The new Philly hero: Matt Diaz, foiler of Red Man (with video)
"Down goes Red Man! Down goes Red Man!" (AP photo)
Philadelphia — Patrons at an Eagles game infamously pelted Santa Claus with snowballs, but Philly fans weren’t booing Matt Diaz. On the contrary, the Braves’ outfielder became a local hero for his sidling takedown of an individual who has come already to be known as Red Man. (Not to be confused with Mark Redman, former lousy Braves’ pitcher.)
Seventh inning, Monday night, Jayson Werth batting: Red Man, clad in red spandex head-to-toe, capers from the left-field stands and heads across the outfield. Watching from the press box, you could see that Diaz, stationed in left, thought about impeding Red Man’s progress but decided against it.
Then, when security forces arrived and forced Red Man back left but started slipping in their pursuit, Diaz took matters unto his own hip.
He blindsided Red Man. Stuck out his right leg and Red Man went flying. “He got right up, but then the security guy crushed him,” Diaz said afterward.
Diaz was the postgame focal point in the Braves’ clubhouse because an intruding fan here had been tasered by a security man earlier this season. “I saw the cop coming with the Taser,” Diaz said. “I figured the guy would rather have me trip him than get tased.”
Wait a second, a Philly writer asked: Did he really see someone with a Taser? (I told you: They take this seriously up here.) “No,” Diaz said. “I was kidding.”
Diaz’s stated motivation: He remembered a Braves’ security guard getting hurt in a similar chase a while back. “I wanted to spear [Red Man] so bad, but I didn’t want to get hurt and I didn’t want to hurt him. I just stuck out my foot and he hit it.”
I asked if Red Man had, in their moment of close proximity, revealed his secret identity. “No,” Diaz said. “I’m sure the judge will find it.”
Red Man’s reaction to being tripped? He was shocked, Diaz said, adding that he could see the mystery man’s wide eyes through the costume.
And the Philly fans? They cheered Diaz, who tipped his cap. And who told reporters afterward: “They were very complimentary. I heard everything from, ‘I just put you on YouTube‘ to a girl with an ‘Utley marry me’ sign say, ‘I’ll marry you, too.’ ”
Speaking of YouTube … here you go.
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227 comments Add your comment
Christopher Chance
September 21st, 2010
4:53 pm
PHILLY FAN………dude, I can assure you I’m not from Atlanta. I grew up in Arkansas and haved lived in the Bay Area (California) since the mid-90’s.
ss
September 21st, 2010
4:53 pm
I grew up in nj you knucklehead. The yankees were the first time i became aware of, and if you want to bad mouth me for that, than thats pretty pathetic.
Ill give your fans credit for booing sarah palin, but thats pretty much it.
scottbravesfan
September 21st, 2010
4:54 pm
Philly 10,
Have you ever been to Atlanta? Half the city is transplanted New Yorkers. It sucks.
MWC
September 21st, 2010
4:54 pm
There is NOTHING else to do in Philly, thats why.
give it up Phillies 10, your getting your arse handed to ya.
ss
September 21st, 2010
4:55 pm
I hope Mcnabb lights up that dumb team in philly when the skins go up there because you guys will have a hard time dealing with that when the combo of your two qbs wont beat them.
Phillies'10
September 21st, 2010
4:55 pm
Christopher Chance- Iverson and Vick are both a POS and I hate them both. At least, Iverson doesn’t hide what he is. I love Barkley and he did nothing like Irvin has.. Werth story is BS and even if he did sleep with Utley’s wife, (untrue according to just about every reporter, player, and source up here)he didn’t do anything illegal. Werth is a nice player, but he’s a head case. Irvin is a scumbag. Out!!
Phillies'10
September 21st, 2010
4:56 pm
ss-Neither is winning the SB so who cares. Trade wasn’t about this season.
ss
September 21st, 2010
4:56 pm
talking to a philly fan is like dealing with a little kid…. you never win!
Phillies'10
September 21st, 2010
4:57 pm
ss-NJ. That explains alot.
