Upton

[Eddiey]

When CC hit one into the gap last night he was called safe stretching
a single into a double. The replay showed he was out but the ump blew
the call. According to the Seattle announcers Upton ran half speed
going home from second base and had the ump not blown the call at second
Upton's run wouldn't have counted. It looks like BJ is going to need
continuous boots in his butt till he learns to hustle at all times.

[raysnbran]

It looks like Upton will need to be benched. His repeated lack of hustle is the one factor that gets Maddon mad, and will end up getting his butt shipped out of here in the offseason. He will then join the other 2 malcontents (Dukes and Young) that were such good friends at Durham who can't seem to accept authority and direction at the big league level. Maddon has grown tired of his act, and pulled him off the field last night after he had taken his CF position for barely running halfway up the line on a DP grounder. He has repeatedly turned down prior offers to sign a long term deal with the team like others have done, defies the manager, and his decreased power production tells me he doesn't want to be a part of this team. It's a shame someone so young cannot figure it out and will end up being traded away from an up and coming organization :banghead:

Quote:
ARLINGTON -- Joe Maddon disciplined B.J. Upton for the second time this season when the Rays manager removed his center fielder from the game for lack of hustle on an inning-ending double play on Friday night.
Maddon plans to bench Upton on Saturday.

Upton hit into the double play in the sixth inning, prompting Maddon to yank Upton and insert Justin Ruggiano into center field.

Upton ran "5.33 [seconds] to first base," said Maddon with displeasure, noting that the Major League average to first is 4.3 seconds. "And you see how we're playing right now. Everybody who watches us, you understand why we're in the position we're in right now and it's about continuous effort. I can't make it any more plan, simple, obvious, black and white, whatever, there are no gray areas. And I can't have [Akinori Iwamura] run like he is, and [Carlos] Pena, and Cliff [Floyd], who's got two bad knees, etc. And then permit that. I can't permit it."

Maddon believes overlooking a lack of hustle would be a disservice to the organization.

"If we're going to be a really good organization, it has to permeate the entire group," Maddon said. "I'm not just talking about the Major League club. I'm talking from rookie ball all the way up to Triple-A. So I hope that our Minor Leaguers read all about this tomorrow because I want that message sent to them, too. That's how we play. And if we're going to compete in this division for years to come, we can't take anything for granted. And that's what I'm talking about -- assumptions. You can't assume. So for me, that has no place here. Now or in the future. And again, I can't make it any clearer than that."

Maddon said he has not decided if there will be further discipline.

"I have not spoken to him right now and I'm not going to tonight," Maddon said. "I'm going to wait until tomorrow. It's one of those things where you get really upset, sometimes you say things you don't really mean. So I'll wait until tomorrow, but he won't be in the lineup, I can tell you that."

When asked about his lack of hustle, Upton said, "I thought there were two outs."

"Obviously I was wrong," Upton said. "I didn't run it out again. I'm not playing tomorrow either. There's not much more I can say."

Upton said he was "stunned a little bit" about getting yanked during the game.

"There's not much I can say about it," Upton said. "He made the move when he wanted to make the move."

Upton said he needed to start hustling all the time.

"I mean I'm going to have to if he keeps doing it, making me the example," Upton said. "So, I guess I can't let him make me the example any more. ... I guess I'm the only one not running them out. You can't be singled out when you're the only one not doing it."

Upton sounded like he was prepared to take his medicine.

"Hopefully, it's over with and this is the last time we deal with it," Upton said.

Upton Benched Again for Poor Effort

[zengator]

I don't mean to bust on you personally, but you're repeating a lot of the misinformation out there about BJ Upton. Big example: Contrary to suggestions I keep hearing (especially from the local sports talk loudmouths) Upton, Dukes, and Young were NOT best buddies. In fact, BJ apparently stormed into the clubhouse to severely chastise Delmon after the infamous bat-throwing incident in Durham, and he was NOT upset at all went Dukes and Young were traded away.

Also, he has not been officially offered a long-term deal and has done everything the team has asked. Move to 2B? Sure. More to CF? Sure. I've also heard coaches say that he listens and wants to improve his skills.

And in what way has he "defied his manager"? A true malcontent would have had a screaming confrontation in the dugout last night after being benched in such a deliberately embarassing manner, or at least gone down into the locker room to sulk. Yet there was BJ, standing in the dugout congratulating his teammates during the remainder of the game.

