Earlier this week, Kyle Freeland called Rafael Devers’ home run admiration “extremely disrespectful.”
Kyle, how do you think Rockies’ fans feel?
We all love Freeland’s competitive spirit, but his reaction to Devers’ slow trot came across as petty, misplaced and soft. Freeland yelled at Devers to get up the line, leading to an exchange of words that will never show up on a Hallmark card, and a bench-clearing dust-up.
Freeland was out of line. It’s that simple. He served up a cookie on the game’s eighth pitch, and Devers turned it into a souvenir. His pimp job was normal by today’s standards. If that bothers you, understood. But the toothpaste is out of the tube.
Freeland let his team down. He made something out of nothing, revealing sensitivity that doesn’t reflect reality.
You want to know what is extremely disrespectful? The Rockies’ record. Their pitching staff. Their incompetent front office.
So, Freeland was offended. Imagine what the Rockies faithful are going through. They are outnumbered in their own ballpark. The opposing fans roar during big moments, take over the lyrics of “Take Me Out To The Ballgame,” and rub the Rockies’ misery in the face of anyone who dares to wear purple.
So, miss me with the “We can’t let this happen in our house” chatter. The Rockies have sublet Coors Field to tenants for three years running.
On Wednesday, manager Warren Schaeffer said he backed Freeland “100 %.” Really? Well if Devers’ act bothered you so much, why not hit him in he backside his next time up?
This smacks of fake tough guy nonsense. If bad blood existed or Devers made a derogatory comment, that’s different.
He hit a home run. The Rockies have allowed 212 entering Friday night, most in baseball. They have a 6.01 ERA, in line to be the franchise’s worst staff, eclipsing the comically bad 1999 team. Those pitchers had an excuse. There was no humidor.
If Freeland’s frustration was the result of another bad season on a horrible team, it would be easier to dismiss. He insisted his anger was isolated to Devers. The idea of the Rockies’ policing a game given the mockery they have made of the sport is a terrible look. The Rockies remain on pace to become one of six teams in the modern era to finish with at least 115 losses.
This is the last organization that should be lecturing anyone about respecting the game.
Javonte Not Missed: Javonte Williams had one multi-TD game in 54 appearances with the Broncos. So, of course, he accomplished the feat in his first game with the Cowboys on Thursday night. Anyone who knows Williams roots for him. But, no, the Broncos won’t miss him. Even in his Cowboys debut, he finished with 54 yards on 15 carries. That is 3.6 yards per clip, the exact number he produced in his final two seasons in Denver. The Broncos needed a back with more explosive in both the run and pass game.
Kawhi’s Tree Farm: The Kawhi Leonard scandal continues to mushroom after podcaster Pablo Torre reported allegations that Clippers owner Steve Ballmer and Leonard circumvented the NBA salary cap with a $28 million no-show marketing deal with the environmental start-up Aspiration. The best response to this comes from Grace Marlowe, daughter of Nuggets’ broadcaster Chris Marlowe. “If Kawhi wanted to plant some trees, he should have just taken I-25 to exit 235, then five miles west to the Tree Farm!”
