On a dark, windy night at Shea Stadium, pitcher Nelson Figueroa got a little flustered. Nothing was going his way, and when the claps and cheers from the Nationals’ dugout floated out to the mound, his blood pressure skyrocketed.
Feeling angry and superior, he lashed out at his National League East counterparts, saying, “They were cheerleading in the dugout like a bunch of softball girls. I'm a professional just like anybody else. I take huge offense to that. If that's what a last-place team needs to do to fire themselves up, so be it. They could show a little more class, a little more professionalism now that they won tonight, but in the long run, they're still who they are."
Them’s fightin’ words, Figueroa.
The U.S. Women’s National Softball Team appeared at the Nationals game on Sunday, and I would love to see what they had to say about Nelson Figueroa. These women are going to represent our country in the Olympics, but by Figueroa’s estimation, they’re immature and unprofessional.
If Figueroa wants to insinuate that the Nationals are immature and unprofessional, he shouldn’t denigrate a sport that isn’t much different than his own and insult a group of athletes who are as dedicated and professional as he claims to be.
If he had really wanted to make a point, then maybe he should have said they were cheering in the dugout like a bunch of Little Leaguers. Correct me if I’m wrong, but we all know that 6-year-old boys love to scream, “We need a pitcher, not a belly itcher!” as much as girls do.
But before Figueroa hoists himself up onto that giant pedestal, maybe he should remember that he gets paid to play a game for a living. He’s not finding a cure for cancer. He’s not teaching kids how to read. He’s not patrolling a war zone praying that he and his buddies make it home in one piece. He’s paid to play catch.
If the Nationals wanted to have a little childlike fun in the dugout, then let them. From an early age, we’re taught that games are supposed to be fun. Then again, we’re also taught not to be sore losers and not be sexist, but I guess Figueroa was absent that day.