Honestly, I think the whole "BJ is lazy" and "BJ is the debil" themes are overblown and exaggerated. Some in the local media has been all over him ever since he came up. As someone who watches almost every game, I think their comments have been overwhelmingly full of crap.

Now, for whatever reason, Maddon is using Upton as an example for the rest of the team. I just hope it turns out positively.

[raysnbran]

Maybe it's the way he runs that appears to me like he's not busting his butt all the time, where it appears he's gliding. Maddon needs to be consistent then with everyone if you feel BJ is being singled out. Floyd hit the ball to the wall last night and stood and watched it a bit, resulting in him having to hustle to get a double when he could have been on 3B if he had really busted it out of the box. Sometimes when BJ misplays a ball in CF, he doesn't appear to be running hard to the wall to pick it up, meanwhile the runner is standing on third. I could have sworn that BJ has been offered similar deals to what Kazmir, Shields and Longoria were offered, but prefers to play out his contract. At this point, Andrew, Joe and Stu need to sit in a room and find out what the problem is and fix it. Is it a personality clash between Maddon and BJ? Figure it out or else move him while he has value, don't wait until you can only get a scrub RP for him which is what happened with Dukes.

[zengator]

Maybe it's the way he runs that appears to me like he's not busting his butt all the time, where it appears he's gliding. Maddon needs to be consistent then with everyone if you feel BJ is being singled out. Floyd hit the ball to the wall last night and stood and watched it a bit, resulting in him having to hustle to get a double when he could have been on 3B if he had really busted it out of the box. Sometimes when BJ misplays a ball in CF, he doesn't appear to be running hard to the wall to pick it up, meanwhile the runner is standing on third. I could have sworn that BJ has been offered similar deals to what Kazmir, Shields and Longoria were offered, but prefers to play out his contract. At this point, Andrew, Joe and Stu need to sit in a room and find out what the problem is and fix it. Is it a personality clash between Maddon and BJ? Figure it out or else move him while he has value, don't wait until you can only get a scrub RP for him which is what happened with Dukes.

I've had similar observations, and I don't know why BJ is singled out so much. Perhaps his demeanor puts people off - he sometimes comes across as a tough guy when in fact he's generally soft spoken.

Maybe it is a personality clash. If so, Maddon and Upton need to get over it and find a way to coexist. The team is definitely weaker - both at the plate and in the field - when BJ is on the bench.

[zengator]

Interesting article (http://tampabay.rays.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080816&content_id=3319571&vkey=news_tb&fext=.jsp&c_id=tb) on the subject:


"(Maddon) wasn't mad, it was more disappointed," said Upton, who showed contrition Friday night and continued to do so Saturday. "You don't want to disappoint the manager."

Maddon seemed to feel good after clearing the air.

"I'm not angry; it's more about disappointment," Maddon said. "You know what it's like when you have children and you say get the car home at a certain time or be home before a certain time and they don't. There's a certain amount of anger at first, but then a lot of it's based on disappointment. And that's primarily if I had to describe my emotions, it's that."

Maddon added that he liked Upton and called him a "wonderful young man."

"He's going to be a superstar in this league," Maddon said. "He's a big part of this organization in the future. But you have to draw the line at some point to make sure all the right things do occur in the years to come.

"He can be a catalyst for us during the playoffs. And I want him to understand that. But we have to work through some moments and issues right now to get to that point. And he listened very well, and I listened to him. And we're going to move it along. Last time is ancient history."

[raysnbran]

Maybe this will be the kind of relationship that Lecavalier and Tortorella had at the beginning with the Lightning. Vinny thought Torts was singling him out for public floggings and clashed a lot with him, but towards the end of their time together, he realized Torts was just trying to make him accountable and to be the best player he could possibly be. Hopefully BJ realizes it and doesn't tune out Maddon and becomes the superstar everyone projected him to be as the #1 overall pick.

[raysnbran]

Did Upton just do it again?? :banghead: He hits a ball to LF and thinks it's a HR. He goes into his trot out of the batters box, then sees it hit the wall and jogs into 2B and gets tagged out!! Is this guy dumb as a box of bricks or what? Jeezo Pete, get with the program BJ!!

[zengator]

Yeah, impossible to explain that brainfart away.

Once it was obvious it wasn't going to be a HR, BJ should have been hustling into second. But he was barely jogging...

