jpalexa
05-27-2001, 08:56 PM
Thoughts on this?
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The Schilling aftermath -- what Davis' bunt hath wrought
By BERNIE WILSON
AP Sports Writer
May 27, 2001
SAN DIEGO (AP) -- Oh, those pesky "unwritten rules" of baseball.
With Curt Schilling just five outs away from a perfect game Saturday night, San Diego's Ben Davis blooped a bunt for a single and opened a classic -- and nasty -- debate.
Some of the Diamondbacks seethed right then, spending the rest of the game peppering Davis, the Padres' catcher, with obscenities.
After Schilling completed the three-hitter for the Diamondbacks' 3-1 win, manager Bob Brenly called Davis' move "chicken[shit]."
Schilling (8-1) said he was "a little stunned" that Davis would bunt so late in what could have been the 15th perfect game in modern history. He said he'd always heard that players should earn their way on base that late in a no-hitter or perfect game.
Mark Grace said the benefit of the doubt went to Davis only because the score was 2-0 at that point. But Grace added that he wouldn't have had the guts to bunt.
The testosterone was flowing both ways. Some of the Padres were livid that some of the Diamondbacks were livid.
On Sunday, little changed. Brenly, a former big league catcher, still contended that Davis' bunt was "chicken."
But he said it falls into one of the many gray areas in those "unwritten rules" that players and managers love to quote.
"Like I said, that's the way I was raised in the game," said Brenly, who came out of the broadcast booth to take his first managerial job. "That doesn't mean that I'm right and they're wrong, that's just the way I was taught how to play the game."
Brenly is what they call "old school." So is Padres manager Bruce Bochy, who also was a big league catcher.
"I played against Boch; I mean, I don't want to say what he would have done, but if Dave Dravecky had a perfect game going in the eighth inning and the opposing catcher tried to bunt for a base hit and was successful, Boch might have chased him down the first base line," Brenly said.
"It's all very subjective. It depends which side of the fence you're on."
And if all those "unwritten rules" were ever committed to paper, "the book would be about that thick," Brenly said, holding his hands about six inches apart.
If the situation had been reversed, and a Diamondback bunted to break up a perfect game in the eighth, Brenly said he'd publicly support his player but privately take him aside and tell him that's not the way to do it.
After getting Phil Nevin to fly out to right for the first out of the eighth, Schilling thought he was going to get the perfect game.
"I knew how I wanted to pitch the last five guys. I thought I had a shot," he said.
Davis wasn't in the lineup Sunday, taking the day game off after catching the night game.
If Schilling wants to get back at Davis, he'll have the chance Friday in Phoenix. But it doesn't sound like Davis can expect a fastball to the earhole of his batting helmet.
"I don't have the ability to think about that and get ready to pitch," Schilling said Sunday. "Chances are we'll be within a game or two of each other for first place in the division. I'm pitching to win ballgames. If it's a matter of protecting your teammates or something like that, that's completely different. This doesn't fall into that category.
"You take it for whatever it's worth. Bottom line is, we won the game. That ends up being the big one."
Bochy said he still didn't understand what all the fuss was about.
"I'm confused that it got the reaction that it did," Bochy said. "I guess they wanted us to drop our weapons and raise our hands. We're trying to win the ballgame and we got the tying run up to the plate. We almost won the ballgame."
Bochy raised this argument: "What if it's the seventh game of the World Series? Would they or anybody be upset? No, because that's a huge game and you're trying to win the game. That's how you want your team playing every game."
After Davis' bunt, Schilling walked Bubba Trammell before retiring pinch-hitters Dave Magadan and Mike Darr.
Alex Arias had San Diego's hardest-hit ball of the night, a double down the left-field line leading off the ninth. Mark Kotsay singled with one out and Ryan Klesko lifted a sacrifice fly to the warning track in center.
"We got him in the stretch and it gave us a chance," Bochy said. "If Darr happens to get a hold of one or Klesko ..."
At that point, Klesko stuck his head in Bochy's office and directed an obscenity toward the Diamondbacks.
"Hey, we're trying to win," said Klesko, who has helped the Padres back into contention in the tight NL West. "If he pops it up and he's out, no one says anything," Klesko said about Davis' bunt.
Schilling "gave up three hits, anyway," Klesko said.
Bochy said he's supporting Davis both publicly and privately.
