This Week's Episode of: WTF?
by Allen Chace on Apr 18, 2008 2:22 AM EDT
12 comments
With Ramirez enjoying his latest outburst against his favorite foe, New York reliever Kyle Farnsworth threw a 97 mph fastball behind the slugger's neck on the first pitch of the seventh inning, drawing cheers from the sellout crowd of 55,088.
"It just slipped. I was trying to be aggressive and go in on him," Farnsworth said.
Boston manager Terry Francona said "it's just part of the game,"
All right. Am I the only one who found DP to be the most reasonable individual about tonight's near-misshit?
"He throws 100 mph. That's career-ending if it hits him," Boston's Dustin Pedroia said.
As you might imagine, I was not impressed by that BS this evening. I think it was intentional. I don't know that I'm right about that, and I'll never know. But I'll say this. If you're "trying to be aggressive", you better be damn sure you can control what you're throwing. I could understand and better dismiss an actual hit on his thigh, back, or ribs or something. And on the 25-man roster of the Yankees, there's no player with less credibility in my book than Kyle L. Farnsworth. I'm not the kind of Sox fan who thinks everything the Yankees do is dirty, but this just pissed me off to all hell.
...moving on.
Summary:
Too bad this episode had to sour (for me) an otherwise sweet victory. Vintage Becks, though not quite a "Vintage Papelbon Performance". A 4-run lead with Giambi-Posada-Cano in order? Oki would have sufficed, and has actually thrown a 1/3 less total innings than Paps to this point. The key, for Becks at least, was being the kind of pitcher who can throw multiple strikes to a single hitter (were you watching, Jon Lester?).
"Being" is one bad MF. He took care of business like we needed him to tonight, with two HRs off of personal whipping boy Mike Mussina. Jacoby "Slowpoke" Ellsbury was able to take 2 bases tonight, with a bonus base on a Chad Moeller throwing error. JD Drew continues to just make good things happen at the plate. 2-4, 2B, 2 RBI. That's what I like to see out of my completely non-disappointing RF. Youks, DP and El Capitan all had 2 hits apiece as well.
Player of the Game:
via d.yimg.com
Comment of the Game:
Sorry, kids. No one in the gamethread beat Becks today. On Manny:
"He's pretty good, huh?" Beckett said. "Hopefully, he'll invite me to his Hall of Fame speech."
Next up: Four at home against the Rangers. Daisuke, Lester, Wake and Buch for us. Kason makes his first appearance as an opposing starter: Mendoza, Jennings, Millwood, Gabbard.
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WTF is right, 70mph behind him maybe, but …Do you think Fansworth was simply doing what he was told ?? What is it something like 10 teams in 10 years
It happens on the corner of Yawkey & Brookline
by Yawkey&Brookline on Apr 18, 2008 7:33 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Eh.
I tend to think it wasn’t “ordered” or anything like that.
"Are you a real doctor, or a doctor like Julius Erving is a doctor?"
by Allen Chace on Apr 18, 2008 11:08 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I hate the MFY as much as the next baseball fan
but I can’t imagine, even someone as immature as Farnsworth, doing something so incredibly stupid intentionally. The slightest loss of control on a pitch like that and not only is Manny’s career over, Farnsworth’s might as well have been too. He’d forever be the guy who recklessly took out a hall-of-famer.
by sdkramer.otm on Apr 18, 2008 8:22 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Good points.
Though, I think Farnsworth is just immature enough…
"Are you a real doctor, or a doctor like Julius Erving is a doctor?"
by Allen Chace on Apr 18, 2008 11:08 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Obviously I don't want to see anyone get hurt
or suspended but I miss Pedro ( I never thougth I’d say this bc I hate how he behaved when he left the Sox)
...we all know he would have plunked someone last night; with or without “orders”.
"You know," Girardi said, shrugging his shoulders, "it didn't work."
( Joe Girardi on pitching to Manny Ramirez with first base open)
by MassGal on Apr 18, 2008 9:59 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Imagine Manny's HoF speech
That’s something I’ll have to tune in to.
How many times will he say “mang”?
"You know you're having a bad day when the fifth inning rolls around and they drag the warning track." - Mike Flanagan, Baltimore Orioles pitcher, 1992.
by SoxDevil on Apr 18, 2008 10:12 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Shortest HOF speech ever.
That’s my guess. Maybe followed by a lot of smiling and pointing.
Manny ain't the only bad man.
by tommy.otm on Apr 18, 2008 7:13 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Its Kyle Farnsworth
Nuff said, Farnsworth is crazy. I am sure in his warped world, throwing at Manny was the proper thing to do.
Look at it this way…
When the Yanks come to Fenway in July, Manny will be ready and pissed off and A-Rod is going to have a massive bruise on his butt.
Farnsworth will get a day suspension, no doubt.
by SoxAcumen on Apr 18, 2008 1:14 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Just this once- Thanks Manny! For some honesty.
“He [Farnsworth] doesn’t deserve that. He was trying to protect his player. You know, we hit A-Rod the game before. When you’e [sic] got a guy like that on your team, you’re going to protect him … That’s the way the game is played. You hit one of their guys and they’re going to hit one of your’s [sic].”
—Manny Ramirez on Kyle Farnsworth’s three-game suspension
To the rest of ya: We’ll be back!
"Sports don't build character, they reveal it." - Haywood Hale Broun.
by StrappedYankee on Apr 19, 2008 11:06 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Holy S, am I thinking you're missing the point.
Intimidate. Brush guys off the plate. Throw behind someone’s head with a 97 MPH FB. Hit a guy in the elbow, back, etc. ...not all of these sentences/phrases/etc. mean the same thing, or have the same kind of weight or value.
Look. If Farnsworth can’t control his pitches, then as fast as he throws, maybe he shouldn’t be the one retaliating. If someone on the Sox needed to take one because of A-Rod, fine. I don’t really have a problem with that. But you’ve gotta have somebody (Bruney, Hawkins, Mo), who’s not also batshitfuckincrazy, seemingly kind of stupid, and who can control what they throw to do that. Is that too much to f’n ask?
"Are you a real doctor, or a doctor like Julius Erving is a doctor?"
by Allen Chace on Apr 20, 2008 2:38 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Word
It’s like if we “re-retaliated” by having Hoolian stick his spikes in Jeter’s neck and drink his blood from the holes. At some point, it just ceases to be baseball.
Manny ain't the only bad man.
by tommy.otm on Apr 22, 2008 8:45 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
i agree with allen and tommy
It’s one thing if Farnsworth wants to retaliate and hit Manny in the back or leg or something…but throwing at his head? Pedroia is obviously right; that could have destroyed his career.
And, call me old-fashioned, but I don’t think 97 MPH fastballs to the head are “part of the game.” Again, hit him if you want to retaliate, but don’t be a douchebag and aim for his head. I think if I were Manny I would have kicked Farnsworth’s ass with my bat.
A-Rod drinks wine coolers and Jeter wears lipstick.
by pedroiastroika on Apr 22, 2008 3:19 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
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