The batters, to retaliate, could learn to take a big cut and let the bat go at the right moment sending it back towards the mound like a helicopter blade. This happens accidentally all the time on a mistimed swing and the bat goes toward a dugout or into the stands down the lines, so it has the advantage of not being automatically interpreted as intentional. The batter can even intentionally and severely mistime the pitch to add to the realism. But it would take a little practice to time just when to let go of the bat with the huge swing to send it right back up the middle.

From the pitcher's perspective, when the guy you don't like gets to first, you spin with a pick off move and fire it right at his face or crotch as hard as you can. That's a very short distance, and errant pick off throws are common.

One critical aspect of the mask is timing. You don't want to do it in the heat of an exchange during a game, or even in the following game or in the same series.....You wait for another time, and incorporate it into a natural looking play.

Is that it is part of the game. I wouldn't recommend introducing anything too direct in Little League, but there's no great harm done with a primer.

I helped out with my brother's Little League team, he has an 11 year old. The dugouts have a tight screen facing. Between innings, as long as there was no one out in front of the opposing dugout, when our infielders took the practice ground ball throws from the first basemen we had them rocket some throws over into that dugout facing. It was fun watching the other players and even coaches startled jumps upon impact.

It was accidental. Bad throws.

I'm partial to the Ron Artest technique....Just wade up into the stands and coldcock some horse-ass fan.

That rules out nothing.

When you're fed up with the umps, or the other team, or life in general..........You know how when the road team pitcher throws over to first to hold the runner a couple, three times in a row and the fans start booing. Just keep doing it. On and on and on. There can't be a limit by rule or the runner would know when they could take off when you moved.

To occupy Iraq and attack Iran, so the only way we may be pulling out of the Iraq theater, is if the troops are removed to attack Iran.

If the Cardinals win that damn division, LaRussa is a God..... Carpenter made one start for the season. Reyes and Wells, counted on to replace the departed Suppan and Marquis in the rotation, started 2-22. Rolen and Edmonds have 16 homers combined in mid-August. They always talk about the importance of up-the-middle in baseball--the Cards catcher, shortstop, and centerfielder have all had DL stints. The signing of Adam Kennedy for second base has been a complete flop. Last I looked the Cardinal starters combined ERA was 16th out of 16 in the league. 3 of the starters they have used this year with regularity were career relievers with one previous start combined before this year. They had a guy die, Hancock, and another critical sub because of all the injuries, Speizio, leave the team once himself for injury and presently for substance abuse. And Encarnacion, critical to protecting Pujols in the line-up because of the Rolen-Edmonds problems, had the longest DL stint of anyone.

Not only beaned Piazza in the head, he later threw a splintered bat at him.

Not the World Series

Try getting behind Takeru Kobayashi in the hot dog line.

I am pleased to announce my all-time Mount Rushmore of American sports. The criteria is A.)accomplishments/results/stats, whatever you want to call it and B.) Achieving icon status.

Admittedly the sports figures of the late 20th and now 21st century have an advantage in criteria B because their icon status is enhanced by always improving technology, accompanied by ever increasing media coverage and worldwide, not countrywide, fan interest. That's just the way it is. Sorry Charlie to earlier contestants.

So allow me to pull out my stone cutter and carve the 4 faces. No one else is even close. It's these 4 up on the mountain top looking down and everyone else in American sports history are tourist pip-squeeks, far below looking up.

Muhammad Ali, Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, and Barry Bonds.

I'm also pleased to note that all of my fellow whites are in the tourist line. There will always be, or should be, a sense of shame of being white in America. And honestly the shame should be increasing. After all the crap we've dished out in this country, and today there are huge flocks of white geese flapping and yapping and bitching about things like affirmative action or hip-hop music.

The odds of his ever taking steroids or human growth hormones? I'd say a lot of 9's seperated by a decimal point out of 100.

Is a vicious racist? And you're calling me a troll?

Rising up in moral judgement about anything is bad enough. Keeping a straight face while they do it is worse. But to select home runs as the subject makes the whole thing unintentional and laughable satire.

Was not accepted by republican America. When he broke the record it was---yeah but he has a ton more at bats.