Random Thoughts for Off-Day Thursday

BULLET-POINT STYLE!

• It amazes me how many people are defending Nyjer Morgan for his actions in last night's brawl.  I understand you want your players to keep playing despite being down 11 runs, but stealing bases really isn't about "winning".  Stealing a base in that situation gives you about one-hundredth of a percent increase to your chance of winning.  Morgan stealing second, then third, was about Morgan showing up Volstad and the Marlins.  In my opinion.
  
  
• And Riggleman saying that they were still playing to win the game is just defending Morgan, because he removed Dunn from an out-of-hand game after three at bats.
  
  
• The real damning thing for Morgan is going to be the lasting image of him walking off the field, popping his jersey, and raising his arms in defiance, all the while jarring with fans on his way out.  That's three times in two weeks Morgan has been caught on tape engaging fans in discourse and expletives.  That -- as much as charging the mound -- will be the emphasis of his next suspension.
  
  
• As for Volstad, he should have been warned after hitting Nieves, much less Gomez.  The fact that Volstad hit two players before he hit Morgan the first time is pretty shoddy umpiring.  I imagine when the penalties get handed down later today or tomorrow, Volstad will get enough games to miss two starts for his part in the violence.
  
  
• After re-watching the replay several times, I can't see how third base coach Pat Listach avoids a suspension either.  He did what he thought he had to do to defend one of his players, but it's very much frowned upon when coaches are invovled in physical altercations, and the replays clearly show Listach on top of Volstad trying to pin him to the ground.
  
  
• In non-Nyjer news, wow, was Scott Olsen bad.  It's the second time since his return from the D.L. he's failed to make it out of the second inning.  Overall stats since returning in seven starts:  32 IP, 1-6, 8.72 ERA, .331/.384/.574 against.  Oh, and every start is another $100,000 down the drain.  Yunesky Maya started last night too, going 5 1/3 strong innings.  Perhaps next week we see the Cuban expatriate in place of Olsen?
  
  
• Congrats to Danny Espinosa, who had an RBI double in his first MLB at bat and turned a nice double play later in the game.
  
  
• Further congrats to Wil Nieves, who hit his third home run of the season, an upper deck bomb.