A seemingly unassuming blowout between the White Sox and Twins suddenly became a focal point of discussion around MLB on Monday when Chicago rookie designated hitter Yermin Mercedes launched a 3-0 home run off a 47 mph pitch from Twins position player Willians Astudillo.
There was some immediate reaction — one echoed by the Twins broadcast — that Mercedes’ decision to swing at a 3-0 pitch in an 11-run game was bad form and a violation of MLB’s unwritten rules.
Unfortunately for Mercedes, the young, exciting White Sox are managed by one of the staunchest defenders of baseball’s archaic unwritten rules: Tony La Russa. And, well, La Russa didn’t exactly take his player’s side in the mini-controversy.
Oh man 😂
Yermin, why'd you have to do La Tortuga like that!
(via @MLB) pic.twitter.com/d3KpEJQs4t
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) May 18, 2021
Tony La Russa was 'upset' that Yermin Mercedes hit a home run on a 3-0 count last night in a blowout win.
"He made a mistake. There will be a consequence he has to endure here within our family."
— Jesse Rogers (@JesseRogersESPN) May 18, 2021
La Russa said he gave the take sign to Mercedes on the 3-0 pitch. He made a mistake. There's a consequence he'll have to endure within the family, per La Russa. "He's not going to do that again," La Russa said. He said it's more about sportsmanship and respect.
— Scott Merkin (@scottmerkin) May 18, 2021
La Russa rejected Mercedes rationale that he was just being himself:
"I heard he said something like, 'I play my game.' No he doesn't. He plays the game of Major League Baseball, respects the game, respects the opponents. And he's got to respect the signs."
— James Fegan (@JRFegan) May 18, 2021
La Russa said Tuesday that Mercedes made a mistake and that he apologized to the Twins for the perceived poor sportsmanship and lack of respect. And, sure, La Russa may have had a point if he was talking about some Little League or men’s league game. But this is professional baseball. Stats matter.
Just looking at it from Mercedes’ perspective, he’s a 28-year-old rookie on a rookie contract. Every home run could prove valuable when it comes to potential arbitration hearings. So, if the Twins want to throw a position player with sub-50 mph stuff, they can’t get mad when a fellow professional baseball player hits one of those pitches 429 feet the other way. That’s just how it works.
It’s a bit disappointing to see a manager ignore that context and throw his own player under the bus. But that sort of thing is expected from La Russa. We all saw it coming.
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_wyY8tioV00sun97Zsmg52CAWj2gYlBA