Ross Stripling’s dad offers classy gesture to Dodgers’ manager
Emotions were running high Friday night in San Francisco, and no one felt them more than the family of Ross Stripling. Together, they watched their son and brother make his major-league debut for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Together, they watched him flirt with history.
They rode that roller coaster with him more so than anyone else in the stadium or watching at home. They hung on every pitch and cheered on every out. They felt every high along the way, and they felt the gut-punch that was ultimately dealt when Dodgers manager Dave Roberts removed Stripling five outs short of a no-hitter.
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Stripling was so close to history he could taste it. He could feel it. Only Bumpus Jones back in 1892 could say he started his career with a no-hitter. That’s how close Stripling was to something unique and very special.
Then it was gone. Dave Roberts removed him from the game, leaving it to the Dodgers bullpen to bring home history, or at least Stripling’s first MLB win.
Then, in an instant, that was gone too. Trevor Brown delivered a two-run game-tying homer, essentially resetting the game.
Then, the Giants won the game, 3-2, on Brandon Crawford’s tenth-inning walk-off home run.
Then, reality set in. What Dave Roberts did on Friday night was put Ross Stripling’s future ahead of a single game in April. As frustrating as that could have been to the fans, to Stripling himself, perhaps even to his family, Roberts saw a bigger picture that wasn’t as clear to everyone else. He made a decision that took guts, and in doing so he gained the respect of one important person.
That’s a pretty classy gesture.
[Brown: The poetry and dilemma of Ross Stripling’s no-hit bid]
Roberts admittedly struggled with his decision, realizing what he would be taking away with one wave of his arm. That’s something that could weigh on a rookie manager’s mind for quite awhile, especially given the outcome. However, Stripling publicly backed up his decision after the game, and now that he’s received that nod of approval from dad as well, it should help ease that feeling.
Oh, and speaking of classy gestures, someone from the Giants had one of their own.
Whoever it was, our hats are off to them.
The Dodgers-Giants rivalry lives on, and will no doubt gain intensity throughout the season. But so too does the respect both organzations have for each other, and for the game of baseball.
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Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Townie813
