Random MLB News And Discussion 2012

[Funketown]

Strange performance of the day: Chris Davis, Baltimore's DH, went 0-8 with 5K's in Baltimore's 17 inning win. He also picked up the save with a scoreless 17th inning, striking out Adrian Gonzalez.

 

Edit: typo

 

Edit2: Davis actually pitched 2 scoreless and got the win. ESPN's play log was a bit confused.

[jerichoholicninja]

Davis actually got the win with two scoreless innings.

[yfinn6]

I think Jayson Werth just broke his left wrist. Sliding catch that looked pretty brutal.

[Glennron]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tS0cSGCDu5U

 

Might as well watch it before it's taken down.

[TooLiveBrew]

Wow, with 2 outs & on a 1-2 count no less.

[3and2Fastball]

Cole Hamels admitted that he hit Harper with that pitch on purpose. Why would he admit that? I mean, I understand why pitchers hit batters intentionally for various reasons, but why admit it? Isn't that just inviting suspension?

[jerichoholicninja]

Cole Hamels admitted that he hit Harper with that pitch on purpose. Why would he admit that? I mean, I understand why pitchers hit batters intentionally for various reasons, but why admit it? Isn't that just inviting suspension?

 

It will be interesting to see what happens. Last year LaRussa admitted to having his pitcher throw at Braun and nothing happened.

 

Did Harper do anything to deserve it or was this just a veteran trying to put a rookie in his place kind of thing?

[RockCoCougars]

Hamels will probably get fined and maybe suspended.... should have kept his mouth closed. As an old school guy, I really liked how things went down. Vet pitcher hits 'cocky' rookie in the small of the back, cocky rookie then turns the table on pitcher by stealing home on him. Opposing team then drills pitcher in his first at bat as further retribution. Great baseball.

 

I have to say that I wasn't a big Harper fan when reading about his antics in amateur ball/ minors, but he's growing on me. The kid has some brass, and some skills to back it up.

[pretendastronaut]

Did Harper do anything to deserve it or was this just a veteran trying to put a rookie in his place kind of thing?

 

Hamels said it was a "welcome to the big leagues" message.

 

I have to say, I was liking what I've seen from Harper so far, but the bravado of avenging his plunking by stealing home is fantastic, I'm a fan.

[3and2Fastball]

What I like about Harper is his all-out hustle. Other than not running full speed to first on a walk, he reminds me more of Pete Rose in terms of his hustle than any other player. Before he stole home, it was his hustle going 1st to 3rd on a single to leftfield that put him in position to steal home. And then later in the game he turned a little bloop single to left into a double.

 

Harper is also making diving grabs in the outfield. He reminds me of another 19 year old phenom, Ken Griffey Jr, and I can't help but wonder if, similar to Griffey, Harper's all out hustle and diving plays in the outfield will lead to injuries throughout his career

[jerichoholicninja]

I have no problem with pitchers hitting guys because they pimped a homerun, made a stupid comment, or in retaliation for hitting a teammate but what Hamels did was stupid. I know he's shown some cockiness in the past but Bryce hasn't done anything in the majors but be respectful and humble and play HARD. At least Cole had the courtesy to hit him in the back. If I were a veteran on the Nationals I would make sure that Cole doesn't get the same courtesy the next time he steps in the box against Washington.

[3and2Fastball]

Hamels did get hit by a pitch his next time up... the retaliation already happened

[AZBrewCrew]

Suspended 100 games for taking Clenbuterol. Having issues linking source on phone.

[pretendastronaut]

Even former Brewers are having quite a week.

 

Yuniesky Betancourt on disabled list

 

LaTroy Hawkins fractures pinky

 

Dodgers fall to Cubs in 11 innings, lose Hairston to hamstring injury

 

Giants reliever Mota gets 100-game drug suspension

[adamb100]

Hamels suspended 5 games for the intentional pitch.

 

http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/7902128/cole-hamels-philadelphia-phillies-suspended-five-games-hitting-bryce-harper-washington-nationals

 

I think the punishment sounds pretty fair.

[Schlitz001]

Suspended 100 games for taking Clenbuterol. Having issues linking source on phone.

