This past Thursday, the Los Angeles Dodgers celebrated clinching the National League West by jumping into the pool beyond the right field fence at the Arizona Diamondbacks’ Chase Field.
Adrian Gonzalez complained the water was too cold and Carl Crawford refused to wade into the deep end without a lifeguard on duty, but otherwise, the Dodgers seemed to have a grand time.
But the Arizona Diamondbacks were not pleased. Utility player Willie Bloomquist called the Dodgers classless. Even Arizona Sen. John McCain weighed in, tweeting “No-class act by a bunch of overpaid, immature, arrogant, spoiled brats!”
We all know what happens when you make John McCain angry. Los Angelinos would be wise to keep their eyes to the sky.
Jumping into the pool was a bit excessive for a division championship celebration, but not because it hurt the Diamondbacks’ feelings. The Diamondbacks could have avoided their embarrassment if they themselves hadn’t gone into the tank after May.
It just makes me wonder what the Dodgers will do to top this if and when they continue winning through the postseason.
What is their plan if they beat the St. Louis Cardinals in the NL Division Series? Are they going to saddle-up the Budweiser Clydesdales and parade around the ballpark? What if they go on to knock off the Pittsburgh Pirates in the Championship Series? Zip-line to the Roberto Clemente Bridge? God forbid they then defeat the Boston Red Sox in the World Series. I’m having visions of Crawford and Gonzalez scaling the Green Monster with grappling hooks, a la Batman and Robin, and being greeted by Josh Beckett in the Monster seats tossing them a beer as they climb over the top.
And that’s just when they’re the guests. Imagine the liberties the Dodgers will take if they win in their own ballpark. I just hope Vin Scully has a secret escape corridor.
The Dodgers earned the right to celebrate how they wanted in Phoenix. They weren’t vandalizing anything or creating mayhem.They hurt some feelings, but I’m guessing the likes of Willie Bloomquist were, deep down, grateful to the Dodgers for creating such a spectacle because it took attention away from why a visiting team was able to have such a celebration with more than a week left in the regular season.
Not all of the Diamondbacks were whining. Amidst the uproar, pitcher Brandon McCarthy tweeted the following:
“Celebrating is fun. I don’t care how and where you do it. Only thing to care about is what we need to do to celebrate in our pool next year.”
Let’s just say Bloomquist wasn’t so introspective.
“I would expect them to act with a little more class than they did,” he said. “I doubt the New York Yankees would do something like that.”
Well, Willie, I guess we won’t find out this year, will we?
But I do know this, Willie: The New York Yankees wouldn’t react the way you and most of the state of Arizona are reacting, either.
In 2004, the Boston Red Sox pulled off the greatest comeback in baseball history at the Yankees’ expense. They capped the comeback in Game 7 by embarrassing the Yankees in Yankee Stadium.
You know what the Yankees did in the late innings of that game, as their disappointed fans were filing out? They opened the gates and let in the Red Sox fans who were celebrating on the street.
The fans stuck around after the game, and the Red Sox included them in a celebration that made the Dodgers look stoic by comparison. On the field, players paraded with the ALCS trophy and sprayed champagne on fans in the stands. Trot Nixon wanted to include the fans in the right field bleachers in the frivolity, so he ran out and started spraying the bubbly on them.
The legend has it that some Yankee official wanted to turn out the lights and bring the party to a halt, at least on the field. Owner George Steinbrenner overruled him, supposedly saying something along the lines of “They deserve this.”
Now that’s class.
Look at that, Bloomquist. You made me praise the Yankees and now I feel gross.
Mind if I jump in your pool?
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