Lowe's celebration offends A's players (Get a life alert!)

ESPN ^ | 10.7.03

[mhking]

OAKLAND, Calif. -- Some of the Oakland Athletics were furious with Derek Lowe, accusing the Red Sox pitcher of making obscene gestures toward them after he struck out Terrence Long to finish Boston's 4-3 victory in the AL division series Monday night.

"It's a situation where if you did anything where you offended anyone, I'm sorry," Lowe said. "I was swinging my arms around. I don't know what I did. I did the same crazy thing I do every game."

The A's thought Lowe simulated a sexual act with his arms and made a gesture toward his crotch following the final out, sending Oakland shortstop Miguel Tejada into a rage in the clubhouse moments later.

"Derek Lowe is going to be paid back for that sign," Tejada screamed hysterically through the clubhouse, shouting expletives. "My kid is in the stands. He's going to pay."

Oakland general manager Billy Beane escorted the crying Tejada away.

Tejada was later told that Lowe apologized.

"I feel better now that I hear he apologizes," Tejada said after calming down. "He was jumping around and making a scene. They have families up there, we have families up there."

Tejada is one of the most emotional players on the A's, and this was probably his final game with them because he can become a free agent.

"He takes everything personally, wins and losses, and plays with his heart on his sleeve," first baseman Scott Hatteberg said of Tejada. "He plays with everything he's got."

Other A's players were offended.

"That's extremely unprofessional," center fielder Chris Singleton said. "That's a shame that's the type of person he is. He was the only one who showed less than professionalism."

Hatteberg spent seven seasons with the Red Sox and 11 in their organization. He and Lowe were teammates.

"To have that done is absolutely classless and unprofessional," Hatteberg said. "I'm disappointed having known him. I don't think it was aimed at (Tejada), it was aimed at us. I know we show emotion, but I can't think of anything we've done to show them up."

[over3Owithabrain]

So Tejada is worried about "the children", and responds by spewing profanities and crying?

Must be a Democrat - a whining pathetic loser.

[egalois]

Oakland fans should be considerably more offended by players forgetting to step on home plate.

[Dr. Frank fan]

I didn't see what Derek Lowe supposedly did, from what I saw on TV he was just celebrating as one would expect.

If he did make obscene gestures it's worth keeping in mind that the A's were not squeaky-clean. In Game 3 Eric Byrnes pulled a total classless ten-year-old's move; when Varitek blocked him from scoring and this hurt Byrnes' leg, he gave Varitek a totally bratty shove from behind (and in the process didn't even bother trying to actually touch home plate). This bush league play alone arguably cost the A's the series since Byrnes' run not scoring kept the game tied and it went into extra innings.

Also, from what I heard, when Johnny Damon went down, some Sox players got in a scuffle of some sort with an A's fan, who had to be escorted out of the park. Who knows what went on there. But in short, I can't in all honesty blame the Sox for showing up the A's a little after that final out.

And I say this as an A's fan who really wanted them to win. But face it, they just choked and played like brats. I'm rooting for the Sox against the Yanks now.

[blake6900]

What difference does it make? The Sox will never get by the Yankees...never have, never will.

[Damocles]

I watched it and NO he did not make any sort of gesture that was obscene.

He did a kind of fist pump, like an uppercut, and some other squirrely moves.

Personally, I thought it looked a little awkward, but not obscene. Tejada is an idiot...

[Redwood71]

And then these guys wonder why they get an ankle or back ball the next time up, even if it is spring training.

[Huck]

No more Pedro. No more Manny. Send 'em home, Yanks. >

Exactly. Rivera's looking good :-)

Go Yanks!

[green iguana]

I saw the game (long-suffering Red Sox fan) but didn't see anything that looked offensive to me. A more in-depth press article attributed the A's consternation to Lowe's double pumping his fist and slapping his thigh with his glove while looking in the general direction of the A's dugout after the final out. Not sure what Tejada might have thought was sexual about that, but this is the Bay area after all...

