Davey Johnson, U.S. baseball team not exactly a hit in China
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BEIJING -- Davey Johnson was known as a hard-nosed player during his 13-year major league career. But the four-time all-star isn’t making many friends in the Olympic baseball tournament.
After the U.S. loss to Cuba in its third game, Johnson accused the Cubans of throwing at American second baseman Jayson Nix, who wound up in the hospital. That drew a strong rebuke from Cuban Manager Antonio Pacheco.
‘It shows a lack of respect on the part of the American coach to say that,’ said Pacheco, like Johnson, a hard-nosed second baseman during his playing days. ‘We would never make a personal attack because we are professional. Cubans respect the game.’
Then on Monday Johnson’s players twice ran over catchers from China, knocking Wei Wang, the host team’s best hitter, out of the game in a 9-1 U.S. win. That drew the ire of Chinese Manager Jim Lefebvre, like Johnson and Pacheco, a hard-nosed second baseman during his playing days. (Note to self: Find out why every team here is managed by a hard-nosed second baseman. And which one has the hardest nose?)
‘If you have a collision at home plate, you never come up and try to hit the guy in the chest,’ said Lefebvre, who was thrown out for protesting the rough play. ‘I felt it was an illegal slide and the umpire should have ejected him at that point. After that, the game got out of hand.’
So out of hand that seven players -- including five Americans -- were hit by pitches, with one, U.S. outfielder Matt LaPorta, going to the hospital with a concussion.
LaPorta, not coincidentally, was hit in the helmet with the first pitch following the second home-plate collision. Lefebvre, of course, denied it was intentional.
‘We do not throw to hit people. We do not teach that,’ the former Dodger said. ‘He tried to throw the ball inside and it got away from him.’
Johnson, noting the fact that baseball is struggling to get a foothold in China, was apologetic.
‘I hope fans don’t get the impression that that’s how you play baseball,’ he said. ‘Today was a rare game.’
-- Kevin Baxter