You don’t earn the nickname “Sarge” by being a laid back sycophant who doesn’t voice his opinions and own them without regret. Consequently it shouldn’t come as a surprise that Phillies broadcaster Gary Matthews, who was nicknamed Sarge during his playing days for his take-charge attitude, was brash in his denunciation of the Mets during Wednesday’s game, calling them “crybabies.”
The comment stemmed from an incident in which Placido Polanco of the Phillies was nearly hit by a pitch from the Mets’ Mike Pelfrey. Polanco wears an elbow guard, and Pelfrey got hot because he thought the guarded-up Polanco purposely leaned towards an off-speed pitch. Everyone’s backs went up, including Matthews’, who’s seen enough vitriol between these two hated rivals in the last few years to feel right at home in denigrating the Mets with some good old-fashioned name-calling.
After his on-air comments, a reporter with the Daily News (N.Y.) spoke with Matthews outside the booth and asked him about it. Matthews, as you’d expect, didn’t shy away from what he said.
“Tell them Sarge said it – the Mets are crybabies,” Matthews said. “That’s why they lose.”
Ouch. After Matthews and the reporter separated, Matthews reportedly doubled back. He closed his fists and made crying motions under his eyes.
“Make sure you have tears, like this,” he said.