Ong Talk

                                                    By: Ryan Ong

 

Team USA and Team China's Shameful Display of Baseball - August 19, 2008

Seven bean-balls. Two catchers trucked at the plate. One gloating home run trot around the bases. And one unnecessary, unassisted put-out to end the game. What does that equal? A disgrace to international baseball and to the Olympics.

I'm talking about the USA-China game that took place on Monday, August 18. When it was all over, the headline was not about Team USA moving into medal contention with the 9-1 victory, but how a simple game of baseball turned into a melee because of baseball's underlying code of conduct.

An event that was supposed to promote baseball internationally instead turned into a disgrace. How did it happen?

First, emotions ran wild after multiple bean-balls were thrown early in the game. Then Matt LaPorta took out Chinese catcher Wang Wei on a hard-nosed play at the plate in the fifth inning. Obviously, when a superstar gets injured there's going to be a lot of emotions. But simple emotions were turned into a disgraceful game when Nate Schierholtz, the CF for Team U.S.A., created an unnecessary collison at home plate later in the game with China's back-up catcher, Yang Yang.

The umpires share just as much blame in the situation as the players involved because they failed to get the game under control in a situation where Schierholtz should have been ejected.

First, the play was not a "bang bang" play, as video replays showed. Yang was clearly not set up to receive the throw; nor was he out in front of the plate trying to block it. Yang was on top of the plate and was not even ready to receive the ball when Schierholtz leveled him. Schierholtz clearly wasn't trying to put Yang in the hospital -- otherwise Schierholtz would have lowered his shoulder and really laid into Yang -- but it was an intentional play. As a baserunner is coming down the line, he is trained to watch the catcher to see how close the play at the plate will be. If the catcher is not in front of the plate -- which Yang was not -- then, clearly, it's not going to be a close play. The visual evidence shows that Schierholtz created the contact on purpose, and without reason, so he should have been ejected.

Team China also saw this as an unnecessary hit and that fired up Chinese coach Jim Lefebvre so much that he was ejected from the game.

Now, there's an underlying code in baseball that many professional players in America live by. That code states that if somebody tries to take out one of my teammates, I'm going to take out one of yours. Even though this was international baseball, that code of vengeance still came into play here. Several coaches from the United States now coach Chinese ball-clubs and so the American style of baseball is taught to a number of players in China. Therfore, Schierholtz's unnecessary slide resulted in Matt LaPorta being ear-holed by Chinese pitcher Chen Kun in the seventh inning.

The retaliation part is understandable. But Kun and his coaches took it to another level with the "head-hunting" antics. Kun appeared distraught after the play because LaPorta had to be sent to the hospital. That makes me wonder if the Chinese coaching staff told him to plunk LaPorta.

After that shenanigan, the teams seemed to put the code behind them until the ninth inning, when Yang Yang of China hit a solo shot and proceeded to gloat like Joe Carter -- one arm raised -- on his home run trot. Blaine Neal of the United States then proceeded to get the last out of the game by tagging the runner in the base path for an unassisted put-out.

These two actions are clearly against baseball code. There is an unwritten rule in baseball that players are not to upstage other players. The ninth inning was simply a disgrace to the game after Yang's unnecessary gloating and Neal's upstaging put-out. Coaches preach to players that they should treat the game with respect, but in this case that simple concept was ignored.

If these two teams meet again in the future, the players will not forget the violations of their opponents.

What makes this an even bigger problem -- bigger in scope than the code -- is that this game was not being played on American soil. The code is built into American game as part of the culture. People need to realize that the game is played differently in international competition.

Coach Lefebvre and his staff need to realize that there is a cultural difference in play. They are walking a fine line when they try to integrate American style of play into the Chinese culture. Lefebvre and his staff will never admit to throwing at other players. But, in a case like this one, it is more than a little obvious. Especially when China's pitching coach, Steve Ontiveros, had to consult with Kun after Kun sent LaPorta to the hospital.

On a bigger platform, the teams disrespected the Olympics with their antics and poor sportsmanship. Monday night's scrap should not have happened on the Olympic stage. Players need to realize why they are at the Olympics. The sport is trying to become a world game. Sure, Team U.S.A. is there to compete and bring home a medal, but the greater purpose is to promote the game of baseball.

Players who live by "the code" can play that type of style here in the states. But at an international venue, everyone must be respectful of other cultures and traditions. Baseball can be played in many ways, depending on the league, country, and culture. (Ed. There's a great example of this in a recent Reuters article on Jerry Royster, who coaches in Korea. You can find it here).

On a positive note, I'm glad that Matt LaPorta recognized the stage of the game he is playing and offered a sincere apology to Wang Wei. If Schierholtz, Kun, and the coaches can do the same, then maybe baseball can succeed internationally. If kids can compete at the Little League World Series without causing a melee on the field, then so should Olympic athletes.

If no more apologies are made, then we will know that "the code" has won at all costs. No matter the venue. Until more apologies come, one word sums up the coaches, players, and umpires who were involved with this game, "PATHETIC!"