Gregory Polanco is...

Puff_Dougie

...living up to the hype! Fourth appearance in the majors and he has a five hit game, including a game-winning two run homer in the top of the 13th inning! Raise the Jolly Roger!!! Methinks this kid is the real deal!!

danielzreyes

He can either be like

a. Trout, a humble baseball player with amazing all around talent.

or

b. Puig, a dumbass

Rain

321/412/557 - Puig 294/382/557 - TroutVin Scully approves, which makes any argument you have invalid Bat flips, cannon throws...I like it.

danielzreyes

Never said he wasn't a good player. He's a great player, but a dumbass for sure. You're in denial if you don't think he is.

Rain

He's a 23 year old kid in a foreign country. Yeah, he's got some growing up to do.Disclaimer - I'm a fan of shenanigans in sports. Joe Horn pulling out a cell phone after a TD? Yes please. I watch sports to be entertained.

Puff_Dougie

Rain:

He's a 23 year old kid in a foreign country. Yeah, he's got some growing up to do.Disclaimer - I'm a fan of shenanigans in sports. Joe Horn pulling out a cell phone after a TD? Yes please. I watch sports to be entertained.

^^This. I don't get the outrage over the "bat flip." In every other sport... football, hockey, tennis, soccer, golf... when a player makes a great play or scores, they celebrate. I could see it if Puig flipped his bat AT another player... there's a difference between celebrating and taunting... but expecting guys to suppress their excitement when they make a great play is just stupid.

Ken Light

Puff_Dougie:

Rain:

He's a 23 year old kid in a foreign country. Yeah, he's got some growing up to do.Disclaimer - I'm a fan of shenanigans in sports. Joe Horn pulling out a cell phone after a TD? Yes please. I watch sports to be entertained.

^^This. I don't get the outrage over the "bat flip." In every other sport... football, hockey, tennis, soccer, golf... when a player makes a great play or scores, they celebrate. I could see it if Puig flipped his bat AT another player... there's a difference between celebrating and taunting... but expecting guys to suppress their excitement when they make a great play is just stupid.

Baseball is fundamentally different from other sports. It is better. Its player are better. They are held to a higher standard. Thugs and hooligans need not apply.

There is also a level of stupidity inherent in taunting a man who will later hurl a 100 mph projectile at you that could potentially 'accidentally' bean you in the head and leave you a vegetable.

Additional note: The bat flip is a taunt to the pitcher, it is not a celebration. A celebratory fist-pump around the bases is fine. There is a huge difference: one is celebrating an accomplishment, the other is denigrating a competitor. This is my main beef with football: the taunting. I don't mind end-zone celebrations, but taunting a competitor, especially one you just physically tackled, is tasteless.

Puff_Dougie

Ken Light:

Additional note: The bat flip is a taunt to the pitcher, it is not a celebration. A celebratory fist-pump around the bases is fine. There is a huge difference: one is celebrating an accomplishment, the other is denigrating a competitor. This is my main beef with football: the taunting. I don't mind end-zone celebrations, but taunting a competitor, especially one you just physically tackled, is tasteless.

I agree with this completely. Taunting is always bad sportsmanship. I guess I didn't see the bat flip as a taunt, but if that is the intent, then the criticisms of Puig are on point.

Additional note: This thread was about Gregory Polanco. Is thread jacking the same as bat flipping? ;^)

Ken Light

Puff_Dougie:

Ken Light:

Additional note: The bat flip is a taunt to the pitcher, it is not a celebration. A celebratory fist-pump around the bases is fine. There is a huge difference: one is celebrating an accomplishment, the other is denigrating a competitor. This is my main beef with football: the taunting. I don't mind end-zone celebrations, but taunting a competitor, especially one you just physically tackled, is tasteless.

I agree with this completely. Taunting is always bad sportsmanship. I guess I didn't see the bat flip as a taunt, but if that is the intent, then the criticisms of Puig are on point.

Additional note: This thread was about Gregory Polanco. Is thread jacking the same as bat flipping? ;^)

Fair enough. Polanco's played 4 games. Remember Kevin Maas? I mean other than the Kevin Maas rule about crowd interference? Probably not. Let the league find the holes in his swing in a few months, see how he adjusts, let pitchers catch up again, see what happens...

