Matt Garza To Johnny Cueto: ‘Grow The Hell Up’
Chicago Cubs’ starting pitcher Matt Garza had a few choice words for Johnny Cueto of the Cincinnati Reds after a 5-4 win on Sunday. The two pitchers were matched against each other in the game, which didn’t end before both teams were warned by home-plate umpire Bob Davidson after a few “high and tight” pitches.
In the fourth inning, Garza plunked Reds’ third baseman Todd Frazier with a pitch that obviously didn’t sit well with Johnny Cueto. The 27-year-old responded with a fastball above the head of David DeJesus in the sixth inning which led to both benches being warned.
After the game, even with the Cubs fighting back to win in the 10th inning, Matt Garza took a jab at Cueto through the media in the Cubs’ locker room, according to CSNChicago.com.
“Hopefully he learns to grow the hell up,” Garza said about the incident in the game. “Cueto should learn you don’t go after guys’ heads. Don’t wake a sleeping dog and I think that’s kind of immature on his part and totally uncalled for. He’s lucky that retaliation isn’t in our vocabulary here.”
Garza was only getting started, as he continued his rant about the opposing pitcher.
“That’s kind of BS on his part. Just totally immature,” he added. “If he has something to say about it, he knows where to find my locker and definitely I’ll find his.”
Johnny Cueto has yet to respond to Garza’s comments, but Red’s manager Dusty Baker had his say about the matter when talking to Mark Sheldon of MLB.com.
“You got something to say, you go over there and tell him,” Baker told Sheldon. “Johnny ain’t running. Know what I mean? A guy can say what he wants to say, but it’s better if you go over and say it to his face.”
The manager was obviously not too happy with Matt Garza’a remarks about his starting pitcher, and he even went on to suggest that the two could settle the dispute by fighting.
“I just wish, just put them in a room, let them box and let it be over with, know what I mean? I always said this. Let it be like hockey,” he explained. “Let them fight, somebody hits the ground and then it’ll be over with. I’m serious about that. I come from a different school. Guys didn’t talk as much. You just did it.”
A 10-inning duel has now turned into a show, and Dusty Baker would make for a great “Don King” symbol if the two pitchers ever “square up.”
Do you think Matt Garza overreacted to Johnny Cueto’s pitch to David DeJesus? On the other hand, as Dusty Baker suggested, who do you think would win in a fight between the two aggressive pitchers?
[Image via Creative Commons | dbking]
