Any worry about Prince getting suspended?

[The Ignitor]

First time post. Been following along all year from Santa Fe, NM. Was a passionate Brewer fan as a child in 80's and very early 90's while growing up in Madison. Although I confess to losing a great deal of interest in the Brewers and baseball after Molitor left town, I'm definitely hooked again. Finally felt compelled to join in. And I will be in Denver for the series next week.

 

It appeared to me that in yesterday's game Prince made two pushing movements directed towards the home plate umpire after he got struck with a pitch. Using my tivo a couple of times, I think Prince may have actually made contact with the ump on the first pushing movement. Although Prince clearly did not intend to actually push the ump, I think he brushed the umps arm/side. Isn't inadvertent contact with an ump (especially in conjunction with Prince's antics) a basis for a 1-game suspension?

 

I hope not, but that's the first thing I though of when I saw the scene. Then again, in the grand scheme of things 1-game isa much needed day of rest for the Prince.

 

 

(consolidated tags --1992)

[sweepscc]

Yes. He's being over dramatic, imo. If you're going to charge then get it over with don't run around like a fuming bull for five minutes. I'd rather see him run it off to first but then again I'm not the one getting hit.

[bball123h2]

I really don't think so. The impression I got was that Prince was channeling his pain to anger, angrily hopping around the box. But he didn't make any real gestures like he was going after somebody, so I'd assume he would not be suspended.

[naivin]

Nothing to suspend him for - he didn't say a word directly to anyone. I saw no movement toward the umpire. I saw the umpire look at him a little confused like - as in what are you doing? He's been hit plenty, and I think he is just frustrated and a bit concerned that the next one could put him out for a while.

[2hoophead]

Anybody else notice that Prince barked a little to the pitcher on the way to the dugout after being forced out at second?

 

...of course the talking heads on the telecast didn't pick up on this

[BrewCityUnit]

I am getting sick of watching Prince run around every time he gets hit. I agree with the poster above, if you are that mad, then just charge the mound and get it over with. If I wasn't a Brewer fan, Prince's reaction to getting beamed would really bother me even more. Imagine if a Cub player would act like that...Ramierez is close, but not as dramatic as Prince.

[jhart05]

I think it also had something to do with where he got hit.

 

Last night it looked like it was right on the kneecap. The time before right on the "funny bone". That's gotta' hurt.

 

If it had hit him somewhere normal like the thigh or upper arm, I don't think he would have jumped around like that.

 

And, no I don't think there will be any kind of suspension. He was just telling the ump to get his hands off of him.

[1992casey]

Of a player isn't ejected from the game, I wouldn't worry too much about a possible suspension.

[uwisfan]

I agree with most of the comments.. first off, he just took a painful hit 2 nights ago, on the elbow.. he jumped around then because of the location of the hit. Now he gets hit on the knee just a couple of days later, it was both frustration & pain, and he was trying to keep his composure. The ump actually got in his way as he took the base, and Prince was trying to say basically just leave me alone. Also caught him barking at the pitcher as he headed to the dugout.

[RightFieldCoder]

I'm more worried about injury due to being hit than a suspension because he's mad about being hit. Instead of having Prince go after a pitcher one of our pitchers should throw a warning shot. I don't think we should hit someone, but maybe something close that sends the "back off" message loud and clear. Two feet behind the guy's butt is another clear message. Part of that may have been that last night offered no opprotunity to do that.

[BillScottCanRake]

While he probably was mad, I think more than anything those last two pitches hurt. Both were direct his on bone- on directly on the elbow and one on the knee.

 

He mentioned after the game that he wasn't upset at the pitchers, but he had grown tired of being hit and that he wished they'd miss down the middle instead of missing and hitting him.

[jhart05]

"I don't think we should hit someone."

 

I do. A little chin music ain't going to hurt anyone.

 

Back in the day, Don Drysdale used to hit people, then ask them if they wanted the bruise autographed.

[endaround]

"I don't think we should hit someone."

 

I do. A little chin music ain't going to hurt anyone.

 

Back in the day, Don Drysdale used to hit people, then ask them if they wanted the bruise autographed.

