Upton bringing sports Downton

We’ve seen a sturdy increase in super talented young players with extraordinary potential entering major sports over the past few years. From players like Lebron James to Reggie Bush and Sidney Crosby, these guys have been commended as being the best of their generation since before they were old enough to understand what it meant. This constant praise has assisted in creating an overwhelming arrogance and a gross self-confidence (some of which I admit is necessary to succeed in athletics today) that has lead many young athletes to feelings of superiority, entitlement and privilege. Before I continue I would like to say that I have not seen the 3 athletes I have already mentioned demonstrated any of the negative characteristics I will be addressing here in this rant. The disgraces I would like to concentrate on are players like Delmon Young and more specifically Justin Upton.

Delmon Young’s shameful act was well publicized. It is not easy to throw a bat at an umpire and have it go unnoticed. However, what over 10,000 fans at Dodger Stadium, including myself, witnessed this past Saturday has managed to do just that.

Justin Upton, the brother of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays’ B.J. Upton, was the Arizona Diamondbacks first overall pick in the 2005 first year player draft. He made is major league debut this past week, getting his first start on Friday August 3, 2007 at Dodger Stadium at the age of 19. On Saturday nights game he made is second start in right field. My seats for this game were just inside the right field foul pole on the second level, second row. This gave me a great view of the right fielder and every play he made, or didn’t make. That evening the rookie Upton made 2 errors. The first on a somewhat difficult play, running to the foul line towards the wall and dropping the ball off of his glove a half step in fair territory. The second error was inexcusable. It was a routine fly ball in the bottom of the seventh, a half dozen steps from where he was positioned. The cocky young rookie attempted to make a one handed catch with no outs and runners on first and second, and he failed. Leaving the bases loaded with no outs. As you can imagine, the fans in Chavez Ravine reacted like fans in any major city would (New York, Chicago, Philadelphia). They proceeded to let him know what a horrible mistake he had made by laughing, booing, chanting and heckling in general. Any professional athlete should expect such a reaction when they make such a significant error. And a professional athlete should handle such jeering with professionalism. When the inning is over you put your head down and trot back into the dugout. Go out there next inning and play ball.

The last out of the seventh inning was another routine fly to Upton along the right field line. This time he made the catch, using two hands. As he began trotting back to the dugout he flung the ball into the first few rows of patrons. He did not toss the ball to the fans as is typically done, he practically threw an underhand line drive like he was a female softball pitcher (without the wind up of course). Standing in the area he threw the ball (the first row or two closest to the field) was a mother holding her infant and several young children. I looked on with amazement and anger with thousands of fans. People in the area began booing and were chanting “throw it back”, a chant typically used for visitors home run balls and something I had never seen with a gift ball tossed to the crowed. The ball was thrown onto the field and everyone around cheered.

How dare this petty, insignificant rookie who feels he is entitled to praise and admiration throw a baseball AT fans!!! How dare he!!! How could a person who claims to be a professional athlete not be capable of being criticized by fans without purposely endangering the physical well being of the individuals paying to watch him play. This is far more outrageous than Michael Vick giving fans the finger or Randy Moss pretending to moon the crowd at Lambeau Field. Major League Baseball and the Arizona Diamondbacks should fine this prima donna and let him know this actions are unacceptable and a disgrace to himself, the franchise and the league. He went out of his way to endanger spectators (some of which were children), and there can be no excuse for this. I will forever consider any fan of Justin Young’s to be a rival of mine, just as I consider people who like players like Delmon Young and Barry Bonds and Ron Artest and Terrell Owens to be my adversaries. I will not stand to let people embrace players who act as egocentric and careless and Young has done.

Now I admit that I had a few drinks that evening, though I was not drunk by any means. I do not deny that this observation was solely from my vantage point and it may look different from another angle. But last night I ran into someone who also happened to be at that game, sitting along the right field line in the field section. And without any mentioning of the situation from me, he described the very same inexcusable act. Thousands of other fans saw and yelled in anger when this happened. It did happen. Justin Upton is an atrocious human being, and the world needs to know.