Times have changed. There are certain things baseball players do now that was considered taboo even a decade ago. Admiring home runs falls under that category. While plenty of fans still take issue with the practice — bat flipping as well — this is now largely seen as gamesmanship within the industry. Pitchers still don't like it, but many of them begrudgingly accept it and try to regroup. That is much harder to do when a team is in the midst of a historically awful campaign, which is following six straight losing seasons. Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Kyle Freeland exploded on Tuesday.

The veteran left-hander gave up a two-run home run to Rafael Devers in the first inning of Tuesday's 7-4 loss to the San Francisco Giants, but the three-time All-Star was not in a hurry to round the bases. Freeland took great offense and fired a verbal shot at the slugger. Devers became incensed, and a benches-clearing brawl broke out. As is often the case, things settled down before true chaos was unleashed. Freeland, Matt Chapman and Willy Adames were all ejected.

Freeland explained his blazing reaction after the game. “I just found it extremely disrespectful to show me up like that in the first inning after hitting a home run,” he told reporters, via Jomboy Media. “Standing there watching it, taking your sweet time getting down to first base. I've been in this league for quite some time, and I know he has as well. I just find that extremely disrespectful and felt that I needed to let him know about that.”

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When will the dark days end for the Rockies?

There are those who will snap back at Kyle Freeland with the classic response: “if you don't want the hitter to pose, then get him out.” Others will argue that it is beneath anyone, let alone an established star like Rafael Devers, to marvel at a homer that he hit against the lowly Rockies. Perhaps everyone can learn from this experience.

Colorado needs Freeland to channel all his frustrations into his pitching. He is having another brutal year, posting a 5.41 ERA and 1.52 WHIP through 131 1/3 innings. Unless a spectacular final stretch follows, this will mark the third straight season the former first-round draft pick has recorded a 5.00-plus ERA. A top-five finish in the 2018 National League Cy Young race seems like ancient history now.

Both Freeland and the Rockies (39-100) must use the remainder of this lost campaign to find a spark that they can use in 2026. Otherwise, they will remain baseball's most accessible punching bag.