Class is in session: Cards teach Reds

Brandon Phillips said nasty things about the Cardinals on Monday.

In fact, he called them “little (expletive)” in an interview with FOX Sports Ohio's Hal McCoy.

I could point out that Phillips’ words were cocky and disrespectful. But that is obvious.

It's more important to consider the impact of Phillips' misguided rhetoric on the most riveting series in baseball this week. In Cincinnati, at Phillips' home ballpark, the Cardinals swept the National League Central showdown by a combined tally of 21-8.

It's a simple storyline, really: Player insults opponent. Opponent humbles player with the best, cleanest form of retribution in sports. A win. 

And then another.

And yet another.

When the series began, the Reds held a two-game lead in the division. Now, the Cardinals are in first place.

If you are a Cincinnati fan, the outcome could not have been worse.

Tuesday's first-inning fracas — with Phillips and St. Louis catcher Yadier Molina as the principals — was the source of some must-see highlight clips. But don't let the fight distract you from what really went on at Great American Ballpark.

The Cardinals didn't just beat the Reds. They outclassed them.

And that’s the more profound setback for a Cincinnati franchise that seems this close to reaching October for the first time in 15 years.

Whether you root for or against them, you must acknowledge the Cardinals are the gold standard in this division. Over the past decade, Tony La Russa led them to nine winning records, seven postseason berths and one world title.

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The Reds, over the same 10 years, finished with a winning record once.

So here’s a very simple question: What right does Phillips — or anyone in the Cincinnati clubhouse — have to call out the Cardinals?

I don’t expect Phillips to like the Cardinals. He shouldn’t. He’s trying to reach the playoffs for the first time, and they are standing in his way.

And we can excuse him a little for being overeager at the start of the biggest baseball event in Cincinnati since the one-game playoff to decide the 1999 NL wild card.

I would understand if Phillips, a first-time All-Star this year, wanted to declare Cincinnati is the team to beat — or even guarantee the Reds will make the playoffs.

But he went too far.

“I hate the Cardinals,” he told McCoy, in reaffirming why he would play despite a sore shin. “All they do is bitch and moan about everything, all of them, they’re little bitches, all of ’em. ... Let me make this clear: I hate the Cardinals.”

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La Russa correctly countered by reminding reporters that Phillips shares a clubhouse with a number of former Cardinals, including Scott Rolen and Jim Edmonds.

Reds general manager Walt Jocketty — who, yes, held the same position in St. Louis — has acquired the likes of Rolen, Edmonds and Orlando Cabrera for a very specific purpose. He wanted veterans with World Series rings to be in his clubhouse at precisely this moment — when young players need a little direction.

With Rolen, Edmonds and Cabrera around, less experienced players would have a firsthand reminder of what to do and say during a crucial August series.

Apparently, Phillips didn’t realize that.

His bombast is undermining the professional atmosphere Jocketty is trying to create.

The enthusiasm that makes Phillips an exciting player (and engaging interview) overwhelmed his judgment in this instance. He offered bulletin board material to the defending division champs. And he couldn't back it up. For the series, he went 2-for-14.

And how, exactly, did Phillips expect Molina would react Tuesday, when he tapped the catcher’s shin guard at the start of a game? That is a gesture of respect and goodwill from the hitter to the catcher, generally extended when they see one another for the first time that day.

Phillips should have known better than to offer a happy salutation under those circumstances. Molina, proud and stubborn, reacted as you would expect. He rose from his crouch and got in Phillips’ face. The dugouts emptied. Tempers didn’t subside until Johnny Cueto, on one flank of the scrum, kicked at Cardinals personnel from, basically, the first row of the stands. Ugly stuff.

This isn’t what Jocketty had in mind.

Jocketty is one of the most conservative and by-the-book GMs in the game. I’m sure he was very disturbed by Tuesday’s loss — and mostly because of how it unfolded.

The Reds have worked so hard to bring their team to this point. Dusty Baker has done one of the best managing jobs anywhere this season. Arthur Rhodes and Mike Leake are great stories. The farm system is supplying ample talent.

But now that the national spotlight is theirs, the Reds look foolish. Brandon Phillips should have kept his mouth shut and let his bat do the talking.

You know, the way Albert Pujols does.