That's too bad. Clenbuterol works similar to epinephrine or ephedrine, which are available OTC as Primatene. It's not a drug you use to bulk up, instead it's used as a bronchodilator. He was using it for "pep" and to breathe easier. I bet he could have got a legitimate prescription for something similar and been OK. Dumb Guillermo.

[logan82]

Amphetamines are now banned substances. Have been for a few years now.

[Schlitz001]

logan82, I wasn't suggesting that Clenbuterol isn't a banned substance, or that Primatene is not a banned substance. I'm saying that it's not an anabolic steroid and he probably could have gotten a legitimate prescription for something similar. It's a dumb move on his part to get banned for something like this.

[brettac1]

I agree. Guys were/are getting TUE's left and right to keep taking pills with no issue. Not sure why Mota wouldn't just do the same.

[Baldkin]

I agree. Guys were/are getting TUE's left and right to keep taking pills with no issue. Not sure why Mota wouldn't just do the same.

 

TUE= Therapeutic Use Exemption... just an FYI to anyone who was as uninformed as me.

 

It's funny that the steroid stigma looms, even though it was a change in the baseball that effected everything more than steroids, and no one seems to care about the 100's of players who used illegal amphetamines in the 70's and 80's.

[TooLiveBrew]

"Amphetamines" sounds so clinical & harsh. Let's call 'em "greenies" instead! That way they sound fun & harmless!

[monty57]

Hamels suspended 5 games for the intentional pitch.

 

http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/7902128/cole-hamels-philadelphia-phillies-suspended-five-games-hitting-bryce-harper-washington-nationals

 

I think the punishment sounds pretty fair.

 

A five game suspension for a pitcher is pretty meaningless. The team will basically just push him back a day and he won't miss a start. He admitted to performing an action which had the potential of injuring the biggest young star in baseball, playing in baseball's newest market for a team that is surprising baseball with it's play and drawing in lots of new fans. He didn't do it for any reason other than to "teach a rookie" some unknown message about how "old school" baseball is played. With that in mind, it is not unreasonable to believe that this is not an isolated incidence for Hamels.

 

In the NFL, they just suspended a player for an entire season for willfully performing actions which could injure other players. I guess they don't take injuries quite as seriously in baseball. To anyone who says that there was little chance of injury, I'd ask them to turn a pitching machine up to 95 MPH and let it drill you in the base of your spine.

[bullox]

 

In the NFL, they just suspended a player for an entire season for willfully performing actions which could injure other players. I guess they don't take injuries quite as seriously in baseball.

 

This Hit by Pitch and Bountygate are in two different leagues. (Literally) If Hamels knew before the game that he could get extra cash for plunking Harper, and that was his reason for doing it, then yeah you can equate the two. The difference is the motivation.

 

I don't like the fact that hitting batters is the old school, traditional way of doing things for some players. It's not competition. It's a waste of time and it hurts your chances of winning. Not a fan.

[RightFieldCoder]

Old MLBPA players are not suing the MLB for too many injuries.

[monty57]

The difference is the motivation.

 

Malice is malice. Both were willful acts which could lead to injuries. Intentionally throwing at a guy isn't as bad as paying players to intentionally injure others, and therefore Hamels shouldn't get a full-season suspension, but it's still an intentional act which will harm another player. Plus, Hamels' statement implies that there is a good possibility that he's done this before and will do it again. He feels it's his responsibility to teach the kids a lesson. That's usually something that you'd like to stamp out if your goal is to protect your young stars.

 

What if Harper comes out next time they meet and immediately charges the mound and pounds Hamels, and his excuse is "that's the new school way to get even?" Would that be exempt from harsh punishment since he wasn't paid to do it? No, that act would be a willful attempt to injure another player, just like intentionally throwing a fastball at someone. Basically, if the Commissioner's office wants to stop an action from happening, the way he does it is through stricter punishment. A 5-game suspension to a person who admits to intentionally throwing at someone tells me the Commissioner's office really doesn't want to stop pitchers from intentionally throwing at hitters.

 

Jim Leyland said he thinks Hamels should have got at least a 15-game suspension, and I agree. That would be enough to make pitchers think twice about intentionally hitting a batter, and it could knock a playoff team out of the playoffs, so managers like LaRussa would think twice about telling pitchers to do it.