Peralta

[Edgy MD]

Joel Peralta ejected for being caught with foreign substance in his glove last night. He should expect a suspension.

The real story is the sideshow, as Joe Maddon said some nasty shit about Davey Johnson for asking the umps to check on Peralta, the nicer parts of which amount to "Peralta was a Nat --- Johnson's hip; he knows what cooks."

Which, to me, is interesting mainly in that it's a shorthanded way of Maddon admitting that he's hip and knows what cooks, and so possibly invites a suspension on himself (unlikely, but in our post-Bountygate world, who knows). It certainly invites derision.

"It was a rumor that he liked a little pine tar," Johnson said. "I was hesitant to do it. Tim [Tschida] was looking at me kind of grinning. He said, 'What do you want?' I walked out and said, 'Why don't you check it, just to make sure. I'm curious.'?

I heard a report on this morning's news radio that Maddon twice called Johnson's move "a coward move" and that tonight's lineup card exchange should be interesting. That sounded strong, so I checked some game reports online to read Maddon's actual words.

"It was kind of a p***y move to go out there and do that under those circumstances. I like the word: p***y move."

Gah! You can't make "p***y" equal "coward" no matter how hard you try to make it fit! That's the sort of thing that can get to a guy. Two more games left in this one.

Nice to find out all these teams we've been playing recently had cheating cheaters playing for them.

[Ceetar]

so Maddon is implying that cheating is so rampant in Nat-land that even though Johnson never managed Peralta he was aware that he liked to use pine tar enough to call him on it?

[Edgy MD]

Well, many of Peralta's teammates are still around --- his catchers, for instance.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Neither guy is a dummy here. I'm sure Maddon's reaction was every bit as calculated as Johnson's call.

[bmfc1]

�From a real veteran staff on the other side, knowing how this thing works and how it�s worked for many, many years, you can go back to spitball pitchers to greaseball pitchers to whatever kind of pitchers to scuffball pitchers, this is just how the game has been played for 100 years, more than that,� he said. �So to single out Joel Peralta tonight, that�s my concern.�

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/nationals-journal/post/former-nationals-joel-peralta-ejected-from-rays-nationals-game-before-throwing-a-pitch-for-foreign-substance-on-glove/2012/06/19/gJQArpM8oV_blog.html

So is he saying that there is "a code" that allows the use of illegal substances?

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

You know, cheating is allowed in baseball, it's just illegal to get caught.

[Ceetar]

bmfc1 wrote: �From a real veteran staff on the other side, knowing how this thing works and how it�s worked for many, many years, you can go back to spitball pitchers to greaseball pitchers to whatever kind of pitchers to scuffball pitchers, this is just how the game has been played for 100 years, more than that,� he said. �So to single out Joel Peralta tonight, that�s my concern.� http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/nationals-journal/post/former-nationals-joel-peralta-ejected-from-rays-nationals-game-before-throwing-a-pitch-for-foreign-substance-on-glove/2012/06/19/gJQArpM8oV_blog.html So is he saying that there is "a code" that allows the use of illegal substances?

it's why respected icons like Jeter and Rivera never get implicated.

I think he was implying "dude, save it for a division rival"?

[metsmarathon]

there goes peralta's shot at the hall...

[bmfc1]

Johnson called Maddon a "weird wuss" who has a "Tweeter."
Maddon says that players should "think twice" before going to play for the Nationals.

The issue between the two was not simply pointing out the use of pine tar, it was doing so with inside knowledge as Peralta used to play for Washington.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/nationals-journal/post/davey-johnson-responds-to-joe-maddon-calls-rays-manager-a-weird-wuss/2012/06/20/gJQAKG8ArV_blog.html#pagebreak

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/nationals-journal/post/joe-maddon-holds-firm-on-stance-tells-players-to-think-twice-about-coming-to-the-nationals/2012/06/20/gJQA2cR9qV_blog.html

[Edgy MD]

Is anybody else dubious that that sort of thing should be off-limits?

Do you think anybody is actually going to say to his agent, "Well, Washington is offering $15 million per over four years, and Milwaukee offering $13.2 over three with an option. But if I go to Washington and cheat, they might whistle me when I'm on my next club."

That's koo-koo.

[bmfc1]

Edgy DC wrote: Is anybody else dubious that that sort of thing should be off-limits?

You mean don't cheat? That's crazy talk!

[Edgy MD]

As Howie pointed out, Davey Johnson pulled the same thing on Jay Howell in the 1988 playoffs.

[Frayed Knot]

[u:6v3iui0x]Eight[/u:6v3iui0x] game suspension.
Peralta will continue to pitch as he appeals the ruling.