ThreadJacker3000

Puff_Dougie:

Ken Light:

Additional note: The bat flip is a taunt to the pitcher, it is not a celebration. A celebratory fist-pump around the bases is fine. There is a huge difference: one is celebrating an accomplishment, the other is denigrating a competitor. This is my main beef with football: the taunting. I don't mind end-zone celebrations, but taunting a competitor, especially one you just physically tackled, is tasteless.

I agree with this completely. Taunting is always bad sportsmanship. I guess I didn't see the bat flip as a taunt, but if that is the intent, then the criticisms of Puig are on point.

Additional note: This thread was about Gregory Polanco. Is thread jacking the same as bat flipping? ;^)

nah

Rain

"The bat flip is a taunt to the pitcher, it is not a celebration"Not sure if this can be argued since it's an opinion. I bet some people would say the slow home run trot and fist pump is a taunt to the pitcher. Not that I think about it too much...if the pitcher is offended he'll hit someone, then we'll hit someone, a few media complaining sessions will go on about "the unwritten rules" that nobody really knows. It's also about your perspective. I'm not an LA Dodger. But they are MY team. If Puig says that Trout looks like a woman, I'll be laughing. If Trout says it about Puig, I'll be furious. Like Fallon says in Fever Pitch, "It's good to invest in something you have no control over."

danielzreyes

Randy, to me you're a baseball fan who likes the Dodgers not a "Dodger fan". Living here in So Ca you don't want to be labeled as a Dodger Fan lol.

"The bat flip is a taunt to the pitcher, it is not a celebration" Let them do a bat flip. Its part of baseball. But if you're going to show up a pitcher by doing so, expect a heater to your rib cage on your next AB. The fact that Puig does this every single AB where he thinks it's out the yard to me that's disrespecting the pitcher.

Doug, no disrespect to your thread. nothing much to talk about yet as he's only played a few games. Comparing him to young all stars of today is a start.

Ken Light

Anything in the batter's box or it's vicinity is directed at the pitcher. Anything past 1st base is fair game. Simple logic of line-of-sight. not to mention timing of when the ball actually leaves the park. If I managed I'd have every pitcher throw at Puig until he left baseball. I'd fill my rosters with pitchers so if they get tossed it's all good.

Ken Light

Mattingly's as much to blame as Puig, just like I'd blame a kid's parents as much as the f*ck-up himself. I'm really happy the Yankees didn't make him manager, he's clearly unfit to lead a team. Even if it did leave us with Clueless Joe, who couldn't manage himself out of a paper bag.

Rain

After a pitcher gives up a home run, most turn around to watch/check/cry about it...which would put the fist pumping harlem shaking batter in his line-of-sight. I guess a pitcher owns the whole field? Let's not act like pitchers don't celebrate a big K...Fernando Rodney, Brian Wilson and countless others. Guess they need to wait until the batter is out of sight so they don't "show em up".I see your point Ken, I just think it's wrong. As for calling him an eff up, he's making millions flipping a bat.....wish my parents "failed" me like his did. Gotta love NCR XOXO

Ken Light

Rain:

After a pitcher gives up a home run, most turn around to watch/check/cry about it...which would put the fist pumping harlem shaking batter in his line-of-sight. I guess a pitcher owns the whole field? Let's not act like pitchers don't celebrate a big K...Fernando Rodney, Brian Wilson and countless others. Guess they need to wait until the batter is out of sight so they don't "show em up".I see your point Ken, I just think it's wrong. As for calling him an eff up, he's making millions flipping a bat.....wish my parents "failed" me like his did. Gotta love NCR

I didn't say his parent's failed, I said Mattingly failed as a manager and made the analogy. 'Course...wasn't he kidnapped or something? Anyway, not the point. Rodney's a sh!thead too. I don't know Brian Wilson (at least if, as I'm assuming, he's not also a Beach Boy). Joba's fist pump was borderline because he made a point of turning his back to the batter first.

Rain

Bwahaha...a Beach Boy.

danielzreyes

Ken, you don't know Brian Wilson? We're back to not being friends again. ............ think stupid hideous beard.

