Teammates on Major League Baseball teams spend too much time together. Just like all brothers, sometimes they'll fight. These scuffles can net out to be positive, with the right mindset intact.
From csnbayarea.com:
Multiple sources confirmed that right-hander Sergio Romo and coach Shawon Dunston exchanged heated words with raised voices, causing Bruce Bochy to emerge from his office to intervene. The air was cleared, as was the clubhouse, but Romo stretched with teammates a few minutes later and remained available to pitch in Monday night's series opener, sources said.
Should we be surprised? Negative.
I had a teammate in Texas who made a sarcastic comment to me about being late for stretch. I was with hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo, ironing out a mechanical flaw, but my man didn't know that. I fired back at him with intense fury. This reaction wasn't about my teammate; it was about the emotions of the season. He and I didn't talk for weeks. Today, we are close friends. We care deeply for each other.
In the heat of the moment, it's hard to find space to simmer down.
Think about it ... A typical travel day on a Sunday has you waking up and heading to the ballpark for breakfast where you dine with your locker-mate. You then hit in the cage with him. You're both frustrated with your swings and your bodies hurt. It's September.
You head back to your locker to get some peace and quiet and clear your head. There he is. A reasonable solution is to go take a shower before batting practice. Of course, as the water hits you, in strolls a pitcher. He chews your ear off about his encounter with "that chick."
You share batting practice and dugout space during the game. You miscommunicate on a pop up. You lose. You go 0 for 4. His contract is up, and he's had a rough year.
After the game, you eat dinner with your mates, and then you're confined to a bus with them on the way to the airport. You stand in a security line with them. Finally, the day is over, and you hop on your coast-to-coast flight. He's liquored up. Awesome.
Leading up to this day was almost 200 similar ones, including spring training. It doesn't matter that you're all part of the family. In fact, that's part of why you fight. You know that a scuffle doesn't mark the end of a relationship.
Men in clubhouses must come to terms with the idea that it's perfectly natural to have skirmishes during the baseball season, given the circumstances. These are your brothers; your bonds may end up stronger as a result.
