Tension Brewing Between Hanley and Uggla?

[Madman81]

By initiated the horseshit I meant created the confrontation.

[Ramp]

Don’t know about you, but one of the first things I noticed tonight after Wes Helms’ walk-off home run cleared the left-field wall was the mob of Marlins players streaming toward home plate.

On the very outer fringes of the mob was a lone straggler: Hanley Ramirez.

During the game, TV shots showed Ramirez sitting alone in the dugout – suggesting his teammates were distancing themselves from their All Star shortstop for getting into a shouting match before the game with Dan Uggla.

It would have been interesting what teammates would have said after the game if the Marlins had lost. But there was a happy vibe in the clubhouse after Florida’s 8-7 win, and teammates publicly voiced support for Ramirez.

“I don’t want to spend a lot of time on that. It happened. We’re a family. I love him like a brother. We’ve gotten past it and moved on,’’ Uggla said, adding that he did not regret his pre-game verbal confrontation, which led to a closed-door meeting.

“I’m glad it happened. I’m glad its over with. I’m glad we’ve moved on and I think we are stronger an closer and tighter because of it.’’

Manager Fredi Gonzalez sounded surprised when asked about TV shots that showed Ramirez sitting alone on the bench during the game.

“He was with his teammates at the other end of the bench. The TV narrows it in on him,’’ Gonzalez said.

“”I know you guys want to ask the question. Stuff happens in the course of six months when you’re living with each other. It’s not the first time in any clubhouse. You see it on football fields all the time. The only bad thing is it was out in the media. It happens to championship teams. It’s a big family, a good family and we might be better off for it.’’

Outfielder Cody Ross said he and his teammates are “like brothers. Me and Uggla fight all the time. We yell at each other constantly. It’s good. It builds comraderie.

“We support each other. It doesn’t mean you go out and hang out with each other off the field. ‘’

Ramirez wasn’t around when the post-game clubhouse was opened to the media. A team spokesman said Ramirez didn’t feel like talking.

About an hour after Ramirez-Uggla pre-game confrontation, I walked with Uggla and another reporter to the indoor batting cages. He was polite and cordial when addressing questions about the incident but he wouldn’t elaborate much.

“It was just in the clubhouse,’’ he said. “The bottom line is, it’s over and done with.’’

Uggla said he didn’t apologize to Ramirez and says he holds no ill-will toward him.

He did say he was surprised that Ramirez went to the media with his concerns. Ramirez left Tuesday’s game after the fourth inning with a tight left hamstring, and he said some teammates threw their arms up when he left the game.

“Hanley said his feelings were hurt,’’ Uggla said. “He said somebody showed him up on the field. I don’t know if he was pertaining to me or anyone else. All I did was look at him ago like this (he throws his arms up) and say what’s wrong? He may have took that the wrong way. Who knows?

“It’s over and done with. If he thought that was me, I wasn’t trying to show him up.

“Hanley for whatever reason brought it to the attention of the media. I don’t know why.’’

from Joe Capozzi's blog

[MiamiHomer]

Hanley still be pissed.

[Madman81]

Hanley looked very content during the mob at the plate. I wouldn't expect someone with a bad hamstring to be jumping around like normal.

[Party]

It is unfortunate Hanley's leadership skills have not developed like his playing skills. There is no reason for taking this to the media.

Cody nailed it with his comments (ofcourse ).

[Bobbob1313]

"A couple of the guys did like this when I came out," said Ramirez, throwing his arms up in the air. "I'm not happy with the team."

Overhearing Ramirez, Uggla chimed in: "I was one of them."

“He said somebody showed him up on the field. I don’t know if he was pertaining to me or anyone else. All I did was look at him ago like this (he throws his arms up) and say what’s wrong? He may have took that the wrong way. Who knows?

Sounds like Uggla's backtracking a bit. He was being much more confrontational before.

[Metes]

Who knows what roid rage can do to a man

[Madman81]

Sounds like Uggla's backtracking a bit. He was being much more confrontational before.

I was going to make this exact point last night but didn't feel like going back two pages and quoting the other article.

[Swifty]

Well, whatever happened with Hanley and Uggla, winning sure seems to clear that up.

