Howie Kendrick wants all Dodgers critics to ‘go follow someone else’

Howie, Howie, Howie. What’s a veteran second baseman to do? Not this, of course. Never this. It’s so silly that it’s somewhat amazing it’s even being discussed. But, as the kids say, you went there.

You went and ripped people for ripping the Dodgers.

Which raises two immediate questions: 1) Why? and, 2) Exactly what critics are you talking about?

Not the Los Angeles media, which has been remarkably soft in its criticism of the Dodgers. They’re playing pretty well and execs Andrew Friedman and Farhan Zaidi have mostly been given a first-year pass. The biggest complaint is that the richest team in baseball history is not close to dominant.

Yet, Wednesday in an Instagram post Howie Kendrick wrote:

“It’s funny how people who have never played baseball at a professional level or maybe even high school have an opinion about baseball. Of course it’s easy to sit on the couch and be a good coach or player. I guarantee you everyone that is talking would look like a complete fool in the batters box. There’s a reason we are Major League Baseball players. So will all the coaches and critics go follow someone else. Our team is fine.”

How enlightening. Apparently only former major leaguers are allowed to criticize Major League Baseball.

This would bring a whole new dimension to the world of criticism, or pretty much its death rattle. I’m pretty sure most people who criticize politics have never held political office or who offer an opinion on “Ant-Man” have never directed a movie, though I suspect critics of “Housewives of Whatever” consist of plenty of housewives.

If all those critics sitting on their couches really were to go follow someone else, the Dodgers would be out of business. Kendrick is 32, played in the majors for 10 years and has to know this as well as anyone.

Apparently rational thought returned to Kendrick, since he later took down the post. Either that or he was tired of reading all the post’s critical comments.

Second-guessing is as much a part of sports as sweat. And no sport gets more of it than baseball, which in reality is one of its charms. In this social media world, everyone is a critic. You may find this shocking, but there are actually people on their couches who lecture me on the art of journalism. Hey, it’s a crazy world.

Kendrick probably didn’t help his cause by somehow transitioning in the same post to his love for guns. That he loves guns and lives in Arizona might be more information that many might care to possess.

I’d offer a critique, but then I don’t have any personal experience with guns.