Choo bristles at questioning by Banister on key play in Texas Rangers loss
Gerry Fraley Email gfraley@dallasnews.com
Published: June 11, 2015 1:15 am
OAKLAND, Calif. – Right fielder Shin-Soo Choo bristled at questioning from manager Jeff Banister on his throw that became a turning point in the Texas Rangers’ 5-4 loss to Oakland at the Coliseum on Wednesday night.
“I’ll get you a glove, and you play,’’ Choo said in his parting comment on the subject.
The Rangers led 4-2 with one out in the eighth inning when Oakland’s Josh Reddikk reached on a single. Ben Zobrist followed with a single to right.
In that situation, the required play is a throw to second to keep the tying run at first and a double-play situation in order. Choo’s throw sailed over the cut-off man and all the way to rookie third baseman Joey Gallo.
Reddikk was safe, and Gallo threw into the outfield in a low-probability attempt to get Zobrist advancing to second on the play. Reddikk scored on Gallo’s second throwing error of the game, and Zobrist reached third. He scored the tying run on Billy Butler’s single.
“That’s a ball that we should try to hit the cut-off man,’’ Banister said. “Not trying to overthrow the cut-off man. Just missed. Those things do happen. It’s a tough situation there. It put us in a spot that’s tough to battle out of. That’s a play we know we have to make.’’
On the bench as the Rangers batted in the ninth, Banister asked Choo what he was doing on the play. Did he miss the cut-off man, or was he trying to catch Reddikk?
That apparently did not go over well with Choo. In a 2:45 post-game interview, Choo said four times that he was “not comfortable’’ with being asked about the play by Banister.
“We’re not playing for the first time,’’ Choo said. “We know how to do it. We know the situations. But we can’t make (the plays) all that times. That’s what happens.
“If I throw to third base and we get an out, nobody says anything. … (Banister) told me `What do you think about this situation? I know the situation, but you can’t make it all the time.’’
Choo never directly responded to the question of whether he tried to throw to third or the cut-off man. Choo also objected to a line of questioning that he considered to be an attempt to place blame for the loss on him.
“We lost the game because of me?’’ he said. “ (Expletive) that.’’
At Choo saying 'We lost the game because of me? fukk that."