"Would I do it again, or have Ben?" Bochy said. "Absolutely, yes."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Schilling aftermath -- what Davis' bunt hath wrought
By BERNIE WILSON
AP Sports Writer
May 27, 2001
SAN DIEGO (AP) -- Oh, those pesky "unwritten rules" of baseball.
With Curt Schilling just five outs away from a perfect game Saturday night, San Diego's Ben Davis blooped a bunt for a single and opened a classic -- and nasty -- debate.
Some of the Diamondbacks seethed right then, spending the rest of the game peppering Davis, the Padres' catcher, with obscenities.
After Schilling completed the three-hitter for the Diamondbacks' 3-1 win, manager Bob Brenly called Davis' move "chicken[shit]."
Schilling (8-1) said he was "a little stunned" that Davis would bunt so late in what could have been the 15th perfect game in modern history. He said he'd always heard that players should earn their way on base that late in a no-hitter or perfect game.
Mark Grace said the benefit of the doubt went to Davis only because the score was 2-0 at that point. But Grace added that he wouldn't have had the guts to bunt.
The testosterone was flowing both ways. Some of the Padres were livid that some of the Diamondbacks were livid.
On Sunday, little changed. Brenly, a former big league catcher, still contended that Davis' bunt was "chicken."
But he said it falls into one of the many gray areas in those "unwritten rules" that players and managers love to quote.
"Like I said, that's the way I was raised in the game," said Brenly, who came out of the broadcast booth to take his first managerial job. "That doesn't mean that I'm right and they're wrong, that's just the way I was taught how to play the game."
Brenly is what they call "old school." So is Padres manager Bruce Bochy, who also was a big league catcher.
"I played against Boch; I mean, I don't want to say what he would have done, but if Dave Dravecky had a perfect game going in the eighth inning and the opposing catcher tried to bunt for a base hit and was successful, Boch might have chased him down the first base line," Brenly said.
"It's all very subjective. It depends which side of the fence you're on."
And if all those "unwritten rules" were ever committed to paper, "the book would be about that thick," Brenly said, holding his hands about six inches apart.
If the situation had been reversed, and a Diamondback bunted to break up a perfect game in the eighth, Brenly said he'd publicly support his player but privately take him aside and tell him that's not the way to do it.
After getting Phil Nevin to fly out to right for the first out of the eighth, Schilling thought he was going to get the perfect game.
"I knew how I wanted to pitch the last five guys. I thought I had a shot," he said.
Davis wasn't in the lineup Sunday, taking the day game off after catching the night game.
If Schilling wants to get back at Davis, he'll have the chance Friday in Phoenix. But it doesn't sound like Davis can expect a fastball to the earhole of his batting helmet.
"I don't have the ability to think about that and get ready to pitch," Schilling said Sunday. "Chances are we'll be within a game or two of each other for first place in the division. I'm pitching to win ballgames. If it's a matter of protecting your teammates or something like that, that's completely different. This doesn't fall into that category.
"You take it for whatever it's worth. Bottom line is, we won the game. That ends up being the big one."
Bochy said he still didn't understand what all the fuss was about.
"I'm confused that it got the reaction that it did," Bochy said. "I guess they wanted us to drop our weapons and raise our hands. We're trying to win the ballgame and we got the tying run up to the plate. We almost won the ballgame."
Bochy raised this argument: "What if it's the seventh game of the World Series? Would they or anybody be upset? No, because that's a huge game and you're trying to win the game. That's how you want your team playing every game."
After Davis' bunt, Schilling walked Bubba Trammell before retiring pinch-hitters Dave Magadan and Mike Darr.
Alex Arias had San Diego's hardest-hit ball of the night, a double down the left-field line leading off the ninth. Mark Kotsay singled with one out and Ryan Klesko lifted a sacrifice fly to the warning track in center.
"We got him in the stretch and it gave us a chance," Bochy said. "If Darr happens to get a hold of one or Klesko ..."
At that point, Klesko stuck his head in Bochy's office and directed an obscenity toward the Diamondbacks.
"Hey, we're trying to win," said Klesko, who has helped the Padres back into contention in the tight NL West. "If he pops it up and he's out, no one says anything," Klesko said about Davis' bunt.
Schilling "gave up three hits, anyway," Klesko said.
Bochy said he's supporting Davis both publicly and privately.
"Would I do it again, or have Ben?" Bochy said. "Absolutely, yes."