On the Pirates and Brewers

I am sure it is not unprecedented in baseball history for one team to have such a mastery over another as the Brewers have had over the Pirates in recent years, but off-hand I am not recalling any such dominance at the moment. I was at the game last night, the 11-4 win by Milwaukee, and it was positively infuriating to watch the Pirates lay down and die when they take the field against this smug bunch.

Why not give up seven runs in one inning?
Why not have Ryan Doumit sail a routine throw to first base into right field?
Why not have Nyjer Morgan get four hits against you?
Why not have pinch hitters Pedro Ciriaco and Brandon Wood swing at the first pitch and weakly ground out (Wood for a double play)? I guess they wanted to get home, too. (That Ciriaco and Wood are your pinch-hitters speaks volumes about the Pirates.)
And, of course, let Ryan Braun beat you like a rug for two doubles and a couple of walks. Why not?

In the series wrap up this afternoon, minor league recall Aaron Thompson will get the start for the Bucs. Maybe that's what it will take. Some kid who hasn't been here for all of the bitch-slapping that Milwaukee has been laying on the Pirates for the last three seasons. Maybe he won't know any better to lay down and die, and maybe he'll keep the Pirates in the game.

And one more thing, about which I seem to be a lone voice in the wilderness. In the second game on Monday night, Josh Harrison hits a screaming line drive to left, that Braun has to run far to his right, layout and dive for it, and makes the catch (of course he does!), robbing Harrison of a triple and possibly an inside the park home run. Great play by Braun, no question. Harrison then proceeds to TIP HIS CAP TO RYAN BRAUN out there in left field.

Now if I'm Clint Hurdle, I'd have yanked Harrison from the game then and there. At the very least, he gets his ass chewed out on the spot. On the telecast, Steve Blass was circumspect in talking about the incident, but you could tell that he was furious about it. However, I read nothing about this in the papers or in any other source.

Is this what baseball (or at least, the Pirates) has come to? That you tip your hat to the guys who have continually kicked your asses for three years???? Did Harrison go to the locker room after the game and ask for Ryan Braun's autograph?

Oh, and I noticed last night that when Harrison hit his first major league home run, none of the Brewers tipped THEIR caps to HIM.

Finally, a word about the Brewers. They are a good team. A very good team, and Ryan Braun may be one of the top five players in all of baseball. That doesn't mean that they are not annoying in the extreme, however.