Robin Lopez might have a new ally in his war against mascots. Miami Marlins pitcher Jose Fernandez had a dust-up with the Tampa Bay Rays mascot, Raymond, prior to Thursday’s game.
Fernandez plunked the weird blue-and-gray fuzzball with a pitch when it got too close to the visitors bullpen where the Marlins were warming up. But the Marlins ace was coy about the incident when talking about it to the Tampa Bay Times.
“He was all over my business,” Fernandez said. “I’m trying to concentrate. It was a little change-up that came out of my hand. Just part of the game, man. This is a game and I love to have fun.”
“He was too close. I’d never even seen that,” Fernandez said. “You’re trying to warm up, this is a big game. Every game for us, the way we’ve been playing, is important. We’re so close to the fight. I’m like, ‘Guy, I think you need to move.'”
Unfortunately, there is no video of the incident. But maybe if Fernandez had been given some oversized boxing gloves, he could have handled such a situation as the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Adrian Gonzalez did earlier this season.
Either way, it doesn’t end well for Raymond.
This kind of behavior is apparently nothing new for Raymond, according to the Times. The mascot enjoys wandering through opposing team’s warmups and distracting players. Fernandez simply had enough. Catcher Jeff Mathis had his pitcher’s back regarding the incident.
“I thought it was (bs),” Mathis said. “He was to my right to start with and then he made his way behind me and I thought that wasn’t right.
“You don’t see that a lot. … You don’t see a (freaking) mascot dancing around you when you’re trying to get ready.”
Are we sure Mathis didn’t encourage Fernandez to throw a ball at Ray? Catchers have been known to encourage such tactics.
Not only did Raymond get beaned for his antics, his effort to unnerve the opposition was a total failure. The Marlins topped the Rays 9-1, and Fernandez threw a gem. The right-hander held the Rays to just one run on six hits in seven innings of work, adding 12 strikeouts for good measure.
Hopefully, this will be a lesson to mascots in the future: Mess with Jose Fernandez at your peril.
