be ashamed. It's abysmal. It's awful. Not all of them but some of them. It's awful."
Cox was less animated when he spoke to reporters. Jones was interviewed after Cox's post-game session, and the manager wasn't available for comment after his third baseman talked.
"We really have to start capitalizing with some men on base," Cox said. "We just didn't do it."
Added right fielder Jeff Francoeur, "We can't put a streak together to save our lives."
A true statement with a selfish motivation. He is right, the umpiring has been lousy all year. But where was Chipper when Glavine, Smoltz, and Maddux were getting 6 inches off the plate? Was that lousy umpiring? Probably not because his team was benefiting from it.
He did something like this earlier. He complained how the Braves had to play Cleveland, Detroit, and Boston in interleague, and even use the Mets' schedule to prove how unfair it was. He was right but I don't remember him saying anything when the Braves were playing the Royals, Devil Rays, or some other crappy AL team while other teams in the division or league had a tougher IL schedule.
