Quit Crying and Play Ball

By: Angie Wiatrowski

Teammates are going to fight every now and then; it’s a known fact. However it just seems to me that Orlando Cabrera is searching for too much attention when things don’t go his way. It doesn’t matter if it takes some crying to the press box for giving him an error or having a temper tantrum in the dugout.

Twice this season Cabrera has called the press box to complain about errors, once at US Cellular Field and again in Toronto. Unbelievable. How old are we? This isn’t little league. The scorekeeper knows what he’s doing and I highly doubt he’s out to get Cabrera. Apparently he declined to speak to other White Sox beat reporters and told the Tribune,

“If it happens again, I will call again. I don’t have to do it with other teams because they always had my back. They don’t want to do it here; I can take care of my own business. If you have a problem with what I did, come to me and say something. Don’t go to the media to send a message, because he didn’t send any message.”

So, according to Cabrera the other scorekeepers will lie for him? Either way it’s completely childish and ridiculous.

Now there is some controversy between Cabrera and teammate Jermaine Dye. During Dye’s at-bat on Wednesday, Cabrera stole third base, which apparently distracted Dye causing him to strike out, and jeopardizing the rally. Dye apparently said something to Cabrera in the dugout after he scored which set off some sparks. Cabrera starting yelling at Dye and had to be restrained by Jose Contreras. Granted, we don’t now what Dye said but I still think the temper tantrum was unnecessary. Ozzie doesn’t seem to mind conflict however. Ozzie told the Chicago Sun-Times,

“I don’t want good guys, I want (bleep)ing winners. Good guys finish last.”

What happened to ‘Good Guys Wear Black’ Ozzie? Either way, I don’t think it’s a matter of good guys and bad guys. You don’t have to be a bad ass to play baseball.

The Sun-Times also reported today that Cabrera met with Ozzie because the Sox’ initial perception of Cabrera was that he was selfish and had no desire to interact with his new teammates. I don’t think much has changed, and it may never change. It’s time to grow up and just play ball.

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Angie Wiatrowski is a journalism student at Columbia College Chicago and has been an active journalist since freshman year of high school. She attended Minooka Community High school, where she was the Special Features editor for the school newspaper. She was born and raised around baseball and is a diehard Chicago White Sox fan. Also, check out her blog.

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2 Comments

  1. I think that’s what makes sports — baseball in particular — so much fun; some silliness, childishness even.

    When I was a broadcaster, you wouldn’t believe some of the trivial things players and coaches would complain about, either games or broadcasts. I think one of the most memorable and entertaining times in my life was broadcasting Frontier League Baseball just because of all the goofy stuff that would happen. I remember a couple guys who were notoriously late, and the players would get pissed off while waiting on the bus. Finally, some guys on the team told the bus driver to leave them at the hotel during a road trip near St. Louis. So the bus driver says, “There’s an old Indian sayin’… f**k ‘em!” And you could see the two guys running behind the bus… it was great.

    That summer just totally endorsed every idiotic moment in Bull Durham and Major League. And it just makes for great stories — like Cabrera’s antics.

    Comment by Den Cotton on July 11, 2008

  2. That’s hysterical, i think Cabrera has something like that coming at him. I wouldn’t be surprised if he started showing up late, he disappears right after the games

    Comment by Angie Wiatrowski on July 11, 2008

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