Ed Condron

San Diego Padres outfielder Will Venable believes Texas Rangers sensation Yu Darvish needs to show a little humility after the Japanese pitcher said the wind aided his near-homer blast in their Wednesday's Cactus League match.

After allowing no runs and striking out three batters in his Spring Training debut, the 25-year-old Darvish made a brow-raising comment about Venable's near home run blast.

"With the dry air in Arizona and the wind blowing out, it carried the ball," Darvish said through an interpreter, according to ESPN Thursday. "It didn't seem like a ball that was hit that squarely."

Venable quickly responded to the Japanese's comments, saying "maybe his perception of reality isn't right on."

In an interview on the "Darren Smith Show" on XX 1090 (Padres official station), the 29-year-old Venable talked more about the hit and what he felt about Darvish.

"I think the wind saved it from being a home run," Venable told ESPN." I also heard that he didn't think I hit it squarely. If that's the case, I don't think anyone has squared off a ball off of him."

"I would have liked to hear a little more humility from the guy. To each his own. He's a confident guy. Of course I didn't square up a ball because he's Yu Darvish," added Venable, who is batting .250 with 36 homers and 143 RBIs in his first four seasons with the Padres.

Rangers manager Ron Washington defended his ace pitcher and said he likes Darvish being himself.

"I'd like for Yu to be Yu," Washington told ESPN. "If that's Yu and that's how he feels, say it. I'm not going to take that away from him. As far as Venable goes, he said what he felt like he had to say and now we move on."

 

 

 

Rangers Pitcher Yu Darvish Raps Foe's Hit As 'Wind-Blown'