I'm going to defer to the O'Connor clan for a definitive analysis but I welcome all opinions here. It seems to me , in the olden days of baseball, that there was a silent code amongst ballplayers that if one of there better players was hit by a pitch that payback would be assured. I have a theory that besides injuries, a main problem with the Yankee pitching so far this year and basically since Torre has been in charge is that the pitchers never reciprocate when one of their team mates gets hit; in fact, they hardly ever throw inside at all. I've noticed for years how comfortable Boston hitters look against NY. Then I heard this stat today.... Boston pitchers have hit Jeter nine times, Giambi nine times and A-Rod three times. In the same period of time, Yankee pitchers have hit a total of three Boston batters. Big Papi has never been hit, never even been dusted off. No wonder he kills the Yankees; he's dug in up there like a Georgia tick. I'm surprised the Yankee hitters even let the pitchers sit in the dugout with them.
It seems to me that after three hitters in a row go yard on a pitcher, the fourth batter would be eating cowhide. Forget protecting thier batters, these pitchers don't have the pride to fight back.
Nope. That I can recall. I think this comes from Torre. And when you consider that he played against Drysdale, Gibson and the like it is all the more mystifying.
" Did Roger ever knock down a Red Sox player when he was in pin stripes? " With a ball or a bat? [/quote]
You have to pitch inside and you have to retaliate. The other guys have to believe that retaliation is automatic. You can't play psychologist or social worker, worrying about whether or not the knockdown pitch was intentional. It doesn't matter. The manager has to send clear messages to the other side that they understand. If you don't, then just like Hitler, they will keep going until something stops them. You have stop them when they're even thinking about it. I probably ordered fewer knockdowns or brushbacks than any local manager that I know, but part of the reason for that, was everyone had no doubt that I would retaliate and sometimes I did. Torre has to protect those high-priced sluggers or they'll all wind up doing a Conigliaro...
Tonight the Yankees debut minor league phenom Philip Hughes against the Blue Jays. He's all of 20 years old. If he wants to become an instant hero in NY he'll pitch inside. And if someone uses Jeter as a pin cushion again as Scott Kazmir did the other night (without retaliation) he better plug their best man. If he doesn't then I'm convinced Torre is behind this.
Speaking of rookie phenoms....Mark Prior is done for the year. That guy was incredible when he first came up, I can't believe the problems that he has had since then.
George... <t>Looking forward to see Hughes as I have read numerous articles on him.<br/> <br/> I remember watching Drysdale knock two Astros on their backsides years ago in the Dome when a couple of Dodger hitters were hit by an Astro pitcher. Gibson as well. Stay away from the head.</t>
Larry do you know anything about a Houston kid in the Cubs organization.. Kyle Reynolds? Is he Craigs son?
you say goodbye and i say hello mr fastball behind the back <t>tit for tat. you protect your team and open the outer 3rd of the plate. its a given.<br/> <br/> you can't deny JoeTo's success, but if I am Jeter or A-Rod I am wondering where my backup is. Sometimes the manager doesn't have to order it, some things are a given.<br/> <br/> I teach the game the way it is suppose to be played. I've ordered few beanings, but that is because I rarely needed to point out the obvious.<br/> <br/> At this level of the game, maybe Joe is waiting for someone to step up?</t>