Another one of those baseball myths. Players were hardly hit back in the day, no where near where it is currently:

[The Ignitor]

I'm talking specifically about the contact with the ump... not anything about being upset at the pitcher. He twice made a distinct pushing motion at the ump, and one of the times may have contacted that ump. I certainly realize he was not really trying to push the ump, only a symbolic gesture that he did not need the ump to stand between him and the pitcher. But he nevertheless may have made contact. Didn't Pudge get suspended this season for inadvertent contact?

[whizkid]

Another one of those baseball myths. Players were hardly hit back in the day, no where near where it is currently:

Got a link or stats?

[Team Canada]

I do. A little chin music ain't going to hurt anyone.

 

Since when does getting hit = chin music?? By definition, getting hit *does* hurt. If you're suggesting pitching inside, your statement still doesn't make sense since you're saying you're in favor of hitting people.

[LS Brewer]

Ignitor, I was thinking the same thing as you with as seemingly out of control Prince was acting. I thought he did brush up against the umpire but that the contact was mutual. In other words, the umpire deliberately put himself between Prince and the pitcher and appeared to be steering him toward first. I don't think a suspension is in order where the contact, inadvertant or not, was not caused solely by Prince.

[parkside21]

Do you think Prince was hit intentionally? I don't. It was a 2-1 ballgame at the time, if I recall. Why would you hit someone and put a guy on base in that situation? If Prince scores, a 3-1 ballgame is very different than a 2-1...especially with Howard coming up the next inning.

 

Let's get off the "let's send a message" stuff. Pitchers let pitches get away from time to time. It happens, see Turnbow and see Cordero last night, theirs just didn't happen to hit anyone.

 

That said, while I laugh when Prince lets his frustration out like that....I do wish he'd just run to first quietly sometimes. I hate to say it, but I still think Prince deals with anger issues...I hope it never gets to the point where it affect his personal (family) life.

[striders3]

Princes' post game interview he explained that he is just "sick" of getting hurt, nothing personal. That being said, I would not want to be the next guy to hit him.

This also gets me thinking about the possibility of an opposing team using this to their benefit. Drill him, get him pissed and hopefully out of his game.

Hopefully he realizes his importance to this team, and i think he does, to not do anything crazy to earn himself a suspension.

[molitor fan]

Endaround's comment was interesting, so I did a little quicksearch on baseball-reference.com. Drysdale was a bit of a head-hunter, and his numbers bore that out, as he had seasons of 20,18, and 17 batters hit. His former teammate, and era peer, Sandy Koufax, by comparison, hit 18 batters his entire career, and Whitey Ford hit 28 batters over his lengthy career.

[pretendastronaut]

I'd like to see how many of us quietly walk down to first after taking a ball right off your elbow or knee cap. I'm pretty surprised to see people thinking this means he has anger issues or is over-reacting. I'd be cussing up a storm if I got hit by a pitch, not because I'm mad at someone, but because its more of a "natural" reaction to the pain. He doesn't do much at all the times he gets plunked in the upper arm or the back, he's reacted quite visibly for the last two, but consider where those hit.

[The Ignitor]

For the record, I'm 100% behind Prince being upset after getting hit by a pitch. It's a natural reaction, and not a sign of some deeper troubles as some suggest. He's just got to be careful not to contact the ump regardless of intention because it can lead to problems with the league, as shown by the Pudge incident.

[JJ Hardy Har Har]

This guy loves Prince's "fire".

[Mr QL]

You guys are ridiculous. I'd probably cry like a little girl if I get hit by a major league pitch in the elbow and knee.

[jhart05]

"Since when does getting hit = chin music?? By definition, getting hit *does* hurt. If you're suggesting pitching inside, your statement still doesn't make sense since you're saying you're in favor of hitting people."

 

 

Whatever man. I was just typing that out quick. I thought baseball people could figure it out. But fine, here's what I meant...

 

 

Yes, I'm in favor of protecting your own. You hit one of our guys, we'll hit one of yours.

 

I'm also in favor of...if a guy hits one out on you, the next time up,you throw him one inside to brush him back.

 

 

Is that better?