10Jun/088:41 AM

Staged?

By Vince Marotta

Turns out the much publicized scuffle between ASU stars Ike Davis and Brett Wallace before Monday night’s season-ending loss to Fresno State was staged. Staged?!? We realize these are college kids, and it reportedly was an attempt to loosen up the team before a huge ballgame, but come on. These same college kids are a signature away from being millionaire professionals. Nothing like clinging to that college innocence for one more day, even when it is supposedly the biggest day of your career.

Not taking anything away from Fresno State, they were clearly the better baseball team on Sunday and Monday night, and they earned their trip to Omaha. But such a desperate attempt to loosen up a team that was the clear favorite can be deemed nothing short of pathetic. If the Sun Devils really wanted to get motivated for the biggest game of the season, they probably should have looked in the mirror at the intertwined ‘AS’ logo on their caps, and realized who and what they were playing for. Instead, they planned a staged fight in the outfield. My friend and I used to stage fights to see if we could generate a reaction from people around us. We were 12.

Another year of expectations has ended without a championship for the Pat Murphy era in Tempe. It has a lot of people wondering about Murph’s future in Tempe, including the East Valley Tribune’s Scott Bordow.

Look at the bright side, Sun Devil fans…at least you won’t have to sit through any more 5 hour baseball games. Feel free to use the time more wisely. Maybe stage a fight with a friend.