Brian Sabean, apparently drinking from the same punch bowl as Barry Bonds, seems to be incapable of masking his rage.

“[Cousins] chose to be a hero in my mind, and if that’s his flash of fame, then that’s as good as it’s gonna get, pal,” Sabean said. “We’ll have a long memory. We’ve talked to [former catcher Mike] Matheny on how this game works. You can’t be that out-and-out overly aggressive; let’s put it that way. I’ll put it as politically as I can state it. There is no love lost, and there shouldn’t be.”

Have people just flat out lost their minds? I guess in asking that question, the answer is implied. If Posey blocked the plate and Cousins got injured, I am sure we would be having a different discussion. Let’s not forget – Posey has equipment on and although it is not intended to sustain a hit, the kind that would make an NFL linebacker jealous, it was a clean play AND a part of the game.

A couple of Padres catchers, Nick Hundley and Rob Johnson, both come in and support Cousins and denounce Sabean’s remarks:

“For a general manager to go as far as he did with those comments is unacceptable and disrespectful to guys who play the game hard,” said Johnson. “Those comments were totally uncalled for. I thought it was a great baseball play. As catchers, we sign up for that. I respect Cousins. I tip my cap to him. He didn’t go out of his way to injure Posey. I’ve been cleaned out before. It’s part of the game.”

An article on Baseball Prospectus details the hypocritical nature of Giants’ GM Brian Sabean.

By the way, with a name like Buster, you would think the guy wasn’t made of glass and could take a hit. Sorry San Fran, thems the brakes. Stop whining.

And now reports are circulating that Cousins is actually getting death threats. Really? A bunch of granola-eating, Birkenstock wearing hippies out in San Francisco are going to hunt down and kill Scott Cousins? Well, maybe Giant’s fans and their masters are a little sensitive these days after that cowardly beating in LA that put a fan into a coma. Then again, maybe something as ridiculous as rage over your team and threats with violence would be something they would champion against.

Logan Morrison is stepping up for his threatened teammate. ”I hope [Sabean] apologizes, because what he said was wildly inappropriate and wildly unprofessional, and it really shows ignorance on his part…When has he played in the big leagues? When has he played in the minor leagues?” Morrison said. “Correct me if I’m wrong, but he’s never been in a situation like that. It’s terrible.”

“Why would you wish anything like that on anybody?” Morrison continued. “He’s getting death threats from people. This is his hometown, San Francisco. He’s worried about his family and his friends that are there. And now (Sabean) is going to make comments like that? It’s ignorant, it’s inappropriate and he has no idea what the hell he’s talking about.”

Here is the Giants official statement released today:

“This is a very emotional time for the Giants organization and our fans,” the team said in the statement. “We lost for the season one of our best players to a serious injury, and we are doing everything we can to support Buster Posey through this very difficult time. We appreciate Scott Cousins’ outreach to Buster Posey and to the Giants organization.

“Brian Sabean’s comments yesterday were said out of frustration and out of true concern for Buster and were not meant to vilify Scott Cousins. Brian has been in contact with Florida Marlins general manager Larry Beinfest to clarify his comments and to assure him that there is no ill-will toward the player. He has also reached out to Scott Cousins directly.”

Giants are losing face on this one. Fans are taking note and siding with the Marlins on this one, believe it or not:

@tbchat: I am no means a Marlins fan, but I hope that they crush the Giants the rest of the season.

#SFGiants continuing to whine about #Marlins Cousins hit on Posey. Clean hit, going %100, this is part of competition:http://nyti.ms/k3HmTM

So, Scott. We got your back.

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Injuries happen. This is why there are insurance policies and why nothing is guaranteed in sports. No win is guaranteed, and no career is.

Scott Cousin’s slide into home that busted up Buster Posey is a part of the game. It was a hard slide, but because the rules call for a tag to be placed on the runner, who is not forced to run, the runner has the right to avoid the tag. If he can slide around it, like Omar Infante did earlier in the season, he would. If he can knock the ball out of the catcher’s grasp, he would.

