Blue Jays TV booth criticizes Marcus Stroman for yelling at White Sox
Toronto Blue Jays starter Marcus Stroman is hyper-competitive on the mound, and isn’t afraid to show it. That doesn’t always sit well with his opponents.
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That was the case Tuesday, as Tim Anderson of the Chicago White Sox took exception to Stroman’s reaction after striking out. But it wasn’t just the White Sox who were upset about the situation. Even the Blue Jays television announcers questioned Stroman’s choices … but people watching were never supposed to hear that.
So, uh, I guess the audio cut out for those watching on Sportsnet, and Buck and Pat didn’t realize their mics were still hot on MLB dot TV. pic.twitter.com/pXmUSEp8kl
— Jonah Birenbaum (@birenball) August 2, 2017
After throwing to a commercial break, Blue Jays announcers Buck Martinez and Pat Tabler didn’t realize their mics were still on. The following exchange is made as Stroman is shown in the dugout:
Martinez: “He just can’t help himself.
Tabler: “Right.”
Martinez: “He just had to holler back over at the White Sox.”
The incident the two are referencing occurred in the bottom of the seventh inning. Stroman struck out Anderson on four pitches. As he was walking back to the dugout, Anderson stared down Stroman. The pitcher took exception to that, and exchanged words with the White Sox shortstop. At that point, benches cleared. Cooler heads prevailed, however. No punches were thrown and no players were ejected. There was just some loud yelling.
After the game, Stroman told reporters it made “zero sense” for Anderson to be mad. Anderson said he felt “disrespected” by Stroman, and added that the pitcher “just complains and cries like he always does.”
Stroman would wind up getting the last laugh, as the Blue Jays went on to win 8-4.
A few hours later, Stroman sent out the following tweet:
Lions never concern themselves with the opinions of sheep. ⚡️ #HDMH
— Marcus Stroman (@MStrooo6) August 2, 2017
It’s probably about Anderson. That makes the most sense. But it could also be a shot at Martinez and Tabler. That would be a bit more scandalous.
Even if Stroman wasn’t referring to Martinez and Tabler here, it will be interesting to see if anything comes out of their conversation. David Price of the Boston Red Sox has found himself in a feud with broadcaster Dennis Eckersley after he believed the pitcher was being too critical of players. We imagine Stroman probably isn’t happy about Martinez and Tabler questioning his demeanor, but that doesn’t mean we’re bound for a Price/Eckersley situation here.
Stroman may show more emotion on the field than most players, but he also backs it up. The 26-year-old is in the midst of his finest season thus far, posting a 3.19 ERA over 138 1/3 innings.
In a weird way, players getting mad at Stroman probably validates his success. If he was having a terrible season, they would just laugh at him.
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Chris Cwik is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at christophercwik@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik
