Demotions are never easy to take, but apparently Detroit Tigers outfielder Anthony Gose has not figure out how to deal with a demotion from opening day starter at center field to the Triple-A Toledo Mud Hens.
According to an ESPN report, Gose got into a rather heated argument with Toledo manager Lloyd McClendon prior to the first game of a double-header on Saturday. The argument didn’t end as the game went on though, and McClendon pulled him in the third inning of the game.
Following that, it appears as if Gose decided the best course of action was to clear out personal belongings and cut tail. He wasn’t see in the clubhouse ahead of Sunday’s game and the Tigers are deciding what action to take.
Word had already gotten to Detroit manager Brad Ausmus by Sunday afternoon. Let’s just say he wasn’t too happy to hear about the way Gose reacted to what McClendon was talking about before the game or during it too.
“Anytime a player reacts that way to a manager, it’s a concern, but it’s certainly not anything that can’t be dealt with or gotten past,” Ausmus said.
Perhaps Gose wasn’t really ready to be an everyday player at the MLB level just yet, but injuries meant he got the opening day gig. He was batting .209 in his first 30 games of action before his demotion in May.
Things hadn’t gone much better for him in the minors. He entered Saturday’s game hitting .185 in 50 games for the Mud Hens prior to this incident. While Ausmus wasn’t happy with what happened, he also understands the personal frustration that Gose has to be feeling at this point.
“I think you have to understand the human side, the human element involved, the emotions involved, and those struggles play into his emotions obviously,” Ausmus said.
There has been no official word on what type of punishment will be handed out, or if Gose is even going to want to come back to the team at all.
[ESPN]
