Yes, the Nationals released Shawn Kelley because he threw his glove

Fighting for their playoff lives, the Washington Nationals have decided to release Shawn Kelley because he threw his glove.

An already great week for Old Baseball Men who Respect the Game has gotten even better. Last weekend gave us Joe Simpson calling out the Los Angeles Dodgers for wearing t-shirts and rolled-up baseball pants for batting practice. Today, the Washington Nationals have designated reliever Shawn Kelley for assignment for slamming his glove in frustration after giving up a dinger last night.

The good vibes generated from the Nationals 25-4 beatdown of the New York Mets are already gone!

It appeared that Kelley was none to thrilled to be called upon to perform the task of getting the final three outs of the blowout, and he was even less thrilled after giving up a two-run homer. No one likes to see their ERA go up, and definitely not when you’ve drawn the short straw of pitching in a meaningless game.

The reasoning behind Kelley’s designation was that he was showing up manager Dave Martinez. The first-year manager has looked overwhelmed at times, and has had to deal with multiple reports that he has already lost his clubhouse.

I feel like now is a great time to remind everyone that the Nationals have already dealt with several prominent instances of “not respecting the game” in the past few monts. First, we had shortstop Trea Turner pouting after not being named to the All-Star Game and going 3-for-31 for the week leading up to the break. Then, we had Turner inexplicably slam his bat and walk off the field instead of running out a poorly-executed bunt in Milwaukee. Of course, none of that topped Turner having racist and homophobic tweets unearthed last weekend, which forced teammate and social-justice activist Sean Doolittle to issue a strong condemnation.

Yes, it’s been a whirlwind week for Trea Turner and the Nationals. And — what’s this? We haven’t even mentioned Bryce Harper openly slamming his front office for not acquiring All-Star catcher J.T. Realmuto. Some would say that’s quite disrespectful.

The Nationals, last valued at over $1.5 billion, and owned by a billionaire family, also offer such great support of their employees that Assistant GM Doug Harris has been forced to start a GoFundMe in an attempt to raise money for leukemia treatment. Good looks all around for the D.C. Baseball Boys.

The moral of the story here, as it has always been in baseball, is that high-profile players can get away with just about anything and keep their job. There has been more than one occasion of Harper failing to hustle on the field or saying things he shouldn’t to the media. Earlier this week, the Houston Astros traded for closer Roberto Osuna. He’s only suspended for domestic abuse, but hey — he’s eligible for the postseason!

With the demotion of Kelley, the Nationals have cut off their nose to spite their face. Was what Kelley did on the mound childish? There’s no denying that point, but it was hardly worth removing him from what has been a very inconsistent bullpen. Kelley had actually been one of the team’s best relievers the past two months. He had allowed three earned runs over his last 20 innings while holding opponents to a .171/.203/.329 line.

In effect, what the Nationals have done here is cut a very good reliever who would have been good to have around for a pennant race to make a point. Kudos to the Nationals, and best of luck in winning a postseason series.