What has happend to player ethics

[a47mlb]

I was watching the Twins on Fox Sat., where one of the commentators was an ex-player by the last name of Karros, I believe.

There was a point in the game where Gomez took a fastball inside in which he dropped to his back to avoid getting hit as the ball just clipped his bat. At the time it looked like the ball may have hit his hand or wrist, but the replay clearly showed that the ball hit his bat. Gomez just got up and stepped back into the box.

What disturbed me was the fact that Karros started shooting off his mouth saying that Gomez should have stayed down, or maybe jumped around holding his hand, and acted as though he was hit by the ball; "Anything to get to first" was his quote I believe. And he kept commenting on it for a good minute. So basically, this one-who-thinks-I-am-silly was telling everyone that Gomez should have cheated to get to first.

What kind of message does this send to our little leaguers? I know it happens in other sports. Like football, where if the punter gets just brushed by a potential blocker, he flails to the ground as if he was hit by a truck.

Hockey has done it right, where if you take a dive, YOU get sent to the box.

Karros should have been giving kudos to Gomez, saying something to the effect that Gomez could have stayed down and pretended that he was hit by the ball, but did the right thing and stayed in there. That is the message he should be sending the kids coming up. NOT berating Gomez for not cheating by pretending to be hit by the ball.

[SledNeck]

Karros was 100% right IMO. Has nothing to do with ethics, its been part of the game forever. Its not cheating cause its the ump's call.

[a47mlb]

Has nothing to do with ethics...

Excuse me??? It has everything to do with ethics. If you get hit by the ball, than you go to first. If don't get hit by the ball, you stay there and try it again. But for a broadcaster to berate a guy for not faking it, in the attempt to deceive the ump to make the call that you were hit, is just wrong. The point of my original post is to call out the one-who-thinks-I-am-silly broadcaster.

Oh yea, and remind me not to play golf with SledNeck; "As long as the other guys don't see me double hit the ball, than it's not cheating, and I'll take the par."

[SledNeck]

It happens in every sport and has been that way forever.

I dont play golf. Takes too much time away from fishing.

[RussC]

But for a broadcaster to berate a guy for not faking it, in the attempt to deceive the ump to make the call that you were hit, is just wrong. The point of my original post is to call out the one-who-thinks-I-am-silly broadcaster.

I didn't think he was berating Gomez, just commenting on something he has seen over the years that is common practice in baseball. I can't say that I would encourage him to do that, but I certainly wouldn't call it ethically wrong. It's part of the game, like it or not.

[a47mlb]

It used to be part of the game in hockey to take a dive also. But it was changed.

I guess I just like to see honest sportsman/players out there. And for a guy to make comments like he did, especially on national TV, just sends a wrong message.

[SledNeck]

Wrong message to who? This is how the game is played. Youre not stealing purses from old ladies. Youre acting or flopping, it happens in all sports that have umps and refs.

If an ump calls you safe at first and you know you were out, should you go and sit back down on the bench?

First basemen pull their legs early, catchers pull pitches into the strike zone...thats just some of the things that are done to get calls your way.

[blue_healer_guy]

Maybe your over reacting to a pretty meaningless play. Not a rip on you, I watch games to watch games.

[mnwild]

Whatever it takes to get on base do it. All part of the game.

Karros was correct in my mind with what he said.

[genegodawa]

Gotta chime in with my thoughts - I feel it is unethical to fake being hit. Have I done it? Yes, but I don't feel good about it and I wouldn't go blabbing about it as if I made some great, fantastic play - just got lucky the ump didn't get a good glimpse of the play.

And as to pulling their leg early - if the umps would stop calling those phantom tags of 2nd on the DP you wouldn't be seeing those phantom tags of the base anymore.