So this is what happens when you don’t talk to the almighty Red Sox media:

True professionalism on the part of Okajima: Refusing to answer questions after today’s game. Got to be accountable. #redsoxSun Jul 25 23:45:48 via UberTwitterAmalie Benjamin
AmalieBenjamin

Okajima so far refusing to take questions. Unprofessional to say the least. #RedSox.Sun Jul 25 23:30:42 via Twitter for iPhonePete Abraham
PeteAbe

As has been his cowardly habit for most of his 3 years in Boston when he doesn’t pitch well, Hideki Okajima refuses to answer questions.Sun Jul 25 23:26:44 via OpenBeakSean McAdam
Sean_McAdam

From the Dept. of No Accountability: #RedSox stories tonight, tomorrow will not feature Okajima’s perspective. He’s not talking.Sun Jul 25 23:28:28 via txtMichael Silverman
MikeSilvermanBB

Beltre talking about Oki there, and no we didn’t talk to him because as usual, Oki declined to speak to reporters after multiple requests.Mon Jul 26 00:02:52 via webIan Browne
IanMBrowne

Adrian Beltre isn’t sure what Hideki Okajima was thinking on Kotchman bunt. Unfortunately, Okajima not willing to explain himself. #RedSoxMon Jul 26 00:00:38 via txtScott Lauber
ScottLauber

Okajima probably probably should’ve spoken after the game, but as McAdam caustically observes above, he hasn’t talked after a bad outing in three years. What makes them think he was going to talk yesterday?

Also, on the topic of professionalism, Okajima may have been unprofessional yesterday, but what do you call the above? These guys all sound like a bunch of whiny little girls.

The followups on these tweets are equally entertaining, as apparently I’m not the only one who thought this. The reporters defend their outcries with “his teammates want to know what happened too.” Well, they can talk to him on the plane if they want to.

They really couldn’t write their stories without Okajima saying “I just didn’t have it today?”

Published by Bruce Allen

Automattician.

9 thoughts on “Okajima Doesn’t Talk, Infuriates Media”

  1. Sport is metaphor for the lives of the rest of us. On a daily basis, there’s success and failure, drudgery and excitement. For what it’s worth, we, and our kids, take some cues from our heroes and our goats.

    Are they honest? Do they “man-up” when the going gets tough?

    Do only wins and losses matter? Or, is it how they play the game?

    On the same day as the installation of new HOFers, whose character we want to celebrate, shouldn’t our representatives (the media) let us know how Oki, in this case, plays the game? And playing the game these days necessarily includes some off-field duties, especially speaking to the fans.

    His failure to do so (once again) is appropriate to note.

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  2. I think the media is spot on with their observations regarding Okajima. The only way they sound like “a bunch of whiny little girls” is if Okajima doesn’t comment after a brilliant outing also. Usually I agree that the media, in general, cries outrage too much, but Peter and Amalie are pretty level-headed and not prone to Mazz-like outbursts.

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  3. All this whining yet the press never has a crappy column … and even more rarely ever admits they were ever wrong. Ugh …

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  4. These writers are such hypocrites. They complain when players don't step up and face the music because they're left with having to fill their own column space, but when they have the opportunity to report information like why Ellsbury disappeared for five weeks of desert rehab they clam up and tell us nothing.

    If you want to go back in fairly recent history, why is it that six years after the fact we still don't know why Theo elected not to retain Orlando Cabrera, thus beginning a revolving door at the shortstop position that to some degree still continues to this day? I'm sure the beat writers know the real story but have never reported it.

    It's interesting to look back to olde time baseball when the writers and players traveled on trains together and were generally tight-lipped regarding scandalous behavior; fast-forward to the 21st century world of instant information and it amazes that the relationship hasn't changed as much as we think. Shouldn't all stories related to the team and players be reported? My feeling is that if the scribes want to withhold information from the public, they ought to not p1ss and moan if a player wants to withhold speaking to the media.

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  5. Bruce and Jason have nailed it on the head. I can’t remember anytime Okajima has ever spoken to the media. Did he speak to them after his brilliant closing performance against the Yankees in 2007? I don’t think so. Did he speak during the 2007 playoffs when he was brilliant? I do not think he did. This is no secret. The media actually believes that the public actually takes their side in this situation. My guess is that the majority do not.

    Jason spoke of hypocrisy on the media’s part. A perfect example of this was Jacoby Ellsbury who sat in the dugout in Toronto and gave his side of rib-gate. What did he get for his troubles? He was shredded more finely than a top secret document. Maybe Okajima sees situations like this and says, “to hell with them.”

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  7. So there was no one else to get a quote from? Maybe another reliever who could talk about the practice the pitchers put in fielding bunts?
    Of course, that would require an original thought and some extra leg work.
    Nevermind.

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