“Honestly, I didn’t want to pitch the seventh inning,” Seattle righty says; retired players condemn him

Seattle Mariners right-hander George Kirby, in his second season in the major leagues, has come under fire for a comment he made in an interview.

“Honestly, I didn’t want to throw the seventh inning, I was up to 90 pitches and I didn’t think I needed to throw any more,” Kirby said after his start against the Tampa Bay Rays on Sept. 9.

Kirby allowed four runs on five hits, one home run, two walks and six strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings.

After giving up two runs in the first inning, he settled down and didn’t allow a run until the sixth inning, during which time his team took a 4-2 lead.

In the seventh inning, he gave up a double to Jose Ciri and a tying two-run homer to Rene Pinto. The team ultimately gave up four runs in the seventh inning and lost 4-7.

The frustration of giving up the game-winning home run was palpable, and he made some unprofessional comments that sparked controversy.

Retired players took to their X (formerly Twitter) accounts to share a video of his interview, each with their own words.

Jered Weaver, who played 11 seasons with the Los Angeles Angels, tweeted, “This is one of the reasons I will never coach in the big leagues. Throwing 90 pitches and not getting out? What the hell is this? I’m seriously baffled. Get a grip and get to work.”

Derek Holland, who played 13 seasons in the major leagues, re-shared Weaver’s post and said, “He’s absolutely right. I wasn’t the best pitcher, but I always wanted to pitch until the team got the ball out of my hands. I wanted to start and finish. All the veterans instilled that in me. If I had said something like that, they wouldn’t have let me,” he said.

Mark Mulder, a two-time All-Star with the Oakland Athletics, criticized the decision, saying, “I can’t imagine him having those thoughts on the mound or in the middle of a game. It’s crazy that a player playing at such a high level can be so mentally weak.”바카라사이트

Seven-time Cy Young Award winner Roger Clemens had a few words to say. “It’s really painful to hear,” he said, “and it wouldn’t have worked in the old days. It’s unfortunate that this is how athletes are being trained in the modern era of data analytics.”

The controversy only lasted a day. “Obviously, I messed up, that’s not who I am,” Kirby told reporters on Tuesday before a road game against Tampa Bay. It’s the manager’s job to decide when I go off the mound. It wasn’t really me. I’m a player who loves to compete. I messed up,” he said, regretting his comments.

“If you make a mistake and it only affects you, it’s not a big deal,” Scott Service said. But when it affects other people, that’s when you start to get noticed. I think Kirby will learn from this,” he said.