We ended up taking two of three from Colorado and we'll get back into playing AL teams starting today, but I wanted to talk about the Lee Mazzilli ejection from yesterday's game.
First things first, I say it's about time. Mazz has just sat there and observed far worse things (that Kline non-balk last month springs to mind immediately), and not that I think he's a terrible manager or that everyone needs to run around shouting at the players or kicking dirt or being Larry Bowa, but it wouldn't hurt to see him show emotion either. Even Joe Torre stands up occasionally.
Secondly, the team seems to have loved it. I guess he's been criticized privately by the team for the things users here (and myself) have occasionally complained about, and this seems to have fired them up to know that the manager is as much a fan of not losing as they are.
Miguel Tejada: "It surprised me, because he never does that. ... When your manager goes at it like that, it fires up everybody."
Melvin Mora: "I loved it. ... Sometimes you have to argue, and this was the right time. That's good for us. Sometimes you need protection from the manager."
Now, OK - the ball was foul. Mazz was wrong. Hopefully this won't stop him from using more holidays to run out of the dugout and throw bubble gum about the field.
In other news, Rockies manager Clint Hurdle was impressed with Hayden Penn: "What is he, 20? The discipline, the command of his changeup, the velocity of his fastball. He's got depth and sharpness to his breaking ball. Very good-looking pitcher."
Thanks, Clint. Good luck the rest of the season!