Phillies'10
September 21st, 2010
4:57 pm
It’s been fun.
ss
September 21st, 2010
4:59 pm
Thats a bunch of crap phillies….. so your fans accept a 500 season? What does going to the sb have to do with anything two games into the season? I know you guys booed McNabb the day he got there, but quite frankly pleasing the philly fan base is exactly dealing with the mets.
scottbravesfan
September 21st, 2010
4:59 pm
I agree Bobby Cox has mad some awful decisions in the post season throughout the years. He’s good at handling players, with egos and things like that, but not good at all about in game decisions.
Christopher Chance
September 21st, 2010
5:00 pm
Phillies’10………you havent mentioned why you feel that Michael Irvin is a scumbag.
While sleeping with another man’s wife isnt illegal (well, except if you live in a Muslim nation)…..it is a pretty scumbag thing to do, ESPECIALLY your own teammate’s wife.
Christopher Chance
September 21st, 2010
5:01 pm
scottbravesfan………..what did you think of my 4:40pm post?
Christopher Chance
September 21st, 2010
5:03 pm
scottbravesfan………Bobby Cox also isnt a good at coaching and teaching his players. I mean, how can a play-off caliber team have 29 more errors than any of the other teams in the play-off chase? Remember San Diego, whose supposed to be offensively challenged at times as well……….has 50 less errors than we do.
ss
September 21st, 2010
5:03 pm
phillies,
you obviously take pride where you from, which is fine. If you want to have a reasonable convo, than go head, but your not capable of doing that.
Im proud where im from, and im sure you are as well. Patrick Kane just scored again! hahaha
QuitChukkinMyWood!
September 21st, 2010
5:12 pm
I miss the 70s fro and mustache pic Mark.
ss
September 21st, 2010
5:14 pm
bobby cox has shown zero fire the whole month. A new voice next year might be a great bouns to this team. Cox is a great skipper, but i think hes calling it a career at the right time.
Christopher Chance
September 21st, 2010
5:33 pm
ss………actually, it would have been better if Bobby Cox had called it a career after last year (or better yet after we went out with a whimper after the 2005 play-offs).
I just hope that our next manager is someone who will be more concerned with winning, then having his players like him.
Players may not like Bobby Valentine as a manager……however in all the years he managed the Mets….NOT ONCE did he ever have a chance to manage a team that was better than the Braves. So Mark Bradley’s “what has Valentine every won” comeback is pretty invalid and meaningless.
With that said, he did manage to take a Wild Card team to the 2000 World Series. I believe that if Valentine had managed the Braves…..we’d have more than 1 World Series to show for those 14 division titles.
A better question would be this: Would Bobby Cox have won any World Series managing the Mets teams that Valentine had to manage? Also, how do you think the New York press would have handled Lord Bobby’s player’s manager philosophy?
ss
September 21st, 2010
5:41 pm
christopher chance,
You asked some good questions.
1. Bobby Valentine is nuts, but the only thing i had a problem with him was he got tossed from a game the year of the subway series and came back dressed up in a team shirt and a stache and glasses. You get thrown out, just dont come back.
He is a compeitive and firery manager, which some teams need, and some dont. The mets teams he had during their run when they were actually competitive. (unlike now) Their starting pitching could hange with anyone at that time, but their lineup from what i reacall didnt have that real scary hitter like the phillies lineup does now.
2. The NY press would basically rip him apart. They did it to the yankees last year, the jets during camp and their week 1 loss. The papers up there are honest, but sometimes its a little too extreme. However, the headlines they came up with for news stories about their teams do have funnny titles to them.
ss
September 21st, 2010
5:42 pm
C.Chance,
Who do you feel is a reasonable option to manage this team next year?
PHILLY FAN
September 21st, 2010
5:43 pm
Christopher Chance & SS,
That’s what i said…Cowboys fan and you don’t live in TX…..Your a FRAUD…And your boy SS….Please guys, Only REAL homegrown fans allowed on this sight….grew up in GA or PA….Have you guys even been to the cities you cheer for ? PLEASE….The special word for the both of you today is, FRAUD !!!!!
Pierce
September 21st, 2010
5:43 pm
the braves infamous 14 division streak would have ended at 3 if it was for the strike shortened season in 94′
ss
September 21st, 2010
5:53 pm
Philly fan back for game 2 nice!
