Perhaps the best part of Brandon Barnes and Aaron Barrett's epic pregame staredown/standoff/game of "chicken", aside from Barrett's teammates outfitting him with a helmet and elbow guard as the first pitch approached and he remained on the field, was the fact that the Colorado Rockies' infielder didn't seem to even know who Barrett was when he talked to reporters about the epic nonfrontation that followed the singing of "The Star-Spangled Banner" before this afternoon's series finale with the Washington Nationals in Coors Field.
"'I always wait until the flag hits the line or it’s out of the park,'" Barnes told Denver Post writer Nick Groke after the Rockies salvaged the third game of three with the NL East's first-place Nationals. "And that guy was still there and he gave me the nod — so we went at it."
"That guy"?
His name is Barrett! Aaron Barrett!!! And he won the staredown/standoff/game of "chicken" and celebrated like the biggest, happiest kid/cub (baby bear reference) on the planet when he did.
• Here it is in hilarious GIFs via BSheridan (@md_dc) on Twitter:
An assist goes to home plate ump Paul Emmel, however, since he apparently told Barnes he would be ejected if he didn't back down. But Barrett totally won.
Rockies' skipper Walt Weiss told reporters after the game that it was all in good fun, and a good way to keep spirits up in a dispiriting campaign for Colorado.
"Yeah, these guys know that -- we all know where we're at and how tough it's been," Weiss said.
Aaron Barrett explains how he ended up in an impromptu standoff. http://t.co/LihPfrQOVj
— Adam Kilgore (@AdamKilgoreWP) July 24, 2014
"And these guys are still trying to find reasons every day to -- it's tough to have fun, but they're still trying to find a way to enjoy being out there and competing and not lose sight of that and I think that was part of the Barnes staredown before the game."