U.S. shows China baseball's brutal side
BEIJING -- China’s baseball manager finished his press conference and left the building. He was angry, yelling at someone about the accusations against him. And he pulled up a chair where security guards wait outside, and just sat down.
"Do you know what he’s doing?"an Olympic volunteer asked me.
No. Why?
"Everyone else leaves out that door over there, and then goes away. He looks like he’s waiting for something, like he wants to wait."
Oh, no. Here’s what happened. The U.S. beat China 9-1 in the Olympics Monday night, and it was awful. China’s pitchers hit five U.S. batters, sending one to the hospital. U.S. baserunners plowed over two China catchers, likely knocking one out of the Games.
Now, U.S. manager Davey Johnson, an old-time Major League manager, was in a cart heading to the press conference building, and China’s manager, ex-Cubs manager Jim Lefebvre -- I’ll get into that later -- was sitting out front waiting for something?
Can you say international incident? So Johnson and two U.S. players pulled up, and Lefebvre got off his chair, chest puffed out, and walked up to where Johnson was walking, looking up at him. Were two American managers going to fight at the Olympics?
No, Johnson walked past, in breath-smelling distance, never looking at him. Lefebvre then walked away.
I went to the game to write a nice story. People like nice. Five years ago, Major League Baseball asked Lefebvre to start a program in China. The balls he was given were worn out with no covers, and he had to teach all the basics, down to this: If you strike out, don’t stand there and smile.
Five years later, Lefebvre is still here, managing China in the Olympics. His team beat Taiwan, and his players carried him off in celebration.
See? Nice. Lefebvre and MLB had taught the Chinese the national pastime, the American way.
"It was a low blow to throw at his head,"U.S. centerfielder Nate Schierholtz said, after the Chinese had clearly retaliated by hitting Matt LaPorta. Half an inning earlier, LaPorta had run over China’s catcher.
The point is, two old-time American baseball managers brought to Beijing a battle of childish baseball code for an unsuspecting crowd under the lights of the Olympic spirit. They also risked further tension in the uncomfortable relationship at the Games between the Americans and the Chinese.
The Olympics are supposed to be set aside for a higher plane of sportsmanship.
At least, the U.S. team didn’t charge the field after LaPorta was beaned.
"You hit five guys, and hit one of our leaders, you’re going to pay for it,"Schierholtz said. "I guess it’s a little different here. Tempers were high, but I don’t know what the implications are."
Or as pitcher Jake Arietta said: "We’re not here to fight."
Our new Olympic motto?
We’re not here to fight.
This was the second recent example of forgotten Olympic ideal. A few days earlier, in tennis, American James Blake hit a shot that tipped opponent Fernando Gonzalez’ racquet on the way out. The chair umpire gave the point to Gonzalez, a huge point, not seeing the ball hit the racquet. Blake looked at Gonzalez to tell the truth in the spirit of the Games. He didn’t.
"I did expect a little more in the Olympics,"Blake said. "We are competing under the banner of this event, to promote sportsmanship, to promote goodwill amongst countries."
In the end, the baseball night was one big cultural mixup. Chinese fans were cheering wildly for lazy fly balls to center. China’s backup catcher, Yang Yang, hit a homer in the 9th inning, and ran the bases with one arm in the air. Showing up the U.S.? That’s what the code says.
Johnson said Yang just didn’t know better.
So you mix the differences of Chinese and American cultures, and you blend in baseball culture, and that’s how we get here.
The Chinese did not think it was "just baseball"as Schierholtz described, when the U.S. kept ramming their catchers.
Four years ago, Del Harris coached the Chinese basketball team in the Athens Olympics, and talked about the difference in culture between American hoops and Chinese hoops.
"They (the players) won’t let me carry a bag,"he said. " `No, no, you are the coach. Put it down, please.’ "
He said he couldn’t walk through a door without a player holding it open.
So what did the Chinese players know about Monday night? They declined to talk after the game. After five years with Lefebvre, you’d think they understood. What did the fans know?
In the 5th inning, LaPorta ran into China catcher Wang Wei, who would leave the game hurt. Lefebvre said that LaPorta should have been ejected, that you don’t slide high into the plate.
China then hit Schierholtz with a pitch to start the next inning, and both benches were warned. A few batters later, Schierholtz scored on a sacrifice fly, taking out backup catcher Yang Yang on the way.
"I did what I did,” Schierholtz said, "to get the run."
Yang Yang’s teammates held him back as he tried to go after Schierholtz.
Next inning, China reliever Chen Kun beaned LaPorta.
"We do not throw to hit people,"Lefebvre said, angrily responding to the accusation. "We do not teach that in China or in the U.S."
Afterward, Lefebvre, waiting on that chair, seemed to want more, or maybe he wanted something else. Who knows? Johnson didn’t acknowledge him.
"I didn’t see him,"Johnson said twice.
He wasn’t here to fight.