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Sunday, September 06, 2009

MLB: Upton removed from series finale: Right fielder ended up with a single on ball hit off wall

“20 seconds of hustle. That’s all it takes…20 seconds of hustle each game!” (worked up announcer during incident)

D-backs right fielder Justin Upton was removed from Sunday’s series finale with the Rockies in the middle of the third inning, apparently for not running out a deep drive to center field in the top of the inning.

Upton took starter Jorge De La Rosa to the wall in deep center field in the at-bat, but he only got a single out of it, as Carlos Gonzalez fielded it cleanly off the wall and made a strong throw to second to hold Upton at first.

Upton appeared to think he had a home run after making contact, walking out of the box as he watched the deep fly. He trotted down the line and did not run hard until he was around first base and had no time left to make it to second.

Repoz Posted: September 06, 2009 at 08:53 PM | 29 comment(s) Login to Bookmark
Tags: arizona

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1. Rafael Bellylard: Built like a Molina Posted: September 06, 2009 at 09:06 PM (#3315905)

Must run in the family.

2. Kiko Sakata

Posted: September 06, 2009 at 09:09 PM (#3315907)

Must run in the family.

I assumed the story was about B.J. (and wondered briefly when the Rays moved him from CF to RF)

3. asinwreck Posted: September 06, 2009 at 09:18 PM (#3315908)

Must not run in the family.

4. Crispix Attacks Posted: September 06, 2009 at 09:19 PM (#3315909)

Must loaf in the family.

How's that?

5. SoSHially Unacceptable Posted: September 06, 2009 at 09:21 PM (#3315910)

I assumed the story was about B.J. (and wondered briefly when the Rays moved him from CF to RF)

I went through the same thought process. Then, I realized that Justin wasn't being lazy, but was just smartly preventing injury, and everything made sense.

6. Davo Malvolio Posted: September 06, 2009 at 09:23 PM (#3315911)

Arizona manager A.J. Hinch inserted Alex Romero in right field for the bottom of the third inning.

I think if I were the manager, I would have immediately removed him from the game for a pinch-runner.

7. Tricky Dick Posted: September 06, 2009 at 09:45 PM (#3315915)

That kind of play, where a hitter doesn't get the extra bases he should, because he thought he hit a homer and slows to a trot to admire it, seems to irritate me more than most other bonehead plays. Unfortunately, I see the same thing happen to Carlos Lee several times a year. Given his status (I suppose), he doesn't get lifted like Upton was.

8. ValueArbitrageur Posted: September 06, 2009 at 10:25 PM (#3315924)

Time to trade this guy for whatever we can get.

9. Hugh Jorgan Posted: September 06, 2009 at 10:39 PM (#3315927)

Is he applying for the role of "Being #2?"

10. Tom Nawrocki Posted: September 06, 2009 at 11:04 PM (#3315935)

After this pole-axing of the Diamondbacks and the Giants' loss in Milwaukee, the Rockies are two up in the Wild Card, with four games at home coming up next against the suddenly red-hot but still decidedly mediocre Redlegs.

Are the Braves dead? I think the Braves might be dead.

11. Carl Gonzales Posted: September 06, 2009 at 11:07 PM (#3315936)

I think the Braves are dead as well.

12. rLr Is King Of The Romans And Above Grammar Posted: September 06, 2009 at 11:14 PM (#3315937)

I think the Braves are dead as well.

What about Niedermayer?

13. Pasta-diving Jeter (jmac66) Posted: September 06, 2009 at 11:16 PM (#3315939)

"we're talkin about PRACTICE"

(oh, wait a minute, this was a game)

14. BringBackTimTeufel Posted: September 06, 2009 at 11:23 PM (#3315941)

Unfortunately, I see the same thing happen to Carlos Lee several times a year. Given his status (I suppose), he doesn't get lifted like Upton was.

Orrrr it's El Caballo's natural pace.

15. Earvin 'Gold Stars' Johnson Posted: September 07, 2009 at 01:01 AM (#3315960)

FWIW, the D-backs postgame studio guy was, if not defending Upton, then not attacking him - said it wouldn't have made a difference in such a blowout.

16. Hugh Jorgan Posted: September 07, 2009 at 01:21 AM (#3315965)

said it wouldn't have made a difference in such a blowout.

But that's not the point is it? Sure Manny would've ended up with a single, but any number of quality players like Jeter or Pedroia would've easily been standing on 2nd by the time the throw came in. He's slack and for average guys like me who weren't born with the incredible hand-eye coordination, timing, rhythm and balance that is required to become a professional athlete, it just sh*ts me.

