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Jose Bautista and Adam Jones exchange words after 'pimped' home run
The Kansas City Royals and Oakland Athletics may have been the early leaders in baseball feuds this season, but the Toronto Blue Jays and Baltimore Orioles could steal that title soon.
Tempers flared during Tuesday's game following Jose Bautista's seventh inning home run. Early in the at-bat the Orioles' Jason Garcia threw a pitch that went behind Bautista. Both benches were warned following the event.
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On the fifth pitch of the at-bat, Bautista launched a 95 mph fastball out to left for a two-run shot. Bautista took his sweet time admiring his shot before flipping his bat and rounding the bases. While he was running the bases, both Steve Pearce and Ryan Flaherty had things to say to Bautista.
Jose Bautista smacks a two-run HR, stands and watches it leave, flips bat and circles bases. Pearce at 1B, Flaherty at 2B both chirp him...
— Shi Davidi (@ShiDavidi) April 22, 2015
Bautista stared at the Orioles dugout once he crossed home plate.
That was hardly the end of this spat. As Bautista was heading out to right field the next inning, he and Adam Jones exchanged words.
Bautista says Jones called his HR trot “bush-league” – “or another word that sounds like bush-league.” Says pitch behind him was bush-league
— John Lott (@LottOnBaseball) April 22, 2015
Following the game, it doesn't appear either side is backing down.
Adam Jones said Garcia wasn't trying to hit Bautista. Jones said HR trot was "uncalled for." "You pimp the pitcher, you're pimping me too"
— Ben Nicholson-Smith (@bnicholsonsmith) April 22, 2015
In response, Bautista told Sportsnet's Shi Davidi, "I could care less what Adam Jones is saying." He continued to stoke the fires, admitting he admired his home run during the contest.
Jose Bautista: "You throw at me, I’m not going to forget. And if I get you right after, then I’m going to enjoy it and I did.”
— John Lott (@LottOnBaseball) April 22, 2015
Bautista went on to say that he believes the Orioles throwing at him was "premeditated." He also took a shot at Orioles manager Buck Showalter.
Bautista: I think it’s all pretty well planned out & premeditated & I think they hide behind the way their manager acts and conducts himself
— Shi Davidi (@ShiDavidi) April 22, 2015
Showalter indicated that the issue was "closed" following the game, but also noted his displeasure with Bautista making a big deal out of the home run. Both Showalter and Jones mentioned a game last season in which Aaron Sanchez came close to hitting a number of Orioles.
Coincidentally, Sanchez is slated to start Wednesday.
Jones & Showalter both mentioned that Aaron Sanchez hit & came close to hitting some #Orioles in 2014. Guess who starts for #Jays tomorrow?
— Ben Nicholson-Smith (@bnicholsonsmith) April 22, 2015
Based on the comments from everyone involved after the game, it appears this situation is far from over. The two sides are set to face off against each other the next two days, and it certainly sounds like things will be tense.
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This is just the fourth time the two teams have met this season. It seems certain the situation will escalate over the next two days, but the two clubs will still play 13 times following this current series. Unless cooler heads prevail, there's going to be plenty of opportunities for this wound to be re-opened.
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Chris Cwik is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at christophercwik@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik
