Aug. 14--White Sox manager Robin Ventura said closer David Robertson was allowed to be upset about the lengthy replay delay in the ninth inning against the Angels on Wednesday before Robertson suffered his sixth blown save of the year.
But he doesn't think Angels manager Mike Scioscia is "bush league," as Robertson called him Wednesday night.
Ventura chalked up Robertson's comments to being said in the heat of competitiveness.
"I mean, guys are emotional," Ventura said. "They play. Do I think Scioscia is? No, but when a guy is on the mound and he's emotional, he's in the middle of it, stuff gets said."
Robertson was frustrated with Scioscia's actions when he argued a dropped third strike call after the first out of the ninth inning with the Sox leading 2-1. Scioscia went out to talk to the home-plate umpire before and after a review, which determined the Angels runner was out.
Robertson said Scioscia prevented him from warming up and should have been ejected for coming out of the dugout after a replay was completed. Afterward, the Angels tied the game against Robertson before the Sox won in the 13th inning.
Ventura said he thinks Robertson had a right to be frustrated with the delay, but he said he thought Scioscia was simply trying to get clarification about the results of the review.
"A guy is out there on the mound, he can be upset," Ventura said. "I think any guy, any closer is that way, or any pitcher that's waiting around."
Scioscia denied his actions were "gamesmanship." Ventura indicated that was open to interpretation.
"It could have been," Ventura said. "He might have said that he's done it before, but I haven't seen it. But the umpire was also standing there too. In the end, it was what it was."