What's problematic is, well, Hanley's bitched about team policy...he (I hope) jokingly demanded a trade after he had to cut his hair, he's gone to the media, he's done it here, he did it in Boston (they just want to block me) he's acted out (flicked off fans in Portland).

He's a tremendous talent, I want him on my team, I'll always want him on my team, but what on earth happens if we have a bad or unlucky season like we did in 2007 now that he's got a contract and that contract is a source of division in the locker room?

I think one would say that this might create a burden to win, stemming from the notion that we have to keep a player like Hanley happy, but can we truly say we care about winning? We like winning, but I don't think we as an organization lose sleep over dropping 7/9.

[Flum]

The organization definitely cares about winning. They just care about winning less than they care about making a substantial profit.

[Swifty]

Caring about winning means a disregard for something else.

I'm not suggesting they want to lose, but merely that it is far more likely that Loria jumps into a Scrooge McDuck pit of revenue sharing money before he sheds a tear over a losing streak.

There's a difference between wanting to win and liking to win.

[Flum]

We're just talking semantics here. They like winning, they want to win, but I agree that it's not their overriding concern. Making a substantial profit is their overriding concern in my opinion. (And I definitely differentiate between a substantial profit and a profit in general)
--------------------
I guess that distinction -- between just a "profit" and a "substantial profit" -- underlines what they care about most. If winning was their prevailing interest, they would do as much as possible short of being non-profitable in order to win. As they run things now, they do as much as possible to make a profit, but still make a secondary effort to win.

[m26555]

I WANT TO TYPE IN CAPS AND OVER-REACT TOOO


give me a break, sorry but players do this stuff all the time behind the scenes in every sports arguements disputes you name it.

is he hurt? who knows only he knows his body.

Hanley has never shown himself to be like the other ramirez (manny). I dont see that starting now.

it will blow over in no time.

Yeah; I mean, it's not like he walked around wearing a shirt that said "trade me" during spring training because the organization made him cut his hair or anything.

Hanley is a fucking baby, plain and simple. Is he extraordinarily talented? Yes, but he is very, very immature.

Remember the whole incident in Toronto where Hanley said during a postgame interview that he was going to be "scared" to hit home runs because he would be worried about pitchers throwing at him?

[wanks1212]

But this is not the first time a teammate has challenged Ramirez – a month ago veteran infielder third baseman Wes Helms confronted him in an altercation that turned, at least briefly, physical.

“It happens on any team,” Helms said, without offering details but making it clear he has no lingering issues with Ramirez. “If you let things go as a team, sometimes that means you haven’t bonded. It’s just like raising your kid. You don’t let things go. You correct them right there. It’s just something that happened, we corrected it and then we forgot about it.”

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slu...yhoo&type=lgns

And later in the same article:

Especially if they choose, Ramirez in the lead, to take the fight to the other side. Helms said Ramirez has matured dramatically in the last three years, especially in terms of his preparation. He’s taking ground balls, working in the weight room, understanding the importance of taking care of himself physically. Now, Helms said, there are times when Ramirez will turn to him in the infield and discuss game situations. That never happened before.

“I want him to understand he can become a leader,” Helms said. “He’s a guy with unbelievable talent. What we’re seeing now, this is nothing. This is just half of it. This guy can be among the league leaders for the next 10 or 15 years.

“I want to explain to him, ‘These guys are going to listen to you because you’re good, and if you lead, they’re going to follow.’ He’s beginning to take to that well.

“Two or three years from now, we’re going to look back at this and laugh and say, ‘You remember when you did this and this? Now you’re a grown man.’ ”

[Madman81]

Yeah; I mean, it's not like he walked around wearing a shirt that said "trade me" during spring training because the organization made him cut his hair or anything.

Hanley is a fucking baby, plain and simple. Is he extraordinarily talented? Yes, but he is very, very immature.

Remember the whole incident in Toronto where Hanley said during a postgame interview that he was going to be "scared" to hit home runs because he would be worried about pitchers throwing at him?

ehe, I do. Remember how everyone made fun of him, and then he hit 6 homers with 26 rbi's (and 10 straight games with an rbi) over the next two and a half weeks?

I don't recall anyone bringing that comment while he was tearing shit up.

A fucking baby because of a few comments/incidents?