Yes, the catcher is not equipped to take a hit like a linebacker – but neither is the runner equipped to give a knock out hit like a linebacker either. Scott Cousins was just doing his job and, unfortunately, that isn’t good enough for San Francisco fans, soft-bellied members of the media, and Buster Posey’s nearest and dearest. Then again, this is the risk these guys take when the put on the tools of ignorance.

Peter Rose came out in support of Scott Cousins. That might not be the ringing endorsement most would look for, but it does say something – that maybe modern professional sports has gotten a bit too soft anyway. Sure, concussions are a real danger and have documented long term effects – very often with horrific consequences. The NFL is covering up most of these issues. Yet in this situation, there was no concussion – just a freak twist and pop of the leg. This could happen running down a fly ball in the outfield as it sometimes did on old astroturf fields back in the 80′s.

Whether or not you think athletes are too soft or not is moot. The rules stipulate that a runner must be tagged out when he is not forced to run, and a force play is only in effect when a runner must advance. There is no reason to change the rule not because “this is the way it’s always been done” but because it is the rule. It makes no sense to have a force out at home when the runner doesn’t have to advance. Probably one of the most ridiculous things you heard from the media was calling for a rule change – when clearly, they don’t understand the reason why the game is played this way in the first place.

But Posey had his subdued axe to grind against Cousins, who is being villified and singled out by the media. “I just think a play like that is something that’s got to be looked at by MLB and (the union). I feel fortunate that I’ve just got a torn-up leg. As a catcher you’re left in a very exposed position. You’re trying to catch the ball and the guy is bearing down on you as hard as he can. I feel fortunate not to come away with a neck injury or a spinal injury.” Read more of Posey’s thoughts.

James Harrison plays a violent game and dishes out violent hits routinely. He gets fined by the NFL for it. But he is loaded up with pads and hits guys who play encased in padding in a sport where they expect to get hit. Catchers should expect the same when there is a play at the plate – and do. If Scott Cousins tried to ballet in there, and got tagged out, he would face heat for that but certainly not as much national media attention. The good news for Cousins is, he doesn’t regret the play – and he shouldn’t. It’s a part of the game. Giants fans, you are not a group to talk about excessive force.

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Is this still a realistic possibility?

There are 26 games left for the Fish. That means they will have to win 18 of them to hit that 90 win plateau, making them have to go 18-8 the rest of the way. That would then mean the Rockies would have to go 13-13 just to force things into a tie to end the season (the Rockies also have 26 games remaining). For a team 17 games over .500, that doesn’t seem to be a likely expectation at this point of the season.

There is still a chance for the Marlins to creep into the wildcard, but yesterday’s blown opportunity by Leo Nunez certainly didn’t help matters.

Yet, what about the division itself? The Phillies are 6 games ahead of the Marlins and at one point, as recent as a few weeks ago, they were looking like the team of destiny from the NL East. All of a sudden, they have lost a few games and the Marlins were able to make up ground. Remember, these two teams have unfinished business at the end of the season – they square off 6 times to end the season. If the Marlins can make up a few more games, say, get it down to a 3 game deficit, they could win 5 of those games and take the lead.

In order for the Marlins to have any chance for the postseason, they have to win each series they play and pick up a few sweeps. A series win each time out would mean 16 wins to end the season. They need to somehow get 18 to hit the 90 win mark, which is usually where the wildcard leader ends up with. The fact that they play the Mets and Nationals a few more times (Mets twice, Nats once) helps. Also, the Marlins may get help from the Cardinals as their success may have them start shutting it down at the end of the season – which increases the Marlins’ chances for a series win there, too.

It’s a tall order, but that is to be expected of a playoff run. The Rockies and Giants also have their work cut out for them, too. The Marlins need a few breaks and really haven’t gotten any yet. They have played their way into the chase but the distance seems to be growing quickly.

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