I lived in the northeast long enough to know your fan base is not that bright.
Pierce,
The 94 expos would eve won the divison that year.
Christopher Chance
September 21st, 2010
5:56 pm
PHILLY FAN…………….Hey MORON! How many times do I have to tell you? I grew up in ARKANSAS. ARKANSAS DOES NOT HAVE ANY PROFESSIONAL TEAMS.
When I was ten, I became interested in sports. So if you cant understand how a kid my age became a Cowboys AND Braves fan (particularly when I explained it clearly in a previous post)……then you are a true MORON!
Christopher Chance
September 21st, 2010
5:59 pm
ss………….While the Expos had a 6 12 game lead in mid-August when the strike occurred….given the Braves history at the time of mounting comebacks, it was not a given that the Expos would have won the division.
That 1994 Braves team was loaded (remember, we ended up winning the World Series the next year).
Christopher Chance
September 21st, 2010
6:00 pm
I meant, 6 1/2 game lead in the previous post, not “6 12 game lead”.
ss
September 21st, 2010
6:01 pm
They did beat a good cleveleand team the next year. Who knows, that expos team had a lot of great ball players on it, but that strike basically said the end of their team in that area, but hockey will always rain king in canada.
Christopher Chance
September 21st, 2010
6:08 pm
ss………….we’ll never know what would have happened the final 6 weeks of the 1994 strike shortened season. I was just say that it wasnt a foregone conclusion that the Expos would have won the division….given the Braves history of comebacks since 1991.
That is why I was totally not surprised when the Phillies ran the Braves down this year. Since 2007, they’ve had a history of playing GREAT baseball the last part of the season….with basically the same core of players (as well as a couple of added parts like Halladay and Oswalt).
I also said weeks ago that this Braves team had no history of seriously competing for a division title since 2005. We had to prove that we could hold off the Phillies……..which ultimately we didnt. We went from being up 7 games to currently down 4 (with the prospect of it being 6 by late tomorrow night).
A potential 13 game swing in less than 2 months does not bode well for us.
Christopher Chance
September 21st, 2010
6:09 pm
….ss………….we’ll never know what would have happened the final 6 weeks of the 1994 strike shortened season. I was just say that it wasnt a foregone conclusion that the Expos would have won the division….given the Braves history of comebacks since 1991.
Christopher Chance
September 21st, 2010
6:10 pm
,,,I was totally not surprised when the Phillies ran the Braves down this year. Since 2007, they’ve had a history of playing GREAT baseball the last part of the season….with basically the same core of players (as well as a couple of added parts like Halladay and Oswalt).
Christopher Chance
September 21st, 2010
6:10 pm
,.,.I also said weeks ago that this Braves team had no history of seriously competing for a division title since 2005. We had to prove that we could hold off the Phillies……..which ultimately we didnt. We went from being up 7 games to currently down 4 (with the prospect of it being 6 by late tomorrow night).
A potential 13 game swing in less than 2 months does not bode well for us.
ss
September 21st, 2010
6:11 pm
I know what your saying chance, which is the mindest of anything can happen
Christopher Chance
September 21st, 2010
6:12 pm
This Braves team has no history of seriously competing for a division title since 2005. We had to prove that we could hold off the Phillies……..which ultimately we didnt. We went from being up 7 games to currently down 4.
Eleven game swing in less than 2 months speaks volumes.
Christopher Chance
September 21st, 2010
6:13 pm
ss…………theoretically, “anything” can happen.
However, realistically, not just “anything” can happen. Logic and reality, as well as previous history…..should be factors when one makes “anything can happen” statements.
PHILLY FAN
September 21st, 2010
6:25 pm
Christopher Chance,
You sound like a Dr.Phil tv show with your life history…Your a FRAUD ! And SS, Please dude, Its so nice to hear you FRAUDS talk about next year because you both know its OVER…Maybe you guys should swap email address…sounds like you both hit it off….Get the brooms read…Phil’s sweep….
Maximus Decimus Meridius
September 21st, 2010
6:45 pm
Are You Not Entertained ??
