In what should have been a joyous occasion in the locker room following the Marlins sweeping the Blue Jays, soon turned ugly.
Hanley Ramirez had some problems with being hit by a pitch and the Marlins not retaliating.
Here is the timeline:
1. Hanley Ramirez complains to the press about being hit by a pitch in the game and that the Marlins didn't retaliate. Calls out Fredi Gonzalez and Josh Johnson for not protecting him.
2. The ask Fredi Gonzalez on his thoughts about Ramirez's statement.
3. Fredi meets with Hanley behind closed doors.
4. Fredi returns from the meeting livid and throws the press out of the locker room.
Here is Juan C. Rodriguez's account of the incident:
His team leading 8-3, Ramirez took a Dirk Hayhurst fastball off the left elbow.
Ramirez had no doubt it was on purpose.
"Everybody knows," Ramirez said, to a group of reporters at his locker. "I think Fredi knows it. [Josh Johnson] knows it. [Hayhurst] was throwing strikes."
Approached again and asked if the team has to defend him in that situation, Ramirez cemented his point in Spanish, saying: "You know, incredible. There’s going to come a point where I’m not going to feel protected. I’m going to be scared to hit a home run because I know I’m going to get hit."
Ramirez added the team was "obligated" to retaliate. Hayhurst also hit Jeremy Hermida two innings earlier.
Informed about Ramirez’s comments, Gonzalez initially said, "I don’t want to get into that to be honest with you."
A few minutes later, after Gonzalez met privately with Ramirez, he emerged on a rampage. He asked to listen to Ramirez’s taped comments. Before they could be cued up, Gonzalez threw out two reporters from the clubhouse, accusing them of trying to stir stuff up.
The remaining two South Florida media representatives in the clubhouse were asked to leave as well.
Here are the ones from the other members of the South Florida print media, Clark Spencer and Joe Capozzi. They are basically the same with the only difference being where they decided to add detail.
Let's take the timeline in order, first with Hanley complaining to the media.
If Ramirez was really upset he should have taken it up with Fredi behind closed doors and not voiced his concerns to the media. Not to mention the bad form of calling out a fellow player to the press. There is something called professionalism and that was a standard Ramirez didn't even get close to.
This is not the first time this season Hanley has whined publicly. In spring training he complained about the hair and jewelry policies, asked to be traded and then wore a t-shirt stating the same in, shall we say, colorful language.
Ramirez is young and some behaviors can be kinda brushed aside publicly and discussed later with him on why that is not the appropriate way to handle his concerns.
But when he said the following:
"You know, incredible. There’s going to come a point where I’m not going to feel protected. I’m going to be scared to hit a home run because I know I’m going to get hit."
Dude, I've got news for you, you didn't hit a home run in the series and in fact you weren't even the star of the offensive for the series. Also, you were not the only one to get plunked. In fact, you are not even leading the team in hit by pitches or in home runs.
Is the "I'm going to be scared to hit a home run because I know I'm going to get hit" in chapter two of the How to be a Prima Dona Handbook?
The other part of it is, by publicly saying you are very easy to intimidate to the point you will stop trying, I can guarantee you will get hit and it won't matter how many times the Marlins retaliate, the other team will make you a target.
In the future if Ramirez has a problem he should take it up with Fredi behind close doors. It is the professional way to handle things.
And now the part for Fredi, it is the media's job to ask for the opinions of the ones being called out -- it is called journalism. Meaning they want to give you the chance to tell your side of the story, it is what they do. There is no need to holler at messengers who are telling you that your star player thinks you won't standup for him.
However, I don't know what happened in the closed door meeting with Ramirez, but it does sound as Fredi was looking for someone to take it out on and the guys in the media just found themselves in the wrong spot at the wrong time.
Then again, all of the accounts of the incident with Fredi are coming from the guys in the media, and they have egos too.
Whatever the case, it sure put a sour ending on an otherwise great day.