Yesterday, the Wolverines’ Logan Gilbert, pitching for Seattle in Tampa Bay, faced the Cheese’s Randy Arozarena. Arozarena drilled a ball to deep right center. Flint Hill’s Mariner Jarred Kelenic had to run a long way, but he got to the ball before it dropped… and muffed the catch. It turned into a triple. Two runs scored. Instead of 5 innings and 1 earned run, Gilbert’s outing became 5 innings, 3 earned runs.
Flint Hill is trying to catch the Wolverines in what is shaping up as a long, exciting pennant race. I am not among those who suspect the Flinty front office of telling Kelenic to trash the Wolverines’ ERA. But in the heat of the moment did Kelenic let his Tornado loyalties override his Mariner loyalties?
Kelenic was upset with Mariner management this spring when they didn’t call him up promptly. He was no doubt somewhat embarrassed when his first tour of duty with the M’s went badly. He is under a lot of pressure. As a result he could be a bit of an emotional and cognitive mess. Perhaps I should cut him some slack.
The episode reminded me of the time in September 2009 (I think it was) when the Alleghenys’ CC Sabathia hit the Dragons’ Carlos Pena with a pitch in a game between the Yankees and Tampa Bay, breaking something in Pena’s body (his wrist, I think). Pena at the time was super-hot, carrying the Dragons as they surged toward the EFL-leading Alleghenys, but that incident put Pena out for the rest of the season. Pena didn’t even get a hit-by-pitch on the play because the umpire ruled he was swinging at the pitch. The Dragons’ surge ended right then and there, denying the Dragons their first real shot at an EFL title, and Pittsburgh won what I believe was its fourth championship. (It’s been so long since I’ve seen the trophy… Jamie, could you check?)
Allegheny management denied having instructed Sabathia to take Pena out. The Dragons never officially asked the Commissioner’s Office to investigate. As far as I know, all is now forgiven, twelve years later. As I said, I am not among those who suspect Flint Hill management of having a hand in Kelenic’s misplay, and even if it leads to the demise of the Wolverines in this year’s race, twelve years from now I will have forgiven him.
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And speaking of moral hazards: did any of you know, while Tom was drafting Paulo Espino yesterday, that he had coughed up – or was coughing up, I’m not sure of the timing — a 5 ip, 6 er clunker? (Paulo, I mean, not Tom. Tom wasn’t coughing up anything.) And if you did know, why didn’t you tell him? I only discovered it after the draft — and immediately thought of how the news might put a damper on today’s celebrations of Michele’s birthday. In case it might, Tom, you should probably wait to read this post until tomorrow.