вторник, 18 сентября 2012 г.

AMERICAN LEAGUE UPDATE: ERSTAD'S HIT ON ESTRADA REVERBERATES IN ATLANTA.(Sports) - Daily News (Los Angeles, CA)

Byline: Joe Haakenson Staff Writer

NEW YORK - The Angels blew through Atlanta in the first-ever series between the two teams, winning two of three and leaving the Braves questioning the Angels' style of play. Namely, one Angel - Darin Erstad.

The Angels weren't thrilled when the theme to M*A*S*H started playing over the Turner Field sound system when outfielder Jeff DaVanon broke his nose and was led off the field. But then, the Braves might have been a little sensitive about things considering what happened in the first game of the series.

That's when Public Enemy No. 1 in Atlanta - Erstad - knocked Braves catcher Johnny Estrada halfway to Macon in a home-plate collision that essentially won the game for the Angels. The Angels, of course, thought it was a clean play. Most unbiased observers agreed.

The Braves, not so surprisingly, questioned whether it was a clean play, whether Erstad could have slid instead of taking out Estrada.

When Estrada finally returned to the ballpark, he got his say, speaking with a group of reporters. He seemed a little unclear about what he thought about the play, which is understandable because it was only a couple days following the blow that put him in the hospital with a concussion.

Was it a clean play?

``I don't know,'' Estrada said. ``I watched about 40 replays on TV. I don't have a problem with contact; this is my job and I expect it and prepare for it. But it just looked like he took a shot at my face when the plate was open, and I don't agree with that.

``I don't know Darin Erstad. I know he called my house and apologized and said he felt bad about it, and I don't doubt him. But the tapes don't lie ...

``I talked to some of the other players who said he felt genuinely bad. I think he's sincere about it. It's just an unfortunate situation. I don't think he meant to come at my face. I hope he didn't - that's not a good baseball play.''

Angels manager Mike Scioscia was known as one of the best plate blockers in baseball when he played, and he said he never took issue with getting run over at the plate. He said he was never hit harder than when he was hit by the San Francisco's Chili Davis, and he also was knocked out cold by the Cardinals' Jack Clark.

Scioscia responded to claims by the Braves that Erstad should have slid by saying Erstad would have been out if he slid. Here's what Estrada said when asked what he thought Erstad should have done:

``From my understanding, if you give a person the part of the plate he should take it unless it's a bang-bang play and he doesn't have time to think about it. That was a bang-bang play. It just didn't look like he was trying to knock the ball loose; it looked like he tried to take my face off ...

``When I went to reach for the ball, the plate was exposed. And I didn't even make it up before he clocked me. He had to go out of his way to hit me. In his defense, you can't think that quick. He made up his mind when he said he was going for the ball.''

Erstad was in the lineup the next day despite a four-inch gash on his left shoulder from Estrada's mask. Erstad still has an ugly purple bruise that covers his entire upper arm.

Although Erstad downplays the references to his football career - he was a punter and place-kicker at Nebraska - he was known as a fierce hitter in high school. And Nebraska coach Tom Osborne asked Erstad to play defensive back, but Erstad declined because it would have meant more time in the weight room and less time focusing on his best sport - baseball.

Estrada was asked about the hit.

``I felt like I was in a car wreck. ... I don't even remember catching the ball,'' he said. ``I remember being on the ground squirming around and then I remember (trainer Jeff Porter) in my ear, talking to me. I seriously thought I broke my neck.

``When I was laying on the ground, I couldn't move my neck. They wanted to bring the stretcher out, but I said no. ... I'm very lucky. I could easily have broken a bone in my neck. The feeling that set in when they strapped me on the board and put the neck brace on me - my wife was there and saw that and started crying. That wasn't a good feeling.''

--Torre erupts: The New York Post's headline declared ``Joe Blow,'' referring to Yankees manager Joe Torre's tirade after his team looked bad in an 8-1 loss to St. Louis on Friday. Torre took the blame for the team giving what some said was less than full effort.

``It's not the pitching coach's fault, it's not the hitting coach's fault,'' Torre said. ``It's my fault. My job is to motivate and get the guys ready to play. ... It was an embarrassing, embarrassing game.''

After hearing Torre's comments, third-base coach Luis Sojo said: ``I've been here 10 years and I've never seen him talking like that.''

The Atlanta Journal Constitution contributed to this report.

Joe Haakenson, (626) 962-8811

joe.haakenson(at)sgvn.com