To me, thanking God for a sports victory is ridiculous, but that’s another thread altogether. But as long as Frankie’s not obviously rubbing it in someone else’s face, then I’m ok with it. Consider it another superstition—if he can keep closing games, then by all means keep doing it!

especially at that high of a level, where significant things like job security are at stake. he’s now also chasing the single season save record, which makes it an even bigger deal. i appreciate humble players who don’t need to celebrate after every home run/big play/big pitch (e.g. morneau, ga), but its fun to see guys out there who are really into the game. the bases were loaded with one out and he struck two guys out to save a huge come from behind win against our biggest rivals. i’d say that situation especially warrants some emotion.

a. A’ss fans are cry baby whiner pansies.
b. I really, trully, sincerely, without and ounce of pity, could give a damn what any A’ss fan thinks.

Just my opinion. I’m sure there are many who would take a kinder approach.

I think it was Physioc that told a story about Frankie being raised by his grandparents who are now deceased, and he is pointing to heaven to thank them for watching over him and blessing him with success.

As long as the player does whatever little ritual they do AFTER the game is concluded, then I am fine with it. It will always piss you off as a fan if it is a player on the other team that just beat your team but that's the way it is in sports. If a player celebrates in a taunting manner during a game like a Jonathan Pablebon or a Manny Ramirez, then players and fans have a right to be angry because that is unsportsman-like conduct.

Rangers fans are far worse at bitching and moaning about Franke than A’s fans are, but I’ve found just about every blog of every team we play always complains about
Frankie’s antics. They hate being beaten over and over by Frankie Rodriquez and all they can find to bitch about is him pointing to the sky at the end and his violent delivery on the mound.

but it seems that lately he takes it further and further and at some point its going to just be too much i think

Of course, now that it’s a contract year he may be putting some extra ‘oomph’ into those fist pumps.

Who used to turn cartwheels on the mound after a victory.

I can see the issue other teams may take with him, not because they get so personally butt-hurt, but because it’s atypical behavior for the sport. We expect baseball players to be less demonstrative. I respect and appreciate that kind of dignity.

And I hope that next year if Frankie’s with a different AL team I still feel the same way.

But he’s not going to change, and there’s really nothing in-your-face about his victorious outbursts. If I were he, and I had this nerve-wracking habit of loading up 2+ runners and then had to sqeeze a strikeout from the potential winning batter, I’m not sure I wouldn’t be shouting to the heavens if I managed to pull it off.

If Frankie’s “antics” were in danger of setting a new precedent of undignified behavior in the sport, I would be concerned. But I doubt that is going to happen.

So suck it up.

If I may be candid?

To be honest, I love watching Frankie win. And the more emotional he gets, the more I like it.

yeswecan: But I think history will see Frankie’s outbursts being more about him than about sticking it in the face of his opponents

I think more concerning is that he we’ll see it being more about Frankie and less about the team winning. Which is why he won’t be pitching for the Angels beyond 2008.

hey Choakland, if you don’t like it, try beating us – you got nobody to blame but yourself for seeing Frankie repeatedly celebrate on you. What, should we no longer have congratulations on another team’s field now because they “don’t like it”?

it would be one thing if Frankie hadn’t done it consistently over his career. and I think the fact that Frankie doesn’t stare at the opponent and scream in their faces (his back is generally turned to home plate when he points skyward) should show that it’s just his own thing and nothing in the face of an opponent.

get over yourselves losers and realize that K-Rod is simply the man this year. If you can’t beat him, get used to seeing the guy celebrate.

sour grapes – you know they’d love it if he were pitching for them.

3. Neither lame nor cool, just Frankie.

Frankie had just broken the record for most saves before the All Star Break.

It may be no World Series, but 38 saves is an accomplishment that’s going to take years to match in all probability.

Frankie’s actions pale in comparison. Not that I whole heartedly approve…and Torii’s little bat flip for balls that don’t even leave the yard is getting old already.

Tom Gordon used to point to the sky after a save and Eckersly was very demonstrative. Even the great Mariano will get emotional after a particularly good appearance. Bottom line—if you don’t like it, get a freakin’ hit.

...and I’m an atheist.

you keep on pointing to god/jesus/dead grandparents/joe pesci, Frankie.

Frankie is one of the best damn closers in all of baseball. He earned his right to be happy every time he manages another save. He’s making it VERY difficult to himself all the time so give him a break.

The A’s fans probably wouldnt mind so much if Frankie was THEIR closer….....not many other teams would (they tried to play the “oh it would still bother me” but I seriously doubt it….......anyways….....I could care less what Frankie does after he gets the save….....as long as he GOT the save :)

BTW who Jack Cust and why is he talking?

then i love it!

as long as it’s not toward the other team then who gives a flying dung

like they expect it to happen, especially during the regular season. Save the dramatics for when it counts in October.

Subjectively speaking, it’s Frankie being Frankie in a potentially historic run, so who cares so long as he keeps the mojo flowing. I’d much rather see him look like a wild jackass after chalking up a save than watching him take the long walk of shame and dejection back to the dugout after a bed shitting.

