Friday, September 20, 2013

Diamondbacks Not Happy About The Dodgers' Celebratory Pool Party

Make sure to stick around until the end of the video to watch Hyun-Jin Ryu jog out to right field, and demonstrate water displacement.

The Dodgers clinched the NL West with their 7-6 win over the Diamondbacks on Thursday, making them the first team to clinch a 2013 postseason spot. As per the Diamondbacks' request, the Dodgers did not celebrate with a speech platform, post-game interviews, or a champagne celebration on the Arizona field.

However, a Dodgers player contingent did go out to the Chase Field right field pool, after the Diamondbacks' crowd had dispersed, and celebrated in the pool.

The Diamondbacks were not amused:

PHOENIX -- The Arizona Diamondbacks were upset after roughly half of the players on the Los Angeles Dodgers celebrated clinching the NL West title on Thursday by jumping into the pool at Chase Field.

Diamondbacks president and CEO Derrick Hall said in a statement to the Arizona Republic, "I could call it disrespectful and classless, but they don't have a beautiful pool at their old park and must have really wanted to see what one was like."

The Diamondbacks had asked the Dodgers to keep their players from returning to the field once the division-clinching celebration began. After the Dodgers' 7-6 win, the team high-fived and gathered briefly at second base before it filed into the clubhouse, where champagne and beer flew.

A few minutes later, players began running toward the pool beyond the right-center field wall and scaling it.

The Dodgers misunderstood the intent of the Diamondbacks' request, according to team president Stan Kasten. He thought they were asking Dodgers players not to celebrate raucously in front of Diamondbacks fans. By the time the players took the plunge, the stadium was largely empty.

"I've never been around a celebration like this that didn't get excited and a little bit boisterous," Kasten said.

Diamondbacks infielder Willie Bloomquist was the most vocal critic of the Dodgers' actions.

"I think it's tired and disrespectful," Bloomquist said. "It's surprising, because they have a lot of veteran guys on that team that I thought were classier than that."

Diamondbacks right-hander Brandon McCarthy hopes it's his team doing the partying in the pool next year.

"Celebrating is fun. I don't care how and where you do it. Only thing to care about is what we need to do to celebrate in our pool next year.", tweeted McCarthy.

Nick Punto was the first to cannon-ball into the pool. Yasiel Puig later took a belly-flop, arms outspread.

Props to McCarthy for understanding the situation and taking the higher ground. Yes, it might not have been the most polite move to celebrate in the pool. But come on, Arizona. The Dodgers' initial celebration was indeed confined to the visitors' locker room, as requested. And it spilled over with a small contingent running over to the pool well after the fans had dispersed.

Here's Dan Bickley of the Arizona Republic, incensed at the Dodgers' alleged sacrilege:

When the Diamondbacks clinched the division in 2011, their post-game pool party was an organic masterpiece. The moment became part of the mythology of Chase Field, where the pool became much more than a sponsorship gimmick and showcase for high-dollar fans. [...]

Surely, the Dodgers were aware of the breach of etiquette. If they weren’t, it’s an even worse commentary on their lack of awareness, on their lack of respect for baseball history.

Wait, let's ground ourselves a second here. Are you talking about the "mythology" of a field that has changed naming rights in its short 15-year history? A field where the D'backs rightfully celebrated a clinching four years ago by doing the same pool party "tradition"? Please.

After six months of battling, and coming back from last place and 9.5 games out of first, is this ebullient wave of emotion unfair? I think it's reasonable. This is a remarkable season for the Dodgers and the post-crowd pool party still is better than a directly-post-game celebration.

Prior Dodger playoff celebrations involved Dodger players spraying champagne while running up and down the dugout roof. I think this episode was more sedate, with behavior par for the course for any pool owner.

Stay cool, Arizona.

7 comments:

Fred's Brim said...

You either whine and cry about it or send a fastball into the ribs of Puig or AGon during spring training next year. But you shouldn't do both. That would show a lack of respect for baseball history.

I am sure Gibby has already put out the order and our guys already expect it.

Neeebs (The Original) said...

It would have been so much better if they all jumped into the pool NAKED....except Uribe, except Ryo, and I don't even want to know what Brian Wilson's pubic hair might look like.

Dusty Baker said...

It's amazing how sensitive people have gotten. In the old days, the winning team would have gone and screwed the Dbags players' wives in celebration.

Put a stupid-ass pool in the outfield, expect the consequences.

Dusty Baker said...

@Neeebs

I think Wilson's beard IS his public hair.

MR.F said...

https://twitter.com/SenJohnMcCain/status/381109591117135872

Neeebs (The Original) said...

@DB

Ughhhh

spank said...

it's just a swimming pool. get a grip D-bags.