Ah, with one mild fastball placed squarely between the ample shoulder blades of Prince Fielder, Barry Zito of our San Francisco Giants reminded the athletic world exactly why Major League Baseball will always be the top dog for many of its fans.
As for me, no affinity for another sport will ever replace my love of "The Show."
And it's because of old-school moments just like Zito's beanball right out of the spring training gates.
For those of you unfamiliar with the first salvo in this six-month-old dispute, allow me to explain.
On Sept. 6, 2009, the portly Milwaukee Brewer put a 12-inning affair with SF to bed— courtesy of one of his prodigious blasts. By the time he reached second base, he was wearing nothing but a jockstrap—OK, OK, so he'd only untucked his shirt.
The real tempest in a teapot started, however, when the big fella reached home plate and "barrelled" into his teammates.
The assembled Brew Crew timbered in unison, as if Fielder were the bowling ball—an enormous stretch—and they were the pins.
Now, several things should be noted.
The win was Milwaukee's 70th against 66 losses.
The St. Louis Cardinals won the National League Central, where the Brewers toiled with a record of 91-71. The Colorado Rockies took the NL Wild Card with a 92-70 tally.
In other words, the fork had already been inserted into the team's 2009 season when Prince did his deed—he and his mates were playing strictly for F-U-N.
That works in Fielder's favor—it's tough to get too upset about creativity in good fun.
On the other hand, the loss was devastating to the dimming San Francisco postseason hopes. That's not necessarily the opposition's concern, but there was a little extra sting to the loss even before the choreographed celebration.
Additionally, while there is no macroscopic bad blood simmering between los Gigantes and the squad from the state boasting America's second-best cheese, the Princely One can't fly under the same flag of innocence.
Once upon a time, there was a backup catcher who played for the Gents named Todd Greene. Greenie was never a superstar or even a flash in the pan, but he was a backstop, and that automatically makes a player endearing—all the more so when a big-money rookie with pro baseball in his genes absolutely obliterates the dude at home plate.
The hit by Fielder wasn't dirty, but it wasn't totally necessary—and that means it wasn't totally fair, either. The collision took on an even more skewed appearance when you considered Greene went 5'10" and about 200 pounds on a heavy day.
Meanwhile, Cecil's kid tipped the scales at 5'11" and 270 bills—propelled by a running start.
Then there's the matter of a Jonathan Sanchez heater that Fielder wore early in 2009— something a tad more serious than getting dinged by the ol' No. 1 from Zito.
So, yeah, there's little warmth to the San Francisco-Prince Fielder relations—a tidbit that makes the Matt-Cain-for-Fielder pleas more than a touch ironic.
Which brings us full circle to Thursday's plunking of the slugging first baseman and the reason it's baseball in a nutshell.
Zito and the Giants served notice for those who'd forgotten over the winter that this is not a sport that will abide Sharpies in the sock or Irish dancing for the cameras. It's not a sport that takes posturing or showmanship lightly—not if it comes at the expense of the vanquished foe.
To some of us who grow tired of all the self-aggrandizing that befouls the other major sports, it's refreshing to see one game that's still desperately clinging to the vestiges of dignified sportsmanship.
Just don't mention steroids. One bruise at a time.
In truth, all the nonsense about Fielder and his history with the Bay Area's Senior Circuit rep is just that: Nonsense, because the celebration was more than enough to elicit the heat-seeker.
It was a relatively minor affront almost half a year ago. The blip was so minor that this die-hard Giant fan found it thoroughly amusing. I honestly didn't expect the boys to retaliate—and certainly not so urgently.
But it was enough.
That's Big League baseball.
How I've missed it.
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