Toronto Blue Jays right fielder Jose Bautista (19) reacts at the plate against the Cleveland Indians during third inning, game two American League Championship Series baseball action in Cleveland on Saturday, October 15, 2016. The Cleveland Indians are having some social media fun at the Blue Jays' expense, with Jose Bautista the latest target.The Toronto slugger, who went hitless in the first two games of the American League Championship Series won by the Indians, seemed to make a thinly veiled criticism of the umpiring in his comments to the media Monday. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette
October 17, 2016 - 11:09 AM
TORONTO - The Cleveland Indians are having some social media fun at the Blue Jays' expense, with Jose Bautista the latest target.
The Toronto slugger, who went hitless in the first two games of the American League Championship Series won by the Indians, seemed to make a thinly veiled criticism of the umpiring in his comments to the media Monday.
"All you've got to do is look at video and count how many times Indians pitchers have thrown pitches over the heart of the plate. It hasn't been many," Bautista said. "They've been able to do that because of the circumstances — that I'm not trying to talk about, because I can't.
"That's for you guys to do. But you guys don't really want to talk about that, either."
Taking that comment as its lead, the Indians' Twitter account offered up a tongue-in-cheek poll Monday.
"We've had sign stealing and circumstances. POLL: What will our opponents' next excuse be? #RallyTogether."
The poll options were deflated baseballs, clowns, Brangelina breakup and Ken Bone.
Bone, an undecided American voter whose 15 minutes of fame started during a presidential town hall debate, got the edge over deflated baseballs.
Boston Red Sox pitching coach Carl Willis had seemed to suggest sign-stealing might be at play in the AL Division Series won by Cleveland.
News from © The Canadian Press, 2016