Arena The Major League Baseball Thread

i'd like that post, but it's agains the giants. :-(

 

Busy night for the Diamondbacks and Dodgers:

http://scores.espn.go.com/mlb/recap?gameId=330611119

I mostly note how many big time former players were involved in the brawl, between Kirk Gibson, Matt Williams, Mark McGwire, and Don Mattingly. I do believe the Diamondbacks have more Series titles on their side of that ledger than do the Dodgers (three to one). Steroid users are even at one apiece.

Edit: I forgot about Alan Trammell-- that's another Series win (shared with one of Gibson's, of course). Don Baylor's right there as well, and that's another Series win. And a lot of HBPs.

 

http://espn.go.com/blog/sweetspot/post/_/id/36923/kennedy-should-face-long-suspension

(As an aside; Mattingly, McGwire, Gibson, Trammell, Williams, Don Baylor ... this had to be greatest list of coaches and managers ever involved in a brawl.)

You could field a terrific lineup with that group.

 

http://www.mikesciosciastragicillness.com/2013/06/12/a-brawl-with-no-winners-whatsoever]Mike[/url] Scioscia's Tragic Illness: A Brawl With No Winners Whatsoever


http://www.latimes.com/sports/sportsnow/la-sp-sn-dodgers-diamondbacks-plaschke-20130612,0,5760243.story]Bill[/url] Plaschke: ... Dodgers swung and missed


Obviously you don't want players risking injury & suspension during a brawl, especially the most valuable ones (and particularly for the Dodgers, since they're still struggling to get out of last place), but brawls & that code among ballplayers will always be part of the game*... I don't think it's ever going to go away. The series was intriguing already, given Arizona's 9th inning comeback on Monday night that's led to Kenley Jansen becoming the new Dodger closer, and the pitching match up of Corbin vs. Ryu tonight, but now there's that much more sizzle... we'll see how long it lasts, beyond any of the suspensions.


http://espn.go.com/los-angeles/mlb/story/_/id/9376342/los-angeles-dodgers-arizona-diamondbacks-open-2014-season-australia-report]D'Backs/Dodgers[/url] likely to open up the 2014 season in Sydney


Why not?




*Of course that doesn't mean that it's universally liked in baseball... from the article KW linked to: "One hopes cooler heads will prevail Wednesday. As Scully signed off after the final out, "In a sense, I am personally relieved the game is over." "

 

Haven't seen the brawl yet, but didn some of the players really try to dump a coach over one of the dugouts?

 

It's an '88 World Series reunion!

 

It's interesting that Dan Bickley of the Arizona Republic blasted Ian Kennedy and Bill Plaschke of the LA Times criticized the Dodgers.

Most of the video recaps don't show that Greinke took at least three shots at Montero, which I agree violates the unwritten rules. If you miss, that's it, or it should be it. You don't get a do-over, and then another one. Obviously, Kennedy shouldn't have thrown at Greinke's head, but I don't think a pitch aimed at his back would have been out of order.

 

To be fair, from what I've read, the Diamandbacks pitcher took a shot at Puig that richocheted off his shoulder and hit him in the face.

 

That pitch was not intentional. Kennedy reacted with frustration, as compared to his nonchalant reaction after hitting Greinke.

 

Exactly... as long as the pitch isn't at the guy's head, kneecaps or wrists, then retribution of this kind is to be expected. All of this reminds me of the game 3 scrum in the '08 NLCS between the Phillies & Dodgers, specifically Hiroki Kuroda & Shane Victorino:


.

 

How can you violate an unwritten rule? Doesn't that just highlight the absurdity behind the concept of unwritten rules? People don't even agree about what the unwritten rules are most of the time.

All that said, I much prefer letting the players police themselves, for the most part. I didn't see everything that led up to the fight, but Kennedy deserves a long suspension for throwing at Greinke's head.

Amazing.

 

Suspensions were just announced, Ian Kennedy only got 10 games, which, if he appeals, may drop to 9. Which is a financial hit, but timed right, will only be 1 start, which seems wrong.

Amazing.

 

It was a move long over due... Jansen has much better stuff & control than League. Of course, if the team doesn't start to do much better over the next month or so, it won't matter much. As for the suspensions, I hope Kennedy's appeal goes nowhere, because he deserves to miss 2 starts. It was odd that Puig got fined, but I can't complain much about that.

 

Surprised McGwire didn't get anything for his participation in the brawl.

 

He was suspended for 2 games.

Amazing.

 

You would think that I'd be over the fact that Russell Martin is no longer a Dodger... well, I am not.

 

Ah, see, that's what I get when I catch the story when it just breaks on ESPN and don't come back to it.

 

I'm really enjoying this season so far. Its been 20 years since I got this into baseball. Having 20 years of losing baseball really wears on you. Its cool my little boy has been there with me most of the season watching and learning.

 

Yup.

 

Greinke is going to escape this incident without most people being aware that he threw multiple times at Montero before hitting him.

I had no particular view of him before this incident, and now I see him in a negative light. If it had been just one pitch at Montero, that would have been fine. Multiple shots? That's a different story.

 

KnightWriter: Greinke's definitely got a bit of a chip on his shoulder/he's sort of a ****... though, for obvious reasons, I view him in a more positive light.

 

Starting off a road trip by winning only 1 game in Pittsburgh isn't exactly inspiring great, positive thinking for the Dodgers, but hell, at least they weren't swept, right?





http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/16/s...a-gathering-made-for-autumn.html?ref=baseball





dp4m, Eeth-my-Koth, heels1785


It's only a 2 game series, one that won't feature Jeter/Kershaw*/Sabathia/Kemp (most likely)/Vin Scully, but the Dodgers will make their first ever regular season trip (and first appearance in The Bronx since the '81 World Series) to Yankee Stadium tomorrow night. It's easy to forget how much of a rivalry these franchises have had, since they've only faced off in interleague** play in '04 & '10, which obviously pails in comparison to a World Series match up (11 total between the two franchises... the Yankees holding an 8-3 advantage).




*Speaking of Kershaw: http://www.latimes.com/sports/baseball/mlb/dodgers/la-sp-0617-dodgers-notes-20130617,0,2199336.story]Clayton[/url] annoyed at leaked info about a possible contract extension.



**Although I can appreciate a lot of what interleague can bring (it is rather neat that the Dodgers will be playing at Yankee Stadium... bizarre of course, but still neatish)/has brought over the years (I attended that entire Yankees/Dodgers series out here in L.A. in June of '04), intellectually I wouldn't miss it all if it were gone. It has run its course, as I see it, but it's here to stay... and the Dodgers will play the Yankees again this season, July 30-31st, out here in La La Land.