How do you think MLB has handled the "brush-back" pitch? Have they gone too far by automatically ejecting pitchers if the umps feel they purposely threw at someone? Or, do you feel they haven't gone far enough in "punishing" pitchers who purposely throws at batters. Personally, I think that unless pitchers throw at the batter's head, they should not be ejected and the umps should continue to let them play. The pitchers have just as much right to the inside part of the plate as the hitters do. That's the chance hitters take when they crowd the plate. Getting plunked in the arse, thigh, arm, etc.(but NOT the head area) should be the price they pay for standing right on top of the plate. What do you all think?
I think it's a joke. It should all be handled by the players on the field and the only suspensions should come when a player charges the mound or when a guy like Clemens is knowingly head hunting. I'm sick and tired of some guy getting hit with an 0-2 curveball and starting a bench clearing social at the mound. Every hitter should be forced to bat without padding on their arm, that's ridiculous too.
Rob Neyer wrote a good article on Baseball being broken: http://espn.go.com/mlb/columns/neyer_rob/1432489.html
I think it should be strict. If a pitcher can't keep the ball out of the batter's box, he has no reason pitching. Now if a player gets hits between batter's box and plate, its his own fault. This is the pitcher's area. Need more people called out for stepping out of box while swinging. Eject leadoff hitters who kick dirt on chalk to blur batter's box. Its cheating and thus should have a zero tolerance policy. Keep catchers in the catchers box.
Tradition or not, I can't stand all of the unwritten rules of baseball. It's so funny how they always say that after a loss, there's always tommorow. Yet, when the other team steals a base when up by 5+ runs in the late innings, that adage goes out the window. The proverb turns into, "There's always the next batter to drill in the back." BAseball players are the biggest babies whose emotions are more fragile than Moises Alou's knees.
How to make guys stop throwing at each other: 1. Abolish the DH That is all As long as they are not throwing at their heads then I have no problem with a guy pushing someone back. Just keep in mind if you throw at my team, my team will throw at your best player (or trhe pitcher)
Well, it happens as much, if not more in the NL... The problem is that you have too many old-schoolers who feel the need to retaliate anytime they feel like they're shown up. In every other sport, "showing" up your opponent is almost expected. In baseball, you're liable to get thrown at.
It will always happen at times, but the guys who make a living at head hunting are more than likely in the AL (namely Pedro, Clemens, etc). Yeah it does happen in the NL but pitchers don't do it at someone's head as often. Just look at the way Clemens was scared to pitch in Shea for awhile. Again I hav eno problem with plunking a guy in the hips or back with a fastball, but don't let them throw above the chest.
Clemens wasn't afraid to pitch at Shea. Torre didn't want something stupid like Mike Piazza getting plunked to become bigger than the team.
I think too many pitchers have conceded the inside of the plate. The brush back pitch is an essential tool and should be employed just to keep the hitters from feeling too comfortable up there. There is a reason that Pedro Martinez and Roger Clemens have been dominant.
I think the intent is important. If it is CLEAR that a pitcher was throwing at a guy...not trying to brush him back...but REALLY throwing at a guy, then the warning needs to be given. The next time somebody is CLEARLY throwing at a guy...then come the ejections. Just because the warning has been given doesn't mean that a pitcher should be barred from pitching inside for fear of accidently hitting a guy and getting tossed. Intent is important and a distinction needs to be made.
Exactly right, Ref. It's up to the umps to use a little discretion when issuing warnings, so far they've done an extremely poor job.
