Alanna Rizzo Went On "High Heat" And Unleashed A Nonsensical Rant About Bloggers For Their Coverage Of The Orlando Arcia/Bryce Harper Beef
I feel like I'm missing something here. Did somebody commit a crime, and I just missed it? This should be a nothing-story. It should be a cool playoff baseball rivalry story. Orlando Arcia talked shit about Bryce Harper. Bryce Harper clapped back by hitting two home runs. That's it. That should be the end of it. The fact that this has turned into fucking national news baffles me.
We're burying the lede here. Alana Rizzo is not upset that Jake Mintz (what is it with people named Mintz always being in the middle of controversy?) broke this story. She's upset that a former independent blogger (who is a BBWAA member) is the one who broke it. There's some sort of strange, unwritten code of ethics that was apparently broken here.
I love baseball more than anything, but sometimes baseball gets in its own way. This is a really cool story. It is just gasoline to the fire of a very intense rivalry. But now it's become something so much greater. It's become a story about Clubhouse culture, Spanish-speaking players, and journalistic integrity. Can baseball just get out of its own way, please? This is fun.
If I told you I hadn't lost a bit of respect for them after the series. They came across as mentally weak, which is bizarre because they won the World Series two years ago without their best player. In that season, the influence of Freddie Freeman and Dansby Swanson really had a huge impact. They seemed rattled in the series against the Phillies; that's a big reason why they're going home. Phillies fans will remember this story for a long time. Orlando Arcia poked the bear. The bear clawed back, and people freaked out.