17. The Kids Are Enright (1k5v3L)

Posted: September 07, 2009 at 01:22 AM (#3315966)

"we're talkin about PRACTICE"

"Playoffs? Playoffs? Playoffs? I just hope we can win another game"

18. Tripon Posted: September 07, 2009 at 01:23 AM (#3315967)

But that's not the point is it? Sure Manny would've ended up with a single, but any number of quality players like Jeter or Pedroia would've easily been standing on 2nd by the time the throw came in. He's slack and for average guys like me who weren't born with the incredible hand-eye coordination, timing, rhythm and balance that is required to become a professional athlete, it just sh*ts me.

Well, that's just like your opinion, dude.

19. The Kids Are Enright (1k5v3L)

Posted: September 07, 2009 at 01:24 AM (#3315968)

Must not run in the family.

Nice. Chris Young hit 3 home runs today, and he ran hard on each one of them. If only the Dbacks could give Young a bit of Upton's talent, and give Upton a bit of Young's maturity...

20. Misirlou's got a busy day, he's wearing a vest Posted: September 07, 2009 at 01:32 AM (#3315977)

Nice. Chris Young hit 3 home runs today, and he ran hard on each one of them.

Really?

edit: And it looks like Mr. TTT was 5 for 5 today: 1 HR, 1 K, and 3 BB in 5 PAs.

21. The Kids Are Enright (1k5v3L)

Posted: September 07, 2009 at 02:02 AM (#3315990)

Well, he did run hard after watching them for a while :) The caption on that photo is dumb. It's obvious that Young is still completing his swing - how exactly is he supposed to be running if his torso is still twisting from swing?

Anyhow, you can see the video with his home runs here. Maybe he wasn't "busting his a$$" running hard, more like "trotting briskly" - but compared to Upton's stroll, he was burning tire

http://arizona.diamondbacks.mlb.com/media/video.jsp?mid=200909066512941&c_id=ari

22. The District Attorney Posted: September 07, 2009 at 02:41 AM (#3315999)

"we're talkin about PRACTICE"

"Playoffs? Playoffs? Playoffs? I just hope we can win another game"

"Chris Young? Is Chris Young still in the league?"

23. The Kids Are Enright (1k5v3L)

Posted: September 07, 2009 at 02:50 AM (#3316002)

"Who are you, Chris Young and Karim Garcia?"

24. Walt Davis Posted: September 07, 2009 at 04:20 AM (#3316023)

He's slack and for average guys like me who weren't born with the incredible hand-eye coordination, timing, rhythm and balance that is required to become a professional athlete, it just sh*ts me.

Sure. But it's also true that lots of average guys (maybe not just like you ... and maybe below- or above-average) like it when guys watch HRs too. Or at least it's a favorite thing of SC and BBTN to show.

I think a move like this rarely makes a difference. We've all seen guys do stuff like this. I've done stuff like this. And how do 99% of people feel after they've done something like this -- embarrassed and they swear to never do it again. Except, over time, they do because 99% of the time it doesn't matter if they do or not.

You want to make an impression on a guy for not running out of the box when he thinks he's hit an HR? Bench him for it after he hits an HR.

25. Walks Clog Up the Bases Posted: September 07, 2009 at 06:11 AM (#3316046)

That kind of play, where a hitter doesn't get the extra bases he should, because he thought he hit a homer and slows to a trot to admire it, seems to irritate me more than most other bonehead plays. Unfortunately, I see the same thing happen to Carlos Lee several times a year. Given his status (I suppose), he doesn't get lifted like Upton was.

We Cubs fans had to endure this on several occasions with Soriano before he ceased hitting anything that got anywhere close to outfield walls.

26. Lassus Posted: September 07, 2009 at 08:01 AM (#3316060)

and Karim Garcia?

Pedro deserves to go to the hall for that quote alone, seriously. That has to be one of the great baseball moments of my entire life.

27. Flynn Posted: September 07, 2009 at 08:56 AM (#3316062)

Did anybody see Aaron Rowand's triple play? Because that sure looked like loafing to me.

28. Tim Stauffer, Trot Nixon's Coming (Dan Lee) Posted: September 07, 2009 at 10:22 AM (#3316069)

These guys. They lollygag the ball around the infield. They lollygag their way down to first. They lollygag in and out of the dugout.

29. heyyoo Posted: September 07, 2009 at 07:05 PM (#3316217)

Did anybody see Aaron Rowand's triple play? Because that sure looked like loafing to me.

I thought the same thing. I couldn't believe it took him so long to get down the line, and when they showed the replay from behind 3b, it looked like he was real slow out of the box.

I wish they would all do THIS

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Sunday, September 06, 2009

MLB: Upton removed from series finale: Right fielder ended up with a single on ball hit off wall

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