The most impressive play, or non-play, of the Mother’s Day game at Great American Ball Park came immediately after Cincinnati Reds’ rookie sensation, Mike Leake allowed his first legitimate hit in the top of the seventh—a two-out double to Cubs’ outfielder Marlon Byrd.
After pitching hitless baseball through the front five, Leake gave up an infield single. If the official score keeper were a cool dude or dudette they would have ruled it an error. In reality, the hot grounder off the bat of Starlin Castro was a single.
But still—c’mon score keep, it’s was Mother’s Day. What? Do you not love your momma or something?
Unfazed, Leake retired the next five. Which brings us to the two-out double in the seventh.
The ball was hammered. Thus, relieving the official score keeper of a multitude of death threats.
The best part of the play came immediately afterwards.
Leake barked at Brandon Phillips and Orlando Cabrera while they were yukking it up over at second base with Byrd.
Both Phillips and Cabrera were probably joking with the Cubs’ outfielder that they had saved the score keeper a multitude of death threats—if they were witty and clever enough.
Mind you, this is a two-run ballgame. The tying run is now at the plate.
Is this really the appropriate time to be fraternizing with an opponent who had just gotten the Cubs first legit hit?
Who knows what Leake barked?
Probably something to the tune of, “Get back into position, I am trying to pitch a winning baseball game for OUR team. You clowns are impeding me from doing me from doing so.”
Last week Eric Ball wrote an outstanding article titled, “Brandon Phillips Will Never Be the Leader the Cincinnati Reds Need .”
Exhibit-A should include a photo of the 22-year old rookie barking, none too kindly, at his 28-year old, multi-million dollar second baseman to get back to work.
In Ball’s piece he states, “Unfortunately, he (Phillips) simply doesn’t lead by example on the field.”
True. True. True.
Mike Leake does lead by example, and Brandon Phillips needs to start taking some notes.
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