Joe Mama
September 21st, 2010
6:59 pm
I think it’s funny. I think more of these stunts should happen. Funny to me how people don’t have a sense of humor and also think this is funny.
Christopher Chance
September 21st, 2010
7:37 pm
Another example of a non-error by the Braves defense, was the non catch by Prado on that foul pop-up by Ibanez there. Extending opponents at-bats pushes up the pitch count……as well as potentially giving the other team extra outs.
Christopher Chance
September 21st, 2010
7:42 pm
Mike Minor has a hard time getting the opposing pitcher out. If I’m correct, didnt he give up a homer to Chris Carpenter?
Christopher Chance
September 21st, 2010
7:45 pm
Who are teaches these guys the fundamentals of the game? Mike Minor does not look back the runner at second on three straight pitches.,..allowing Valdez to just steal third standing up.
Meanwhile, Brian McCann makes another bad throw trying to pick the runner off first……..only to be saved by a great scoop by Derek Lee (do any of you Troy Glaus “jock sniffers” really think that Glaus could have scooped up that bad throw by McCann?).
We’re just lucky that Minor got out of the inning without any damage being done. However, against a team like the Phillies, how much longer can we rely on luck to bail us out?
Christopher Chance
September 21st, 2010
7:53 pm
What was Minor thinking there? Instead of bunting, he swings away and hits into a double play?
I’m confused……what’s the object of this game? To score runs? Or to see how many fundamental errors we can make tonight?
I am totally baffled as to how many of you on here can continue to defend Bobby Cox and say that he’s a great manager. Time after time after time………our team has shown that we’re fundamentally challenged.
The reason why we’re in contention is because of our pitching. Good pitching can pitch around mistakes……….sometimes.
However, I wouldnt give Lord Bobby credit for our good pitching.
Christopher Chance
September 21st, 2010
7:54 pm
….What was Minor thinking there? Instead of bunting, he swings away and hits into a double play?
I’m confused……what’s the object of this game? To score runs? Or to see how many fundamental errors we can make tonight?
Christopher Chance
September 21st, 2010
8:07 pm
I wonder if Charlie Manuel is going to use the old “we hit them right at them” excuse tonight……..if the Phillies some how lose this game?
Christopher Chance
September 21st, 2010
8:08 pm
Ballgame.
Christopher Chance
September 21st, 2010
8:13 pm
As I said earlier, Tim Hudson and Derek Lowe (our combined $24 mil pitchers, as well as the only two starting pitchers we have who have play-off experience)………are not pitching in this series.
Yet, Bobby Cox is a “great manager”, lol.
I’m curious, why didnt Charlie Manuel let Kyle Kendrick and Joe Blanton pitch in this series? Because he wanted to use his HORSES to put the nail in the coffin when it comes to winning the division.
WTF was Lord Bobby thinking by not setting the rotation up so Hudson and Lowe could pitch in this series?
Christopher Chance
September 21st, 2010
8:15 pm
Mr. Bradley………….why dont you ask Lord Bobby why he didnt set the rotation up like Manuel did with the Phillies?
That is, if you’re not afraid of offending or questioning the wisdom of Lord Bobby.
Christopher Chance
September 21st, 2010
8:16 pm
Jesus, lol. Prado has turned into Chipper Jones at third base.
Instead of an easy double play (this is the Majors, that play should have been made)…..it’s bases loaded and 1 out.
Mark Bradley
September 21st, 2010
8:17 pm
There’s no way that was a DP. Ball wasn’t hit hard enough.
Christopher Chance
September 21st, 2010
8:21 pm
Frank Wren (the real Frank Wren)………if you’re reading this (or if someone who knows you is reading this)……..PLEASE hire a manager next season who care more about WINNING, then about trying to keep the players liking him.
We need a manager who will teach our guys to play some defense. We need a manager who will not be worried about “offending” our players when it’s obvious that they either need to be benched OR the rotation needs to be adjusted for a big series.
We need to learn how to play fundamental baseball……..as well as how to bunt and run ourselves out of innings.
PLEASE Frank Wren….hire a real manager…….not a cheerleader.