Twitter exploded last night when Adam Wainwright said to reporters that he gave Derek Jeter “a couple of pipe shots,” one of which Jeter was able to deposit in the right field corner for a leadoff double. People accused Wainwright of everything from ruining Jeter’s big night to hurting the sanctity of the All-star game because, after all, “This one counts.”
One particularly outraged protector of the cathedral that is baseball wanted an investigation into the pitch.
Keith Olbermann on Twitter
Guarantee you, joke or Unexpected Truth Escape, the Adam Wainwright “pipe shots” #ASG remark about Jeter will require an investigation
Another nationally-respected newspaper columnist was so incensed by Wainwright’s actions he resorted to name-calling.
Thomas Boswell on Twitter
Wainwright says he grooved a couple to Jeter. Maybe ‘bush’ to do it. But worse to SAY you did it. Ruins moment you conspired to create. Dope
This is the second Twitter controversy Cardinal Nation has found itself in in less than a week.
On Saturday during the broadcast of the Cardinals-Brewers game, Fox Sport 1’s Gabe Kapler made an ill-constructed comment about how Lucroy starting the All-Star game for the injured Yadier Molina was somehow fitting. Kapler mistakenly used the term “poetic justice” to describe the situation.
Cardinal fans on Twitter were upset with Kapler’s characterization. They were so strong in their outrage that he felt the need to explain his position on Twitter later that night.
gabe kapler on Twitter
Dear #Cardinals fans:
Some would say that it is fitting that Cardinal Nation had to defend one of their favorite sons who was under attack on Twitter just three days after they pounced on someone else’s ill-advised comment. You could even say it was poetic justice.
Personally, I believe both of these “controversies” are ridiculous.
Some loud Cardinal fans completely overreacted to what Kapler said on the broadcast. Anyone with any ability to understand the English language and took a minute to think knew that he was only saying he believed Jonathan Lucroy deserved to start the All-Star game, not that Yadi deserved to be injured. Based on first half performance, Lucroy deserved the start. It would take some creative stat manipulation to prove otherwise.
As for Wainwright, he almost immediately started backtracking from his comments. Fox’s Erin Andrews even did an in-game interview in the dugout so Wainwright could try and put the spotlight back on Jeter where it belonged. Wainwright says he was just joking and the media just didn’t get the joke.
We know Wainwright is very dry so he very well might have been joking. The problem is that sarcasm is lost in 140 characters on a reporter’s Twitter account. I am still not 100% sure he was joking, but here is the video of the original comments and the apology/clarification.
The truth is it shouldn’t matter if Wainwright wants to give Jeter something he can handle in his last All-Star game, because this game shouldn’t matter. I understand why some NL fans would be upset if the NL lost because of Wainwright’s act of reverence to Jeter. The team with home-field advantage has won 23 of the last 28 World Series titles (H/T Baseball Tonight).
It has been written about extensively, including by Arch City’s own Dan Buffa, but it’s time to stop trying to make this exhibition game mean something. Just give home field advantage to the best team. They earned it over 162 games. This dumb experiment needs to end.
Unfortunately these won’t be our last Twitter controversies.
I love Twitter. I think it is the greatest invention, outside of the smartphone, in the last 15 years. Twitter is not only a social media site but an information aggregator. You can get all your news you could possibly want, tailored to you, at a breakneck pace.
The problem arises when people only read the 140 character tweet and don’t get the proper context. One or two people are rubbed the wrong way by part of a quote or story and they perpetuate half-informed rage until it reaches a critical mass and people start calling for other peoples’ jobs (see #CancelColbert).
So my plea to the Cardinal Twitterverse is to try and stay above the fray and to actually read stories not just headlines because that ignorant vile you spit at someone else will come back at you and your team when someone from your camp says something they shouldn’t.
Karma’s a bitch.
Photo Credit: Deadspin.com/ Fox Sports
Follow me on Twitter and watch me try and fail to not overreact, @TimJKaiser
1 comment
Unfortunately, some people thrive on controversy. They must be under constant stress watching for the least little thing to start trying to rile others. If Adam Wainright said he was joking, he was joking. Because some chose to turn it into something controversial doesn’t mean that’s what it was! Investigate it? Oh, please, spare us!!!
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