Melky Cabrera has a thriving, costumed fan base at AT&T Park. But they aren’t so fond of him at Turner Field.
And that goes for more than just Braves fans.
“That’s Melky, and that’s why he’s not here anymore,” said Braves third baseman Chipper Jones, asked about Cabrera’s body language at several junctures in the Giants’ 9-4, 11-inning victory Wednesday night.
“He got a little happy when I think (Gregor) Blanco hit the home run. That won’t be forgotten.”
Cabrera, who had been intentionally walked in the 11th inning, appeared to make a motion with his hands near his groin region after Blanco’s three-run homer broke the game open. (It’s a pelvis-thrusting celebratory move that Cabrera and Blanco have done on many occasions earlier in the year.)
Earlier in the game and the series, Cabrera taunted fans in the left field seats when he pretended to throw baseballs to them. He also made a hand gesture in the sixth inning when Jason Heyward didn’t try to tag from second base on a fly ball to deep left field.
It probably wasn’t a coincidence when Braves reliever Eric O’Flaherty went up and in and put Cabrera in the dirt in the eighth inning. Cabrera smiled as he rose to his feet.
Tim Hudson, never one to shy away from exacting justice over his career, is pitching for the Braves on Thursday. Cabrera probably won’t get too comfortable in the batter’s box.
Repoz
Posted: July 19, 2012 at 05:46 AM |
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1. Walks Clog Up the Bases Posted: July 19, 2012 at 10:28 AM (#4186892)“He got a little happy when I think (Gregor) Blanco hit the home run. That won’t be forgotten.”
Whoopee doo, tough guy.
Baseball players are babies.
Well, you can't really expect a guy who insists on being called "Chipper" to act like a mature, grown man.
I am not sure why this move isn't known as the "Derek Lowe".
Happy to see Gregor Blanco having a nice run in SF. He was a fun player to have around.
I'm not sure how this is difficult.
Chipper Jones' HOF baseball career stands on its own merits.
Chipper Jones is a loudmouth who cheated on his wife.
Hasn't he been married to a different woman for a decade now?
Well, sure. Not only that, he was like 14 years old or whatever when it all went down 100 years ago.
But still true, and still worthy of poking Sam in the eye with for laughs.
Stop looking in the mirror then.
Not worth Chipper's ire, let alone a ball to the earhole, but from those descriptions it sounds like Melky was acting like a bit of a dick.
I suspect this plays a large, unspoken role in Chipper's anger. The, "Why the #### couldn't you play even a little bit like this when you were here" factor is involved. And the piece says vague, unsubstantiated things about Melky quarreling with Bobby Cox. I have to imagine those quarrels (and I'm just speculating here) were at least partially about Melky's weight and lack of effort in addressing it.
So, yeah, I'm willing to believe that Chipper, a frontrunner in the 21st century Bob Feller contest, is being overly sensitive here (I "watched" the game on MLB Gameday, so I can't really say). On the other hand, there's a special ring of hell for Melky Cabrera.
I wouldn't say Chipper is an idiot, more like a whining little queen who needs to learn to man up.
That can't be, Cox is the greatest manager of all time, and all of his players loved him to death. At least that is what Braves fans have told me for years. Personally Chipper is picking up the whining sack void in the Braves dugout since Bobby left.
He had done the "groin" gesture before. And here's the gif of him encouraging Heyward to try to take third on him. He was hearing it from the crown in LF all night so he got a little cocky. Not a big deal.
I didn't say it was a big deal. But as someone who's never been a fan of taunting, I'll stick with "bit of a dick." YMMV.
This was a giant sin...get it right.
Ah ah ah, yeah, yeah yeah...
It's the 7th inning and I don't see any HBP in the box score. I guess the Braves don't play "baseball".
Melky Cabrera has shot past Bret Boone and Jason Marquis to become my least favorite ex-Brave. I can't believe the guy has the gall to act like that when he lazed his way through an entire season in Atlanta, giving at best minimal effort and making Andruw Jones look like Adonis.
EDIT: Maybe putting up "highlights" from his Braves season, on the jumbotron, every time he comes to bat?
Calling in a bomb threat to his favorite club on a weekend night.
It has been disappointing in that regard, yes.
After Chipper retires they could always bring in any number of ex-Cardinals to fill that void.
Or Youkilis if the White Sox decline his option.
On the other hand, Chipper should know better and keep his mouth zipped. It does sound whiny after a game you lost.
What he said. I'm pretty sure this is the driving factor behind Chipper's grumpy old man routine.
That way we can get the protagonists from two threads to suffer a fate they seemingly all deserve.
Melky went 2 for 3 with a walk, playing baseball. Sam Hutchinson struck out, again.
First i've heard of it. That ball was up, but over the middle of the plate.
Of course, melky dove back like someone left a sandwich behind him.
Melky turning a double into a home run
Melky didn't piss me off last night, the Braves walking Melky and then giving up three run jacks to Gregor Blanco and Brandon Crawford did that.
Do your talking on the field, Larry.
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