[BSunday]

shouting expletives. "My kid is in the stands

Hypocrite

[Coop]

He's tanking in Tennessee and Arkansas.

Oops! LOL. Guess I didn't override my clipboard. Fortunately it didn't affect the main point of my post.

[Coop]

Perhaps this was meant for the live recall thread? <;-)

I have no comment. :-)

[green iguana]

Manny wasn't showboating. I don't think he knows how to showboat. I think he was just generally relieved to have finally done something to help the Sox in the post-season. One of the commentators made that point a couple of times when the others were taking Manny to task. If he had been showboating, he'd have been staring at the pitcher or the A's dugout, instead of looking toward Boston's.

[Dr. Frank fan]

Oakland fans should be considerably more offended by players forgetting to step on home plate.

Believe me, we are :-) Also by: stopping in between bases to lobby the ump to let you score instead of actually trying to score (Tejada); idiotically trying to stretch a bloop single into a double when there's 2 outs and you're down by two runs (not one, two) in Game 5 (Dye); number 3 and 4 hitters who go 3 for 45 in the series (Chavez & Tejada); two batters taking called third strikes with the tying run on third; pinch hitting Adam Melhuse for Jermaine Dye with that run on third and one out because of the stupid brainless "lefty-righty matchup" mentality... arggh it goes on and on ;-)

I'm also ashamed of the fans who were (apparently) taunting the Sox while Damon was down. There are always some bad apples. Damon's a great guy and I hope he's ok. Go Sox.

[SamAdams76]

I saw the game last night and saw nothing offensive from Derek Lowe's celebration. The guy had reason to celebrate because he didn't even belong out there in the first place. He's a starter who was brought in as a reliever in a very tight spot. Two on with nobody out and a one-run lead to protect. Just one base hit and the season would be over and he would have been the goat all winter long. Even seasoned relievers have nightmares about this situation but Lowe went out there and got the job done. The relief and joy he must have felt after getting that third out cannot possibly be imagined. Who can blame him for jumping around like a loon and waving his arms around?

On the other hand, what Manny Ramirez did after hitting that homer was totally unprofessional. After hitting the ball, he s-l-o-w-l-y strolled down the first base line and pointed triumphantly into his dugout as the ball went into the stands. You could have boiled an egg in the time it took him to circle the bases. Now that I could see the A's getting upset about. Even I was upset about it and I'm a Red Sox fan.

[newgeezer]

the crying Tejada

[NYCVirago]

I didn't see anything wrong with his celebration. I did, however, have a huge problem with Manny Riverez's showboating. What a punk! I was glad to hear the announcers take him to task.

The announcers gave him a slap on the wrist, if that. They were busy "explaining" that Ramirez was not really showing up the A's, but was just happy to get out of his hitting slump. Yeah, that's why he pointed to the A's dugout!

And then the announcers fawned over the ump who walked away from Ramirez when Manny whined about a call, so that the ump wouldn't have to throw him out of the game.

[Orange1998]

I did not know the police can arrest you for taunting players. I don't agree with the fans actions but for the Police to handle someone like that for taunting is aggressive. If it was a fan I could understand. :)

[OldFriend]

Good grief. What has become of our athletes.......whiny babies, thin skinned losers!

[Coop]

He was most definitely showboating.

[HEY4QDEMS]

This is total BS, I saw the game and Lowe's reaction afterward, his arms were flailing about, he was jumping up and down any perceived sexual gesture was totally accidental and unintentional.

What a bunch of Sore Loserman Clymers the Oakland A-holes turned out to be.
I've lost all respect for them, especially Hatteburg, he knows D-Lowe very well and knows thats not what he's about.

I was listening to Bob Lobel this morning and he said that Derek is totally shocked and appalled that his actions were viewed that way.
Just about everyone in the American League knows D-Lowe and what type of guy he is.

I don't have to believe Lowe on this, I only have to believe my own eyes.