Houston Astros: Alex Cintron chirps from dugout, hides behind players

The Oakland A’s and Houston Astros provided some fireworks in the form of a bench clearing fracas. We have Astros hitting coach Alex Cintron to thank.

I was once an Alex Cintron type. I ran around with some bigger guys, football players, shortly after high school and would chirp, chirp, chirp any chance I got. I knew if push came to shove, literally, I’d jump behind those guys and they’d bail me out.

Eventually, I grew out of that stage, and now I don’t even chirp anymore.

Alex Cintron has apparently not moved away from those days.

After getting hit by a pitch for the second time on the day, and third time in the series, Ramon Laureano took exception to some words coming from the opposing dugout.

Laureano was plunked in the middle of the back, though with a pitch that appeared to be bending not shot out of a cannon. Regardless, no one likes getting hit with a baseball no matter where or how hard it is thrown.

Laureano exchanged some words with Astros pitcher Humberto Castellanos (same pitcher who hit Laureano Friday night) as he slowly made his way to first base.

From the top perch of the dugout stood Houston Astros hitting coach Alex Cintron. In an empty stadium where everything can be heard across the field, Cintron said something Laureano took exception to, and then motioned him to come to the dugout.

Laureano obliged.

If Cintron really wanted a piece of Laureano, like he motioned he did, he would have run after him the second Laureano started his way.

The problem is, Cintron didn’t want a piece of Laureano. He didn’t want anything more than to yelp and hide.

As Laureano approached, Cintron allowed his players to cut in front of him, as he waited back, and only showed interest when Laureano was on the ground having been tackled by former A’s catcher Dustin Garneau.

Even at that point, Cintron didn’t get within four-five steps on the melee.

Why was a bench coach even yelling at a player on the opposing team anyway? Was he trying to relive his glory days, the five hundred some hits he compiled over a nine year career as a utility infielder?

I’ll take the high road and not mention the Astros .236 batting average thus far and how Cintron should expend some energy there rather than yelling at opposing players.

Maybe one of these days Alex Cintron will either mature past the point of picking fights he doesn’t plan to fight, or he’ll learn to fight his own battles.