Letters to the Editor
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Yes.
Just got back from Florida watching some Astros workouts and spring games.
My son plays on the 'back' fields, trying to make it. That's where I spent my time, watching A, AA guys bustin' it.
I can tell you for certain, without hesitation that if my son got injured because another ballplayer was playing hard, he would have nothing but respect for the other guy.
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We Mariners fans are laughing
The Yankees play like spoiled Little Leaguers who have a coach that has trained them to win at any cost. The Slap? The time A-rod yelled "I got it!" to trick the other team into dropping a fly ball? There are dozens of these cheesy ass, bad sportsmanship plays committed by Yankees.
I still haven't forgotten the game last year where Yankee asshat Josh Phelps blind-sided Johjima at the plate.
Johjima was standing three feet away from home plate, not blocking it in any way, didn't have the ball, and wasn't even looking at Phelps. The throw was late, and Phelps simply wanted to force an error to help the runner.
We were lucky that our catcher wasn't seriously injured by a blind hit, and to the Yankees I say: Karma.
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Rowand
Second mention, it's Rowand, not Rowland.
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Why don't rundowns end this way?
If it's within the rules to plow into the catcher who is waiting to tag you at home, isn't it legit to take a run at the 160lb second baseman who has you caught in a rundown or during a steal attempt? A-Rod was crucified for attempting to slap the ball out of a fielder's hand during a tag attempt, but that action is tame compared to what happens at home. Why are home plate collisions allowed at all (other than the obvious appeal to the NFL-lovers in the audience)? A cursory look at the rulebook suggests that there is no difference between these situations, and yet they are treated totally differently in practice.
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@bmoore
A-Rod slapped the ball out of a fielders hand on his way to first. Going to first ids different because you can sprint and over run the base. ARod just had to kick into overdrive and could have run all the way to the wall trying to slow down.
Home plate is different because a score is at stake. And one score is often a really big deal in a low scoring game like baseball (or hockey or soccer).
That said, (not to @bmoore specifically anymore) Rowand taking it to the face for two bases and an out is is worth it. Unless they're playing the Cubs, they can't assume the hitting team will strand their runners on the base. Second and third bases are called Scoring Position. They may even score with that out, so might as well take it if you got the balls to do it (or the ball).
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1970 All Star Game
This story reminds me of the 1970 all star game. I wasn't there, or born. The story of that game of course was Pete Rose's home plate collision with Ray Fosse which scored Rose and won the game 5-4 for the NL. Fosse was injured on the play, never to be 100% again he did go on to play for the A's on two World Series teams.
Much was made of this event. People scorned Rose over using too much force, for playing like "it counts". I believe that to ask a player to turn it on and off, be it in front of a national audience in your home town or trying to break camp with a major league club, is about pageantry and not the game.
Contact at the plate is part of the game, always has been. Of course, so has pageantry.
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2nd
I'd like to second the question about the difference between contact at 2nd and home. Is it clearly differentiated in the rule book, or just a tradition that you can have contact at one and not the other?
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Wooden's Best Idea
Was to have 6 years of Alcindor and Walton. And there are enough questions about what went on at UCLA back then to make it at least as asterisk worthy as steroids.
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Bust heads in the all star game, then
If you gotta go 120% all the time whether it means anything or not then I demand to see heads busted in the all star game, or better yet, when a team is going .460 at the end of the season against wildcard berth team, I demand to see goon-ism.
Oh wait, what about the CHILLLLLLLLDRENNNNNNN !
(PS, I helped cart a 15 year old off the field last season who go trun down at the plate, got his right forearm stomped and broke both bones.)
Face it King, if it were anyone but the Yanks, you'd sing a different tune.
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Girardi
But to me, that's just not the time to do it.
Of course not, Joe. It's your guy who got hurt.
It's major league baseball. It's open season on catchers. That's just the way it is. Spring training, regular season, all-star game, playoffs, whatever. Sure, outlaw the collision in college and high school, those guys aren't getting paid. But when it's your profession and the home plate collision is legal - well, you can't flip out when people run into the catcher.
Zimmer is 100% right.
I disagree with you, King, about the runner being at a disadvantage. Catchers legs and head are protected with hard plastic. Not their torso and shoulders. When a runner hits a catcher - he's not aiming low. And the catcher is a sitting duck. The guy who is running usually has some serious circular velocity going - while the catcher is just waiting for the mayhem.
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Here we go
It's just the first instance of Yankee whining during a long season.
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yay baseball!
@ a billion angry bees -
Obviously Mr. Kaufman is talking about Professional Baseball. (It was unfortunate for the kid who was injured, but) why take this commentary out of context?
Thanks for another fun article King Kaufman. You're writing is a reliable source of amusement for me.
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Off Topic
King, I know you've mentioned you're a fan of The Monkees so I was just wondering. Yesterday Madonna was inducted into the Rick and Roll Hall of Fame and The Monkees are still waiting for little well earned cred. What do ya think? And oh yeah, The Dodgers are going to compete for the National League title this year. For real.