So this is what Clark means by providing some leadership (and I like it). Clark pulled Towles aside after Tuesday's game for not checking the runner at 3rd base before throwing to second. Let's let JJO set the scene for us:
Down 2-0 with a man on third, Yorman Bazardo threw a pitch in the dirt to Matt Holliday, prompting Pujols to take off to second. With Colby Rasmus primed to break home from third, Towles attempted to throw Pujols out at second.
Pujols then hesitated and extended a rundown between first and second base long enough to let Rasmus score before the Astros finally tagged Pujols out to end the inning.
Dave Clark:
“I explained to J.R. (Tuesday) night, and so did Eddie (Romero), in a situation like that when you first come up, when a catcher comes up to throw is to peek at third base. (Tuesday) night if he had peeked he would have realized the guy was off third base quite a bit. He could have probably gotten the out at third. That was taken care of as well. I was that young player before. And I made some mistakes, physical and mental. When I had a manager or coach come up to explain to me, I made sure it didn't happen again. Those are things that you never forget.”
-
We also read that JJO seems to have taken exception to Pam Gardner laughed off "blatant false advertising" (JJO's incarnate words, not mine) for not taking more swift action to prevent Spanish-language radio stations from running ads that the Astros were playing the Rojos de Cincinnati, and not the Medias Rojas (de Boston).
Gardner initially joked that it was to get more fans in the seats (funny), but JJO got all huffy (not funny), getting an apology from Gardner. Maybe Gardner just figured that Spanish-speaking Astros fans were smart enough to realize that there was no possible way the Red Sox would be playing in Houston in the last two weeks of the regular season. Just a guess.
We didn't come out here to play tiddlywinks, son.
-Hal Smith
