Kevin Towers’ anger is not directed in the right places
Oct 9, 2013, 6:21 PM | Updated: 6:21 pm
Arizona Diamondbacks General Manager Kevin Towers is mad. No, wait, he is FUMING!!!!!
When Towers joined Arizona Sports 620’s Burns and Gambo, he ranted and raved about how the pitching staff he put together doesn’t intentionally hit opposing players enough to protect Arizona’s position players.
One of the situations that upset the GM most was when the Dodgers clowned around in the dugout after hitting six home runs in an early September game.
There’s a simple solution to the problem — don’t give up six home runs in a single game, because then opposing team won’t be able to show you up in the dugout.
Towers needs to stop worrying so much about what the opposition is doing and care more about the flawed baseball team he put together.
The D-backs’ starting pitchers allowed the eighth-most homers in MLB (117), the eighth-highest OPS (.747), the 12th-highest ERA (4.13) and the ninth-highest batting average against (.266).
Ironically, hit batsman is one of the few categories where the Diamondbacks’ starting pitchers actually finished near the top, as they nailed 38 batters on the season, good for eighth best.
The best pitcher on Arizona’s staff in 2013 was Patrick Corbin, who was acquired by Jerry Dipoto.
The second-best pitcher on Arizona’s staff in 2013 was Wade Miley, who was drafted by Josh Byrnes.
Trevor Cahill, Randall Delgado and Brandon McCarthy, who were all put in place by Towers, combined to have an ERA of 4.26.
It’s time for Towers to stop grasping for ideology like grit and toughness and start concentrating on putting together a roster of quality baseball players.
Position players who get on base and field their position well, along with pitchers who don’t give up home runs and strike batters out, are all more important characteristics than imaginary qualities that have no impact on wins and losses.
There’s a pattern of the D-backs organization getting pissed off about the consequences of what happened and not the process of how it got there.
How the Dodgers celebrated at Chase Field and acted in the dugout after hitting six home runs was unprofessional.
Next time, don’t let the Dodgers clinch the division at your ballpark and don’t serve up six home runs — that’s the easiest way to solve your problems.
What is also unprofessional is having your general manager, one of the faces of the franchise, go on the radio and call for harm and retribution against players from another team.
Kevin Towers needs to start having accountability for why his baseball team finished .500 for a second straight season when he set the expectations as much higher.
Towers’ job is to help the Diamondbacks increase their win total and get back to the playoffs, not be the policeman of “baseball code.”
