OT / Cardinals miss chance to show class

[rdwyer]

California rules! Angels, Dodgers, Lakers, Ducks!

[gashouse34]

I agree with u frank...I remember very well that series and I gained a lot of respect for the Dodgers after they did that...It would be nice to see that more often but it seems like an unspoken rule that clubs just don't do it

[FrankWakefield]

I'm glad someone else remembers that... thank you for posting.

I Think there had to be some leadership on the Dodgers that evening (was it late afternoon?) to start that. I'd like to see a replay of that to see which Dodgers were at the front of that line. Maybe it was Jim Tracy, the manager, who got 'em up the steps and out there... The top 4 Dodgers on the payroll in '94 were Shawn Green ($16.67 mil), Darren Dreifort ($11.4 mil), Hideo Nomo ($9 mil), and Steve Finley ($7 ml). Maybe it was Finley and Green... Alex Cora made the last out, maybe he did it... Someone did. Whoever he is, baseball should honor him.

[Fred]

I guess it's kind of sad to see a lack of real "class" (in general) in professional sports. I'm a Yankee hater but I tell you what, I wish more players were like Jeter. He's class, personified. I don't mean to hijack the thread but I figured it was in the same spirit as the original post.

Cardinal fans are some of the best. I made it to a Cards game this year (in St. Louis) and I tell you what, those are some really great fans. Maybe the team could learn something from their fans.

[kmac32]

being a diehard Cub fan, I have no sympathy for the Cardinals. Not a huge fan of the dodgers either but the played great ball all year and they do deserve to advance in the post season.

As to class, professional baseball does have something to learn from the fans in how to win and lose with humility. In reality, the fans are the ones that lose when there is no show of class from the pros. Maybe the players and MLB might show some respect with cheaper tickets and more accessibility from the players for younger fans. When is the last time you have seen a superstar giving and autograph to a kid?

I love baseball, but MLB needs to come back to reality!!!

Kmac

[cardinalbaseballfan]

Here is an article from 2004 that gives some insight to the postgame handshake: http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?....jsp&c_id=null

As a fan of the game and sportsmanship, I loved it as well. I remember reading some follow-up in the St. Louis paper afterwards (Post-Dispatch) that the execs at MLB weren't pleased with the moment as it went against MLB's non-fraternization rule. I wish I could find that article now...

Here's another piece that speaks to my comment above. Take note of the final few paragraphs: http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpag...pagewanted=all

[JasonL]

a Joe Torre team to do it
nor a Tony LaRussa team, for that matter

that kind of behavior just isn't there on the professional level of any sport on a consistent basis. The mercenary mindset is the norm. The team identity and cohesive attitude is greatly diminished in the modern era from anything that was seen previous to the advent of free agency. And I believe alot of things flew out the window with it.

[thekingofclout]

Originally Posted by rdwyer

California rules! Angels, Dodgers, Lakers, Ducks!

I've lived in So Cal for 46 years and there are thousands of reasons why it rules, but none of them are for having some good/great sports franchises, I assure you.

[sox1903wschamp]

Originally Posted by rdwyer

California rules! Angels, Dodgers, Lakers, Ducks!

Wow, a Cali fan that cares about pro sports. Cool

[chaddurbin]

there are definitely sports fans out west, you just wouldn't know it because espn only feature boston/new york highlights...

[ChrisStufflestreet]

Originally Posted by chaddurbin

there are definitely sports fans out west, you just wouldn't know it because espn only feature boston/new york highlights...

Can you blame a network based in Connecticut -- halfway between NYC and Beantown -- from that bias?

Yes, there should be a semblance of "fairness" as it relates to treating sports organizations equally...but even the news media organizations in this country can't get it right, as they're merely part of the entertainment divisions of large corporations. Sports news organizations are no different; they're going to dance with the ones that brought them.

[dennis]

leave the hand shaking to hockey. there is no hand shaking in baseball.