[raysnbran]

He gets tagged out by the 1B Teixiera, who WAS hustling. Not sure what else Maddon can do except suspend him longer. Fines won't matter to him. It has to come from the vets in the clubhouse. They need to take him aside, slap him upside the head, and knock some sense into him. Guys would kill to be 24, on a first place team seemingly headed for years of success, yet he is willing to piss it all away.

[zengator]

I disagree. It's not an attitude problem. BJ's always been able to get by on talent alone and needs to get into the habit of hustling.

Ironic how he was in the spotlight again tonight with that horrible call at 1st. I'm sure he'd love to come to the ballpark for once w/o controversy following him around.

[Eddiey]

He gets tagged out by the 1B Teixiera, who WAS hustling. Not sure what else Maddon can do except suspend him longer. Fines won't matter to him. It has to come from the vets in the clubhouse. They need to take him aside, slap him upside the head, and knock some sense into him. Guys would kill to be 24, on a first place team seemingly headed for years of success, yet he is willing to piss it all away.

I think his problem has more to do with making too many assumptions.
He assumes that the fly ball will be caught, the second baseman will
make the easy throw or the ball off the center field wall is a sure double.
He has to learn that he can't assume anything.Tonight he was called out on the bases due to a bad call by the umpire. BJ busted his butt down the line. Maddon got tossed when coming to his defense. I can't help but wonder if Joe argued that strongly as a show of support for when BJ does hustle and do his job.

[Evangelion]

I think his problem has more to do with making too many assumptions.
He assumes that the fly ball will be caught, the second baseman will
make the easy throw or the ball off the center field wall is a sure double
It might be assumption, but his assumption is the reason he wasn't hustling. Not just Upton, but in general, there's plenty of players that make assumptions they have a HR or going to be out and don't hustle down the line. Two examples would be Jimmy Rollins and Manny Ramirez. As a fan of baseball, I just question why these players can't hustle when they hit the ball. It's their job after all and they're being paid to do their job.

A lot of players don't hustle when they hit the ball, but that doesn't excuse Upton or these players.

[Eddiey]

It might be assumption, but his assumption is the reason he wasn't hustling. Not just Upton, but in general, there's plenty of players that make assumptions they have a HR or going to be out and don't hustle down the line. Two examples would be Jimmy Rollins and Manny Ramirez. As a fan of baseball, I just question why these players can't hustle when they hit the ball. It's their job after all and they're being paid to do their job.

A lot of players don't hustle when they hit the ball, but that doesn't excuse Upton or these players.

As I said in my post, he has to learn he can't assume anything.

[Eddiey]

BJ has taken a lot of deserved criticism for his screw ups on the basepaths
and what at times appears to be lack of hustle.
Now we find out that he is playing with a torn labrum in his left shoulder
which prevents him from swinging the way he has in the past. The man
is playing through pain everyday. So in the interest of fair play I must
applaud BJ for putting the team ahead of his own pain. Way to go BJ.

[Matito]

BJ has taken a lot of deserved criticism for his screw ups on the basepaths
and what at times appears to be lack of hustle.
Now we find out that he is playing with a torn labrum in his left shoulder
which prevents him from swinging the way he has in the past. The man
is playing through pain everyday. So in the interest of fair play I must
applaud BJ for putting the team ahead of his own pain. Way to go BJ.

Ever since his incidents, he has really impressed me with both his offensive and defensive plays. Not just anyone can make the plays in centerfield like he has been making.

[Rennie Stennett]

Ever since his incidents, he has really impressed me with both his offensive and defensive plays. Not just anyone can make the plays in centerfield like he has been making.

I watched a game against the White Sox a week or so ago, where Upton lazily went back on a ball, which wasn't an easy play to begin with and He looked over one shoulder and then the other on the way back and he made the catch in deep center, but by the time he tuned around, AJ Pierzynski tagged and was almost to second base. As you remember, AJ was caught in the run down and the Rays were cited for interference and Pierzynski later scored. Anyway, from what I saw, Upton big timed it real cool like and this coolness cost the Rays the game. I like watching the Rays. I"m pulling for them so this made it extra difficult to watch. Good luck the rest of the way.

[zengator]

Oh, crap, now BJ pulled a quad and had to come out of the game. That's all we needed.


VERY BAD WORDS!!!!