quote:Originally posted by TG:This is the new generation of ball player. Most opposing players are not offended. They just do the same.quote:Originally posted by Orlando:
The posturing and operatic gestures, however, irritate the bejaysus out of me. The chest-thumping, arms-extended thing (by any player) is pretentious. (Not even mentioning how inappropriate it can be, depending on the game situation) I'd just like to think that ballplayers, particularly successful ones, were more secure in their manhood than to need that kind of preening peacock display.
I'm not sure Bob Gibson would have waited for the next at-bat to earhole Manny. He'd probably run up and deck him. It's not Manny. It's today's player. We now live in an era of in your face, lack of respect and taunting. The greatest home run hitter of all time* flips his bat and watches the ball fly.
This is what my concern was when I posted this question but it absolutely shocked me that so many on this site defend his "right" to be the way he is and actually like him. As you've said this is the new me-first, in-your-face, lack of respect world but I didn't think there were so many supporters of this kind of attitude.
Thankfully I don't think i heard one kid interviewed during the LLWS say his favorite player was Manny Ramirez. Almost all DJ.