Giants pitchers Twitter themselves into trouble

I feel like that nice objective judge in the Pirate Bay case.

Ever since I set eyes on the wondrous sight of Barry Bonds, I have felt some bizarre commitment toward the San Francisco Giants. Sometimes I even give them money.

However, I must tell you that Giants pitchers have been involved in two separate but equally troubling Twittering incidents.

The first that came to my attention involved closer Brian Wilson. Wilson seems like a fine chap. He comes into the 9th inning of games and tries to throw very fast balls past tired batters, none of whom has ever tried Human Growth Hormone.

However, late on Saturday night he seems to have tweeted that he was clubbing in Arizona. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, these tweets involved Wilson suggesting he was having to deal with 'overaggressive males'.

I've seen "Bull Durham." I've seen "Major League." And I wouldn't necessarily expect young handsome baseball players to be bound into chain hotel rooms with the remote in their hands and the benefits of pay channels helping them get to sleep.

Barry Zito of the Rutting Gingerbread Pigs.

(Credit: CC Ewen and Donabel/Flickr)

I expect them to deal with male overaggression from time to time. In some sense, it's their job. However, Wilson went out the next afternoon with a 4-1 lead and gave up hits as if they were autographs.The Giants lost 5-4.

Perhaps chastened by the experience, he then tweeted: "WARNING-do not take my twitters seriously, they are made up stories that reflect my humor."

Yes, indeed. Made-up stories. And what humor. But look where these supposed made-up stories have wrought. Brian Wilson's Twitter page is no more. His more than 3,000 followers are now sheep without a shepherd.

Which is not what one can say about Giants starting pitcher Barry Zito. He is still Twitterherd to a flock of almost 9,000. Zito is a cultured man. His tweets include quotes from Abe Lincoln. He uses words like "conglomeration." He is a Twitter friend with Alyssa Milano.

However, on Sunday he tweeted a picture of rutting gingerbread pigs. He even accompanied it with touching text: "These are real ginger bread pigs from an upscale pizza joint in LA. They got frisky, luckily I had the phone cam."

Oh, Barry, luck is sliding a curve ball past Manny Ramirez. Luck is hearing Curt Schilling saying something you actually agree with. Luck is not getting Mexican Gingerbread Pig Flu.

It isn't always easy being a San Francisco Giants fan. Just as it isn't always easy to tweet in the public gaze.

[cvaldes1831]

Hey, at least Brian Wilson got the save tonight. Too bad Barry fell apart in the seventh. He threw six pitches of quality ball, but another no-decision for him.

[ChrisMatyszczyk]

@cvaldes1831,

I know, I know. I was watching. But, as often happens, Zito stayed in for one batter too many...

Chris

[cvaldes1831]

Actually I think Barry stayed in for three batters too many.

[jCounsel]

I don't twitter... While many do, I don't WANT to know everything about everyone. :)

While people love their sports teams, I really do not see whythis is news--just because someone is using twitter like everyone else uses twitter? Oh, wait. You mean these individual pro-sports players should be more responsible than the "typical" person who is not on TV? Perhaps you mean that you expect people who are "in the scene" to be more responsible than everyone else?

People are people. We all do things that others don't understand or appreciate. Instead of judging someone based on one or two events, I would think a professional reporter would realize a person's worst mistake does not define them as a person. Certainly your worst mistake is not who you are...

Even President Obama is a person...no better, no worse than most of us. Likely, he puts his pants on one leg at a time unless he jumps into them... Expect people to be people--non-perfect people.

Something most of us lack these days is empathy. Look it up...

[zmnatz]

People will always be people but seriously, when you're in the public spotlight. Don't be an ass. While I may do stupid things on occasion, I'm smart enough to do them when no one is looking. Not when there's 50 camera's pointed straight at me.

[wratbatblue]

Yeah! These public figures can't help that they spend so much time being so visible to so many people. They shouldn't be expected to pay any special price for fame and attention and their attendant wealth and rewards. What do you want, that they should be role models, or something? Sheesh!

[man_w_balls]

Twitter is just an excuse for celebrities to feed their warped egos with more attention than before.

[baconstang]

Out of town for a bit (Maryland), but was able to listen to the game on my iPod Touch via MLB 2009. Reminds me of my youth listening to games on my "6 transistor radio".

[Harrison912]

I'm mainly on Twitter to market my safety and security web site so none of this celebrity surprises me. Twitter is not just a social site but a great maketing tool as well and celebrities market themselves like I do my products. That's what cranks up their pay checks!