Question: Delgado and his Curtain Calls
According to the Elias Sports Bureau, only nine of Carlos Delgado’s 35 home runs have either tied a game or given the team a lead.
To me, it feels like nearly all of Delgado’s home runs have been ‘clutch,’ or, at the very least, have been hit in sports when the team was in desperate need of a run.
I talked with three fans earlier today, all of whom agree.
Following Delgado’s second home run last night, the crowd in Shea Stadium erupted in to a loud, long-winded MVP chant, and a curtain call request that Delgado denied.
In response to yet another question about a curtain call, from a reporter following last night’s game, Delgado said:
“I think we’ve talked about this, I’m not talking about curtain calls. Do a poll with the fans, see what they feel. I don’t think it was the right time, you know.
‘I appreciate the support, I can’t say that enough, but, like I said, I’m here to play baseball.”
Fair enough…
I do not want to run a poll, because it would need to be too nuanced of a question and answer.
Frankly, I like Delgado’s response. He’s right. He is here to play baseball. Actually, he probably didn’t want to antagonize the opposition, since he accepted a curtain call on Sunday against the Phillies on National TV.
That said, the occasional curtain call isn’t going to kill him or his reputation – but I like that he chooses his spots, and, in some ways, helps to keep the event special.
