Between Roberto Osuna existing and a ton of cheating accusations, I didn’t think my opinion of the Ass-tros could sink any lower.
And then the 7th inning of tonight’s game happened.
In an incredibly valiant, albeit stupid move, Sox first baseman Steve Pearce ran toward the Astros dugout to try and catch a foul ball. The ball drifted into the home dugout, so Pearce dove, head over cleats, in after it. It was pretty clear he wasn’t going to make the catch, but it was even clearer that he was making a dangerous attempt and would land hard in enemy territory.
And not one member of the Houston team tried to prevent him from face-planting in the concrete. They actually moved out of the way.
Look, I get that it’s the postseason, plays happen in a split-second, and tensions are running especially high between these two teams. But this is about so much more than that. This is about a human being who could’ve been seriously injured, and the Astros did nothing. Pearce tumbled headfirst into a concrete dugout filled with wooden benches and all kinds of stuff that can destroy your head and spine.
TBS announcer Ron Darling agreed, saying most other teams would try to prevent you from falling like that. And when the player is clearly not going to make the catch, there’s no risk of interference or any kind of issue. The issue would have been Steve Pearce becoming the second man in MLB history to die from injuries sustained in a ballgame. I mean, props to Justin Verlander for helping him up, but that was after the fact. They all just watched him fall.
This is what happens when a pathetic franchise finally gets a taste of the championship life. They and their fans become cocky, braggadocious, and obnoxious. It’s a bad, bad look, reminiscent of the 2012 Sox, who were an absolute disaster. The difference? These guys won a World Series last year, and couldn’t look more like losers if they tried.
Photos: Twitter