Gaby Sanchez Could Have a Future in the WWE
September 3, 2010 – 9:15 am by Eric SchmoldtFirst things first, I’d just like to say that I hope Gaby Sanchez has a long and prosperous baseball career. He’s already off to a great start. As the National League’s rookie leader in just about every statistical hitting category, Sanchez may very well win the NL Rookie of the Year award when this season’s over. And if the voters were watching him against the Washington Nationals the other night, they’ll probably want to vote for him based strictly off of what might happen when they don’t.
In case you haven’t seen it, Florida pitcher Chris Volstad, having hit Nyjer Morgan with a pitch earlier in the game, threw behind Morgan as a retaliation for Morgan having stole a pair of bases in a blowout. Morgan charged the mound, landing a glancing blow on Volstad before being absolutely clotheslined by Sanchez who had run in from first base.
It was no glancing blow on Sanchez’s part. In fact, the move was executed so well that I believe he could land a spot with the WWE, though I would recommend finding a bit fiercer name than Gaby. (Please don’t hurt me).
Gaby Sanchez joined 790 the Ticket in Miami on the Dan LeBatard Show to discuss what he was thinking when the brawl ensued, whether he’s proud of himself for what he did, how funny it was to see Volstad in a fight, whether he blames Morgan for charging the mound, why stealing in a blowout is against unwritten rules, whether Volstad thanked him, whether Volstad should buy him a thank-you present and whether the drama with Morgan is over with another series looming.
On what he was thinking when the brawl started:
“I was really just wanting him to not hurt my pitcher. That was the biggest thing. The only thing I was thinking of when I was going over there was, ‘I need to get him off of my pitcher as fast and as quick as I possibly can.”
On whether he was proud of himself:
“I don’t think that you can actually look at the situation that happened and be proud of anything. I’m just happy that I was able to get him off my pitcher so that Volstad wouldn’t be hurting or something crazier could’ve happened.”
On whether there would be a funnier guy on the Marlins to get in a fight than “pale, thin, pasty, pink Chris Volstad:”
“That was a shock to me. As I was running in, I don’t know how I didn’t start laughing when I heard him throw down his glove and say ‘Bring it on.’ … I would never have thought [he would be the one to do it]. He’s a tough kid, but just in the situation, it definitely surprised me. I was happy about it with him because he shows that he is a tough guy and he’s not going to take anything.”
On whether he blames Nyjer Morgan for charging the mound:
“No. I kind of figured that if we hit him again that he was going to charge. He’s got to try to take care of himself as well. It’s just one of those things that happen in baseball. We weren’t happy, they weren’t happy and when that happens, things like this are going to happen. But I definitely wasn’t surprised that he charged the mound at all.”
On why stealing bases in a blowout is a big deal:
“I think it was just because it was an 11-run lead. We were up 11, I think it was the fifth inning, we weren’t really holding him on. We weren’t doing anything. It’s one of those unwritten rules where we’re not really going to pay attention to him. We’re up 11 runs and he just took off and stole second and third. It happens. I know that he was upset that he got hit and he basically said, ‘If you’re going to hit me, I’m basically going to go ahead and steal.’”
On whether Volstad thanked him:
“Yeah, he definitely came up to me and gave me a hug and said thanks for being there. I told him, ‘No problem. I would be there every single time.’ We’re basically a family. We’re always together, always in the clubhouse and when you’re playing on a Major League team, it’s basically a family situation. When somebody is coming after you’re pitcher, it’s like he’s going after your family member.”
On whether Volstad will give him a thank-you gift:
“No. If he would buy me anything, I would give it right back to him and say, ‘Return it.’ I don’t need a gift for doing what I thought I needed to do to help out not only my pitcher, but my team.”
On how Morgan responded by ripping his jersey open on his way off the field after the fight:
“The fans were definitely booing him from the beginning of the game. I can easily take that frustration finally got to him where, after the whole entire thing happened and the fans were still booing him, that it just got a little frustrated because he was getting booed the whole entire game for a play that happened the day before. I didn’t enjoy that part of it. I didn’t see it live. When I saw it on ESPN and stuff like that, I was kind of disappointed. … He maybe felt he wanted to do it and he did it.”
On whether the saga is over despite the two teams playing again next week:
“I think so. It was over for me after that happened. I got plunked in the seventh inning and I got hit and I just ran to first base. I was like, ‘Alright, it’s done, that’s it.’ We hit you guys and now you hit us, we’re good. I don’t think we have a problem.”
On his favorite wrestler:
“When I was growing up, I definitely liked Hulk Hogan and Macho Man Randy Savage.”
Listen to Gaby Sanchez on 790 the Ticket in Miami on the Dan LeBatard Show
Tags: Florida Marlins, Gaby Sanchez, Marlins-Nationals brawl, MLB, Nyjer Morgan, Washington Nationals, WWE
