BEIJING - At this point, the Olympics can’t expel baseball fast enough.
The sport continued to embarrass itself Monday night in a game between the U.S. and China, a game marred by unnecessary roughness, a beanball incident, multiple ejections and a key role played by a man named Yang Yang.
Fittingly, both teams are managed by Americans, who proudly talk of having invented baseball and now seem intent on destroying the game, as well.
Chinese manager Jim Lefebvre and pitcher Chen Kun were booted after Chen hit American Matt LaPorta in the head with a seventh-inning pitch.
Despite ridiculous postgame claims by Lefebvre, the incident was retaliation for a hard slide at the plate in which American Nate Schierholtz took out catcher Yang Yang.
“We do not throw to hit people,” Lefebvre said. “We do not teach that in China. We don’t teach it in the United States. He tried to throw the ball inside and it got away from him.”
The U.S. team is managed by Davey Johnson.
“It’s not a typical ballgame,” Johnson said. “Six batters got hit, to my recollection. The last one really bothered me since I lost a player. I hope the fans don’t get the impression that that’s how you play baseball. Today was a rare game.”
For the record, actually seven batters were hit, five by China and two by the U.S.
Mercifully, baseball won’t be part of the Olympics after this year.
Dodger minor leaguer Terry Tiffee had two hits and an RBI and Angel minor leaguer Matt Brown had one hit and an RBI.
Mike Koplove, also property of the Dodgers, pitched a scoreless inning of relief, striking out all three hitters he faced.
The Americans (3-2) play Chinese Taipei on Tuesday.
