When Javy Báez had a conversation with Amir Garrett after Garrett said mean things to Anthony Rizzo, we should have known this was coming.
Javy Báez is becoming an enforcer.
Something that didn’t get a lot of airtime on the Cubs broadcast yesterday was that after Cal Quantrill almost ended an MVP candidate’s contract year by being unable or unwilling to locate his fastball, Báez had a chat with him on the mound at inning’s end. I’m not sure what was said, but if I remember correctly, Quantrill gave kind of a “what do you want me to do?” shrug while walking away. Báez was also doing something weird with his hand on second base earlier in the inning, if I’m remembering right—spinning it in circles here and there, which may have been him asking for signs from the third base coach or may have been him stealing signs from the catcher (which could also have been the topic of the conversation with Quantrill) but may also have been involved in some chirping at Quantrill. It was odd. I haven’t seen much coverage of it. I am disappointed in the beat writers.
Something that evidently got a lot of airtime on the Cleveland broadcast yesterday was Willson Contreras shit-talking Emmanuel Clase after his ninth-inning single off the Cleveland closer. The second pitch of Contreras’s at-bat had been in the general noggin region, and as many are aware, Willson Contreras has a bad relationship with pitches in the noggin region this year, so the chirping made sense. Also, Willson Contreras is fire. Willson Contreras is lightning. Willson Contreras is a bull in a bull’s body, and ain’t nobody gonna cut those nuts.
Anyway, Báez got in on that fun too, participating some in the chirping (which José Ramírez tried to mediate, I think) and again, if I’m remembering right, having an end-of-inning conversation with the pitcher—in this case Clase.
Is Báez playing peacemaker? Is Báez starting wars? I’m not sure. I’m not sure Javy Báez is sure. But I prefer to think that Javy Báez woke up one morning and said to himself, “Tengo las manos más rápidas de las grandes ligas. Debo lanzarlas.” (I’m sorry I don’t know if “throw hands” is an idiom in Spanish or just in English but you get the point Javy Báez is getting ready to throw hands.) Personally, I’m here for it.
