Tanner fires back

For those of us who thought the much-discussed controversies involving the Clemson-South Carolina baseball series would be forgotten at the conclusion of the series ... well, no.

Ray Tanner completely unloaded on Jack Leggett and the Tigers last night after the Gamecocks held on in Greenville for a 5-4 win that gave them the three-game series.

Other than the outburst, the most notable thing was Tanner appearing to admit that his team does, in fact, warm its bats. A day earlier, assistant Chad Holbrook said something about the Gamecocks leaving their bats out in the sun, and it was really kind of a lame explanation given that Friday's game in Columbia was at night.

Last night, Tanner told reporters that teams from the Northeast use various devices to keep their bats warm. He said no rules were broken, and that's the crux of the issue here.

It does sound really weird to hear that the Gamecocks' bats were hot to the touch on Friday night when Clemson catcher Spencer Kieboom grabbed them and discarded them after hits. Maybe this does create an advantage that needs to be addressed by the NCAA; I'm not an expert in physics so I have no idea whether the advantage gained is negligible or substantial.

But Tanner clearly believes Leggett crossed the line when he interrupted Sunday's game after Jackie Bradley's homer in the top of the first inning.

“The whole thing was a bunch shenanigans,” Tanner said. “I don’t think that’s what this rivalry should be about. It’s two very good baseball teams at the collegiate level playing against each other. That’s where it should start and that’s where it should end. That’s the way I feel.

“We’ve had some great, great games. Tonight was great. That’s what it should be about. We shouldn’t have this conversation. I’m not happy about having it. I’m telling you how I feel. For many years I never tell you how I feel but I’m telling you tonight.”

Tanner and Leggett are fierce rivals, but Tanner apparently has been under the impression that the two have built and maintained a good relationship. That relationship appears over, or at the very least significantly damaged, after what unfolded over the past three days.

“He called the bat out. I guess when Shaffer hit one 600 feet I should’ve gone out there,” Tanner said. “I didn’t appreciate it, I’m offended by it. I don’t cheat. I don’t allow my players to cheat. I haven’t done anything wrong. I felt like we were called out a little bit.”

In Tanner's world, this should've been handled privately. Unless Leggett suspected the Gamecocks of doing something illegal, the proper way to address it in Tanner's eyes was for Leggett to broach the issue with a phone call or a man-to-man conversation before or after a game.

Here's what Tanner had to say about his relationship with Leggett:

“I don’t think it’s what it was, there’s no question about it. I’m not happy with the situation and maybe nobody cares. That’s fine, but I just don’t think what happened was appropriate. I don’t think it’s what this rivalry is about.”

Maybe Tanner was being a little over-dramatic about this whole thing. But there's a feeling here that maybe Leggett should've handled it a little differently as well.

Leggett refused to comment about the issue after Sunday's game. Last night, this was all he had to say:

“It’s a rivalry and both teams are competitive. Everybody wants to win and do whatever they have to do to win the series. Now it’s behind us.”

At this point, perhaps it would be wise for Leggett to address the issue in some fashion with hopes of resolving things with Tanner. Everything is out in the open now. Tanner has given his thoughts. South Carolina's players have given theirs. All we've heard from the Clemson camp is silence.

If Leggett strongly believes the Gamecocks are doing something wrong, he needs to say so. In the context of this controversy and the perceptions that will follow it, he doesn't help himself or his position by saying nothing.

Did he initially think heating bats was illegal? Does he think it's merely unethical or shady? Was he simply trying to shake things up at home in a series that had gone firmly in the Gamecocks' favor?

Certainly, Leggett is doing nothing wrong by saying nothing on this issue. It's his prerogative, and with a game scheduled tonight there's value in moving on and training the focus on what's next.

But Tanner got in some emphatic and resonant words last night. If those words are the last words in this controversy, it's hard to see how Tanner doesn't come out ahead.

LW