Puff_Dougie

Rain:

"The bat flip is a taunt to the pitcher, it is not a celebration"Not sure if this can be argued since it's an opinion. I bet some people would say the slow home run trot and fist pump is a taunt to the pitcher. Not that I think about it too much...if the pitcher is offended he'll hit someone, then we'll hit someone, a few media complaining sessions will go on about "the unwritten rules" that nobody really knows. It's also about your perspective. I'm not an LA Dodger. But they are MY team. If Puig says that Trout looks like a woman, I'll be laughing. If Trout says it about Puig, I'll be furious. Like Fallon says in Fever Pitch, "It's good to invest in something you have no control over."

I actually hadn't seen it... but that's definitely a taunt.

And Daniel... I know there's not much to say about Polanco yet. It was just cool to see him hit the game winner in OT last nite. It will be interesting to see how he develops.

Rain

I think it was also a fly out to CF.

danielzreyes

It's getting out of hand

Rain

^^^Bet he could not do that again if he tried.

Bigshizza

My two favorite teams are the Dodgers and Pirates. I grew up with the Dodgers but loved the explosive Pirate teams of the '70's. Those players were something else..

Ken Light

danielzreyes:

Ken, you don't know Brian Wilson? We're back to not being friends again. ............ think stupid hideous beard.

Is he the one that dyed it black a couple years ago? I Googled him but he doesn't look familiar. What antics does he do on the field?

danielzreyes

Ken Light:

danielzreyes:

Ken, you don't know Brian Wilson? We're back to not being friends again. ............ think stupid hideous beard.

Is he the one that dyed it black a couple years ago? I Googled him but he doesn't look familiar. What antics does he do on the field?

yep that's him

Funny you mention his antics. I never knew what it meant until a friend of mine told me. After he closed a game he does this sign of the cross, cross thingy. I was told that among other things, it was a gesture to his belief in Christ and his Father. I have no problem with that at all. Same thing when batters touch home plate after a HR.

Ken Light

danielzreyes:

Ken Light:

danielzreyes:

Ken, you don't know Brian Wilson? We're back to not being friends again. ............ think stupid hideous beard.

Is he the one that dyed it black a couple years ago? I Googled him but he doesn't look familiar. What antics does he do on the field?

yep that's him

Funny you mention his antics. I never knew what it meant until a friend of mine told me. After he closed a game he does this sign of the cross, cross thingy. I was told that among other things, it was a gesture to his belief in Christ and his Father. I have no problem with that at all. Same thing when batters touch home plate after a HR.

Yeah, that's no big deal to me either. His beard is silly though.

Rain

The 22-year-old Polanco is hitting .241 with a .308 on-base percentage and a .349 slugging percentage. His .657 OPS ranked seventh among eight NL rookies and 16th among the 21 Major League rookies who have at least 250 plate appearances this season. Raise your hand if you expected the following guys to outhit Polanco: David Peralta, Travis d'Arnaud, Tommy La Stella, Billy Hamilton, Kolten Wong, Kevin Kiermaier and Rougned Odor. No, there aren't many hands in the air at this point. -MLB.com

Puff_Dougie

Rain:

The 22-year-old Polanco is hitting .241 with a .308 on-base percentage and a .349 slugging percentage. His .657 OPS ranked seventh among eight NL rookies and 16th among the 21 Major League rookies who have at least 250 plate appearances this season. Raise your hand if you expected the following guys to outhit Polanco: David Peralta, Travis d'Arnaud, Tommy La Stella, Billy Hamilton, Kolten Wong, Kevin Kiermaier and Rougned Odor. No, there aren't many hands in the air at this point. -MLB.com

Yeah... I know. Rookie came out sluggin' and had a great debut but seems to have hit a wall. Got sent back down to AAA for a bit to hone his skills and settle down. Still believe he's got the potential to be one of the great ones though. Give the lad some time. He's just a baby bucco. :^)

Rain

I agree. I just ran across the article and thought about this thread. Makes baseball great.

Puff_Dougie

That, and guys with names like "Rougned Odor"... Seriously??