Monday, July 16, 2007
The David Wells Show
So David Wells is suspended seven games for showing up an umpire by whining about balls and strikes. (Here.) Boomer, as he is called, is upset. Well, cry me a river.
I'm a Padres fan but I'm no fan of Wells. San Diegans love him because he's a hometown boy but Wells has not been loyal to San Diego. I have to say the David Wells Show gets more than a bit tiresome. For the past several games he's been making a habit of questioning umpires' strikes and balls. He stands on the mound when a call doesn't go his way and makes dramatic gestures and gives looks of exaggerated disbelief.
It all came to a head in a recent game at Petco Park when he got tossed in just the fourth inning. Here's how Wells described it.
Wells left after just 44 pitches because he got kicked out of the game for questioning balls and strikes. And what was his strikes to balls ratio? 30 strikes and 14 balls. That's better than 2 to 1. Wells had nothing to complain about and his immature behavior hurt the team because it forced Padres manager Bud Black to use the bullpen for 6 innings. That hurt. Fortunately, it happened just before the All-Star break.
-tdr
I'm a Padres fan but I'm no fan of Wells. San Diegans love him because he's a hometown boy but Wells has not been loyal to San Diego. I have to say the David Wells Show gets more than a bit tiresome. For the past several games he's been making a habit of questioning umpires' strikes and balls. He stands on the mound when a call doesn't go his way and makes dramatic gestures and gives looks of exaggerated disbelief.
It all came to a head in a recent game at Petco Park when he got tossed in just the fourth inning. Here's how Wells described it.
"'I just asked him where those pitches were at and he really didn't say anything, and then I just said, 'I know in my at-bat, the call on the first pitch was outside,'' Wells said. 'I just said I wanted to know if it's going to be fair today, if it's going to be the same way both sides.I have a better idea. How about just shut up and pitch. Stop the melodrama and play the game.
'That's basically all I asked and he didn't really like it, and he told me to get back on the mound and he didn't want to hear another word.'
Wells said he motioned for Bard to come out, then said to Hickox: 'Hey, all I wanted to do was ask you a question.'
With that, he was gone.
In his last start, Wells and umpire Hunter Wendelstedt were chirping at each other.
'I think it would be best if I just went up and talked to him this time in a calm way,' Wells said. 'And obviously that didn't work. I don't know what to do. Flip a coin, I guess.'" (Here.)
Wells left after just 44 pitches because he got kicked out of the game for questioning balls and strikes. And what was his strikes to balls ratio? 30 strikes and 14 balls. That's better than 2 to 1. Wells had nothing to complain about and his immature behavior hurt the team because it forced Padres manager Bud Black to use the bullpen for 6 innings. That hurt. Fortunately, it happened just before the All-Star break.
-tdr
