Brian Sabean vs. Scott Cousins and the world

[Bobbob1313]

Yeah, probably, but I think there's a greater separation of what marks professionalism between players and FO guys (Sabean begrudgingly included), the guys in suits are/should be held to a higher standard.

I think it's more a guy standing up for his friend/teammate situation. I mean, what he said and what Sabean has said aren't really even comparable in terms of immaturity. LoMo's saying "Ok, just hit me if it'll make you feel better." Sabean basically implied the world would be a better place without Scott Cousins. Would it be better if LoMo just said nothing? Or would a generic press statement have sufficed. I prefer the "realness" of everything he's said.

I didn't take it as "just hit me," I took it like a taunt or a dare. Like "If you're so tough, go after me, see what happens."

[CrimsonCane]

I did not take his comments to mean that.

[Bobbob1313]

I guess it's open to interpretation then.

[THE_REAL_MIBS]

Here's a little more on what Morrison said.

"I hope [Sabean] apologizes, because what he said was wildly inappropriate and wildly unprofessional, and it really shows ignorance on his part," Morrison said. "Not to show compassion for a human being who is going through a hard time ... I guess he wouldn't know anything about. If it were me, and I was on his side, I'd reserve my comments until the death threats have subsided."

Cousins, who is from the Bay area and attended the University of San Francisco, has reportedly received death threats via e-mail since last week's collision.

"That's immature. That's childish," Morrison said.

Morrison also disagreed with any requests for a rule change regarding collisions at home plate.

"If he doesn't like the rules, be in a different game," Morrison said of Sabean. "These have been around for a hundred years. This game is this way because it doesn't make the changes that football does or like basketball does. It sticks with the same rules. For him to question the integrity of the game because it happens to him, and it happens to one of his best players, doesn't mean that it should ask for rules changes."

Morrison noted that rule changes weren't addressed after Houston's Humberto Quintero was hurt at home plate two days after the Posey injury.

The Cousins-Posey incident occurred in the second of three games at San Francisco, and Morrison said a number of San Francisco players either texted the Marlins or told them that the collision was a "clean play."

"It's funny -- when I talked to those guys, and they sent over text messages to Cuz, they said, 'Hey, we thought it was a clean play,'" Morrison said. "They didn't feel any animosity at anybody."

The Marlins were prepared for retribution in the third game of the series, but nothing surfaced on a day Anibal Sanchez tossed a shutout in a 1-0 win.

If the Giants seek retribution when the teams meet in South Florida Aug. 12-14, Morrison said the San Francisco pitchers should throw at him.

"If they are going to feel any animosity at anybody, throw at me. I will take it for Cuz, for sure," Morrison said. "I'll put the bull's eye on my back. That's the least I can do for Cousins and this team.

After the incident, Cousins wrote a letter to Posey and made several attempts to reach the Giants catcher. Reports of Cousins receiving death threats first surfaced after Sabean's comments Thursday.

"They have to know this thing is going on with Scott," Morrison said. "For him to come out and say something like that is just showing no compassion for a human being. This goes above baseball. This is life and death. It's not about a game. Not about a season. Not about one player."

The collision occurred when Cousins was tagging on Emilio Bonifacio's sacrifice fly to right field. The Giants have repeatedly insisted that Cousins "had a lane" that he could have used to avoid contact.

Cousins ran straight down the line and initially believed Posey had the ball.

"Here's the thing: It's the winning run of the game," Morrison said. "Even if he did, and I'm not saying he did have a clear lane, but that lane was about to be shut off by Posey, who was coming back towards him to tag him.

"You're watching it in slow motion replay. If I had a clean lane and had to slide, and I was out by sliding, I'm mad at myself for not running him over. It's within my rights to run him over and separate him from the ball.

"If it was me running, I would have put him in the third row of the stands. If he got hurt, I'm sorry. That's part of the game. I'd feel bad if he did get hurt. But I wouldn't have written a two-page letter like Cousins did. I wouldn't have tried to reach out to him like Cousins did, because I know it's part of the game. I wouldn't have felt half as bad as Cousins did. And for Posey not to write back to him or say anything to him, that's just immature and childish. I have no respect for him or respect for Sabean."

