FanPost

Walk off reaction: the good, the bad, and the ugly.

"High fly ball, deep left field... Chris Young just walked em' off!" Watching the replay is nice medication for a rough year so far. Chris Young is reborn, and it couldn't be more deserved. Last year I was complaining that he wasn't sent down to Reno fast enough, and this year I look forward to his at-bats. Just imagine the vindication he must feel after the fans and media crushed him last year repeatedly. I love a good under-dog story about one of our own.

But realistically the celebration after the home-run seemed... well, a little forced. For walk-offs, the last thing I want to see is the manager coming out and hugging a player, acting the most surprised out of everyone. He is the foundation of the team, not lead cheerleader, and should act accordingly. Of course this is in hindsight, and I couldn't help but get a little fired up too, but could you imagine Joe Torre doing that, or Tony LaRussa? Hmmm...

It's easy to kick someone when they're down (see Chris Young above), but when Chad Qualls comes running out of the dug-out with a hug grin after the home run... I wonder where his sense of personal responsibility lies? I'd much rather see a sigh of relief than a gleeful run out to the field. As soon as the "Rage" starts playing in the stadium the collective groans of cognitive d-backs fans is something that can be clearly felt and heard. Being the closer is not an easy job, but the mentality of a closer must match his physical ability. At this point, Qualls does not fit the bill.