But which team is going to say they don’t want him as a teammate next season because of his show of emotion? They will be climbing all over each other to sign him.

Closers will always get away with showing emotion because the other team can’t retaliate, at least not in the same game.

when the rest of baseball – A’ss included – starting calmly packing their gear and santering off tot he clubhouse after walk-off winning hits. Especially walk-off HR’s.

But, personally, I hope it never comes to that. It’s a friggin’ GAME!!!

It’s kind of closers thing, no? There’s a few closers that show emotion.

I know as a Boston hater, it makes me sick to my stomach seeing Papelbon (douche) dancing around after a save. But as an Angel, I love the Frankie howl.

Class.

Manny’s arm flapping is particularly annoying (the Angels should have decked him in Game 3 last year). I don’t mind celebration or showing of emotion but demonstrations that bring undue attention to a player rather than a team are tough for me to take. This is an age thing, a generation thing. If Manny Ramirez did his arm flapping to Nolan Ryan (or Don Drysdale or Bob Gibson) he might as well as dig his grave. Today’s players are more into the professional wrestling mentality of showmanship.

Frankie’s celebration is after the game is actually over which makes it less of a problem and I think it has personal meaning to him and the fact that it bothers A’s fans is a good thing. But I would rather have the closer, let out a yell or smile and then shake the catcher’s hand. Barry Sanders was once asked why he didn’t spike the football in the endzone or do a dance, he reply was something like, when you score a touchdown, you should act like you have been in the endzone before. I like this advice for all baseball players also but again it is generational.

Franky’s mound celebration (and that of any other closer) after a victory will be lame only when other teams stop celebrating when they get game winning hits off of him.

What are his dead grandparents doing in outer space?

But I really don’t see what the big deal is. As was mentioned in a number of previous posts:

1) It’s not like K-Rod is facing the batter after he gets the save to rub it in anyone’s face. Game’s over. You lost, now mind your own frigg’n business. What’s next, not allowing teams to run out of the dug-out when one of their players hits a walk-off homerun?

2) Think about how much emotion is building up. Shit I’m jumping up a down and screaming after he gets the save. Is Frankie not allowed such liberties?

Would you prefer Frankie pulling a Manny Ramirez and walking off with no emotion like he’s got somewhere else to be? Don’t we love to see players that are into the game? Isn’t this what we pay all that money for?

Look at how many people jump on GA becuase he looks “lazy” when he plays.

These are the same people who want to outlaw Little League All-Star games becuase it might hurt the kids who didn’t make the cut. Gimmie a frigg’n break.

he is pointing to the heavens and shouting at imaginary figures of Stoneman, Reagins, and Moreno….

“I’LL SHOW YOU SONSOFBEOTCHES THAT I DESERVED $20MIL PER YEAR! IN YOUR FAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACES, YEEEEEAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!”

No offense meant to his on-field opponents at all. It’s all about the ca$hish.

Isn’t it a bit silly to argue the method in which someone celebrates a VICTORY. Let me say that again: a VICTORY. Victories are meant to be celebrated, and though many of us have different methods in which we do so, the fact remains that winning generates excitement. Poor sportsmanship is one thing, but let’s not hold the players, who are human (no, really), to higher standards of celebration simply because they are on the field. They did the work that brought the victory, and so they celebrate. Save regimented discipline for where it’s needed: the military.

And ANYTHING, that offends the pathetic Jack Crust and the No-Cal battery-chucks that cheer on him and his booger-green outfitted cohorts seems more-than-appropriate to me. I didn’t know we were supposed to spare the other “team’s” hurt wittle feelings. We don’t care if you and you and your locker room butt buddies are fans of our closer or not. There are plenty of us packed in to that superior So-Cal ballpark who are, and I can assure you our celebratory antics are WAY more offensive than anything Frankie would do.

But Frankie goes kind of crazy. Having watched him do this so many times, I know he’s not showing anybody up, but I can see why other teams would think that. I’m not going to advocate for acting like someone just ran over your dog the whole time (see Anderson, Garret), but we’re talking about regular season games here. By all accounts, he had a pretty bad game on Sunday, but he was just as excited as if he’d struck out the side. There’s something to be said for consistency I guess.

I voted lame, mostly because I think you can be excited about winning and show emotion without giving the impression you’re showing the other team up, whether you intend it that way or not.

(a rare stat call-out from highlandhalo)

Do K-Rod’s celebrations annoy the crap out of me? Hell yes, they do! But it has more to do with me being mad that my team just lost and someone on the opposing team is looking really happy about it. It’s like pouring salt in my wound. It’s the same feeling when my team loses to a walk-off home run. I don’t keep the TV on to watch them jump up and down at home plate. I turn it off as soon as the ball clears the fence because I don’t want to see the other team celebrate.

Sure, I think K-Rod is over-the-top with his celebrations but if he was my guy, I’d probably love him, like I loved Dennis “point-and-fist-pump” Eckersley.