The Marlins don't return to San Francisco this year, but they play at Oakland in Interleague Play June 28-30. The organization is expecting heightened security for that series.

"I don't have any animosity towards the Giants," Morrison said. "I don't think our team has any animosity towards the Giants. I have animosity towards Sabean and the comments he made. I have animosity towards Posey for the comments that he made."

Marlins' Morrison responds to Sabean remarks

[PitchingWinsGames]

I guess it's open to interpretation then.

"If they are going to feel any animosity at anybody, throw at me. I will take it for Cuz, for sure," Morrison said. "I'll put the bull's eye on my back. That's the least I can do for Cousins and this team.

fair enough

[Bobbob1313]

See, that clarifies it. Obviously, I was wrong.

Which is, of course why 140 character snippets suck. They provide no context.
--------------------

"If he doesn't like the rules, be in a different game," Morrison said of Sabean. "These have been around for a hundred years. This game is this way because it doesn't make the changes that football does or like basketball does. It sticks with the same rules. For him to question the integrity of the game because it happens to him, and it happens to one of his best players, doesn't mean that it should ask for rules changes."

I think he's not all that familiar with baseball history.

"I have animosity towards Posey for the comments that he made."

“I want to make this very clear: I don’t know Cousins, I’m not out to villify Cousins in any way whatsoever. It happened and it’s over with. But the main point I want to get across is a play like that is something that’s gotta be looked at by Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players’ Association because, and this might sound dumb, but I feel fortunate I’ve just got a torn up leg. As a catcher, you’re left in a very exposed position when you catch the ball and have a guy bearing down on you as hard as he can. I’m fortunate I didn’t come away with a neck injury or a spinal injury. It’s tough to be in a good position when the play happens so fast.”

?

There seems to be a disconnect between what Posey actually said and what people think he said.

[HUGG]

I have no problem with most of what Morrison said now that we have the full context.

However, I have no problem with Posey not responding to Cousins. Everyone handles things their own way.

[PitchingWinsGames]

Oh, I wasn't trying to one up you or anything.

You can hit me with a pitch if it'll make you feel better.

[Chewford]

I've lost a lot of respect for Posey. Not only did he attend a university that is quite inferior to others, but that comment is just dumb. Don't be a fucking catcher if you're going to complain because a player crashes into you trying to score.

[Miamarlin21]

I wonder how different it would be of Buck or Hayes or another catcher did that to him instead.

[THE_REAL_MIBS]

Here's John Buck's take on this.

As for Sabean, Cousins teammates are hoping baseball takes swift action. ESPN reported Thursday that former Yankees and Dodgers manager, Joe Torre, now MLB's head disciplinarian, was planning on meeting with Sabean soon. If given the chance for their own face to face meeting, several Marlins said they would give Sabean more than an earful.

"It seems like it has taken him a week to maliciously come up with a way to try and ruin Scott Cousins’ career, so basically what he is doing is exactly what he is accusing Cousins of doing," catcher John Buck said.

"It upsets everyone in here because not only is Scott a good teammate, it is affecting him off the field, it is affecting his family. It kind of hurts more on an emotional level. We see him here having to deal with it. For [Sabean] to stir this up again, I hope the league deals with it the right way."

Cousins' Marlins teammates sound off on Giants GM Brian Sabean

[Beef]

"Somebody who does that is looking to hurt somebody."

- Brett Hayes' take on things

[Bobbob1313]

About Cousins?

[Beef]

Nyjer

Hayes later changed his stance after Chad Tracy and I think Brad Davis said it was a clean play and that it happens

[THE_REAL_MIBS]

Ken_Rosenthal: #SFGiants issue statement. Sabean spoke "out of frustration and out of true concern for Posey . . . not meant to villify Cousins. Sabean has been in contact with #Marlins GM Larry Beinfest to clarify remarks and has reached out to Cousins directly. #SFGiants #MLB

/Twitter