Alou Questions Booing of Piazza
Moises Alou accepts that fans are entitled to express their opinions, and he said that players sometimes deserved to be criticized.
But the Houston Astro standout outfielder has been surprised by the actions of Dodger fans, who have booed all-star catcher Mike Piazza during much of the home stand. The fans are presumably angry about the money Piazza is seeking in a multiyear contract extension--but Alou said Piazza deserves better.
“Look at everything Mike has done for [the Dodgers], everything he has done to help the team win,” Alou said before Friday’s game.
“The fans are upset about the money Mike wants, but they forget all the work a player does to reach that point. They forget everything you do to make them happy, they just can’t wait to boo you.”
The contentious negotiations ended Wednesday between Piazza’s agent, Dan Lozano, and the Dodgers, and aren’t expected to resume until after the season. Piazza is seeking a seven-year extension for at least $100 million, and the sides are more than $20 million apart.
“Mike believes he deserves that money for what he’s done, so why should he be treated this way by the fans and the media?” Alou said. “He’s trying to take care of himself just like anyone would if they could.
“But why are the players are always the bad guys? Why don’t they boo management for some of the things they do?”
Alou was among the players traded in the Florida Marlins’ off-season salary purge--which was mandated by owner Wayne Huizenga--after the team’s seven-game World Series victory over the Cleveland Indians. He said that fans should be equally critical of the actions of baseball officials.
“We’re easy targets because we’re out there and we’re in the media all the time,” he said. “But we don’t cause all the problems.”
The two-time all-star said he is still bitter about the Marlins being dismantled.
“It was hard because of all the success we had,” said Alou, who batted .292 with 23 home runs and 115 RBIs last season.
“We had a championship season, and then it was all gone. This obviously isn’t what we wanted, but it’s a business. That’s what everyone needs to understand about this game.”
Hamstring injuries continue to cause problems for the Dodgers.
Shortstop Jose Vizcaino suffered a strained left hamstring--the third by a key player since spring training--Thursday night in the third inning of the Dodgers’ 7-2 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks. The injury occurred while he was beating a throw to first on a bunt, and he was removed from the game.
Vizcaino didn’t play Friday and is expected to be sidelined until Sunday at the earliest.
“It’s real frustrating because the season has just started,” said Vizcaino, who also sat out a game during the exhibition season because of a sore left hamstring.
“You work hard in spring training to get to get ready, and you hate it when you can’t play. But at least it’s not as bad as what happened to Roger [Cedeno]. I won’t be out that long.”
Cedeno, projected as the starting center fielder, injured his right hamstring in an exhibition game March 1, and recently aggravated the injury during a rehabilitation assignment at Vero Beach, Fla. And outfielder Todd Hollandsworth was also sidelined during much of the preseason because of a strained left hamstring.
Trainer Charlie Strasser believes that the extensive rain and unseasonably cold weather at Vero Beach, and the on-field conditions it created, have contributed to the injuries.
“We had ideal conditions two years ago without any injuries, and this year we have a bunch, so I think the weather definitely had something to do with it,” he said. “You work hard to put together a conditioning program to prevent as many things as you can, but stuff still happens.”
TONIGHT
DODGERS’ DARREN DREIFORT (0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. ASTROS’ MIKE HAMPTON (1-0, 5.54 ERA)
Dodger Stadium, 7
TV--Fox Sports West 2. Radio--AM 1150, KWKW (1330)
Update--Dreifort won the fifth starter’s job in spring training, but the hard-throwing right-hander won’t get much experience in his new role during the first month. The team has three off days remaining in April, so this is expected to be his only start. Dreifort has pitched well out of the bullpen in three games, giving up three hits with six strikeouts in six innings. “It’s a luxury for us to have him in this situation,” pitching coach Glenn Gregson said. “We’re going to need him out there every fifth day soon.” Hampton was 0-2 with a 8.71 ERA in two starts against the Dodgers last season.
