Graterol Incident Would Have Broken Minnesota, Researcher Claims

[RandBalls Stu]

The former Twin’s confrontation with Manny Machado might well have caused “mass chaos, Anderson-on-Anderson violence.”Brusdar Graterol is no longer a Twin. In what looks like a trade that worked for both teams, the Los Angeles Dodgers acquired him in exchange for Kenta Maeda. The latter being part of the Cy Young conversation eases the sting of parting with a dazzling prospect like Graterol. But that might not be the only benefit of the trade.

 

“If Graterol celebrates like that in a Twins uniform, it very well may have torn the fanbase asunder, never to be joined again,” said Jeremy Hornbacher, a Hamline grad student specializing in Minnesota sports pathology.

 

Hornbacher is referencing the flame-throwing reliever throwing his glove and cap in the air to celebrate Clay Bellinger’s game-saving catch in the 7^th inning of the Dodgers’ 6-5 defeat of the Padres on Wednesday. San Diego’s Manny Machado clearly took exception, mouthing “[Expletive] you” and “I’ll be waiting for you” to Graterol. The pitcher responded by blowing him a kiss.

 

“Minnesota has two very strong fan cultures that meet in certain spots and diverge in others,” said Hornbacher. “One is unreasonably defensive of the hometown team’s players, and one is pathologically obsessed with playing the game the ‘right’ way, whatever that means.

 

“Graterol doing that in a Twins uniform, much less in a playoff game? The result would have been mass chaos, Anderson-on-Anderson violence across the state.”

 

Hornbacher says years of analysis led him to this conclusion.

 

“Going all the way back to 1961, I’ve not found one instance of a Minnesota fan acknowledging that the opposition had a valid concern regarding the behavior of a Minneapolis or St. Paul-based athlete,” said the Roseville native. “This runs headlong into the more recent phenomenon of people with mortgages and kids calling KFAN to deride players as knuckleheads or prima donnas for showing the barest hint of emotion.”

 

When asked to speculate on the toll this would take, Hornbacher shuddered.

 

“I think we’d lose Willmar,” said Hornbacher. “Entire towns just…gone. That trade not only solidified the rotation, it saved lives.”

 

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[Doctor Gast]

Both teams benefitted by the trade. You can`t blame Graterol for being psyched up because he`s a young & intense player. Something MN lacked in the wild card series. Maybe that`s the problem, we want low intensity players

[MNT1996]

 

Both teams benefitted by the trade. You can`t blame Graterol for being psyched up because he`s a young & intense player. Something MN lacked in the wild card series. Maybe that`s the problem, we want low intensity players

 

The Twins getting Donaldson kind of disproves your claim that they want low intensity players 

[notoriousgod71]

Cave would never have caught that so Graterol would have been throwing his glove for a different reason.

[Darius]

Yeah, the funny part here is that we’d never in that situation. If we were, I have no doubt that some crusty old ball guy like Reusse would write a scathing piece.

 

Baldelli would’ve pulled Kershaw after 3 1/3 for whichever bullpen pitcher that had the highest OPS allowed over the past couple of month. Then, defensive subbed in Adrianza somewhere, who would inevitably come up with the bases loaded and nobody out the next inning and start a double play from pitcher to catcher to first. We would’ve been down 5-1 by the time the 8th rolled around.

[TwinsFan268]

Oh-

[Original_JB]

How quickly they forget.....

Carlos Silva on 8/3/04

CGSO giving up 11 hits, but getting 6 DP's, in a 99 pitch effort; glove in the air and ball thrown into the upper deck along the 1st base line as game completed. And yet, here we are...

[Doctor Gast]

 

The Twins getting Donaldson kind of disproves your claim that they want low intensity players 

I didn`t say "they" I said "we" meaning the fans which maybe I should have said "seems like we" instead

[rv78]

Kind of stings a bit when Maeda wasn't left in the game long enough to make a difference in his only playoff game this year and Graterol is in there at the time when it does make a difference. Managing 101?