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Javier Baez was pissed off after Pittsburgh Pirates manager Clint Hurdle criticized him and Willson Contreras for not, “respecting the game,” and he let reporters know after Thursday’s game.
First, here’s what Hurdle had to say about Baez following Wednesday’s game, when the Cubs second baseman hit two home runs, but also tossed his bat in anger after popping up.
And then Hurdle brought up Baez. In the seventh inning on Wednesday, with a runner on second base and none out, Báez hit a high pop-up to shortstop Jordy Mercer and tossed his bat as he ran out of the batter’s box.
“Where is the respect for the game?” Hurdle said. “He’s hit four homers in two days, does that mean you can take your bat and throw it 15-20 feet in the air when you pop up, like you should have hit your fifth home run? I would bet that men went over and talked to him, because I believe they’ve got a group there that speaks truth to power.”
Baez wasn’t having any of it on Thursday.
Javier Baez fires back at Clint Hurdle and the #Pirates: "They can save it."
— Patrick Mooney (@PJ_Mooney) April 12, 2018
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Javier Baez: "I bust my ass every day to play hard. No one plays this game harder than me. I respect 90. But you don't go out there and talk trash about someone."
— Patrick Mooney (@PJ_Mooney) April 12, 2018
Javier Baez, clearly bothered by Clint Hurdle telling reporters he didn't respect the game: "To be honest, I got a lot of things I can say right now. But I don’t control what’s out there, what people talk about me. I’m just going to keep playing my game."
— Patrick Mooney (@PJ_Mooney) April 12, 2018
This certainly won’t end here.
Javy was as fired up as I've ever seen him in an interview in response to Hurdle's comments.
"If I have to apologize to anybody, it's my teammates and my manager."
Story coming @NBCSCubs
— Tony Andracki (@TonyAndracki23) April 12, 2018
Baez did own up to the act and he’s right, he always busts his ass and he only has to own up to his teammates.
Clint Hurdle, how about you handle your own issues with respecting the game in your clubhouse.
https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/pirates-starling-marte-suspended-80-games-after-failing-ped-test/
