A-Rod and Dempster
 

I'd have dumped Dempster. On a different thought, A-Rod may need more than an elbow pad for the rest of the season. :rolleyes:

JJ

My only thoughts were how ridiculous the plate umpire looked performing his warning dance. He pointed so many directions I thought a disco ball was coming out. Very unprofessional looking, imho. Like he's never given a warning for this before in his life, or it was the very first time he'd ever seen anyone thrown at, and blew a gasket in anger.

Of course you would have dumped Dempster because you are an amateur umpire. We all would have dumped him but in MLB, it's the PU's discretion. In the amateur world, we really don't have a choice.

The fact that he was going to bolt out from behind the plate and violently point and yell should have flipped the light switch that this should have been more than a warning.

Most warnings seem generally calm. This was just weird.

I agree. Something like...

"Everyone look at me!!! I am boldly putting my foot down and angrily doing nothing whatsoever!!!! Thus Spaketh I!!!!!"

Girardi didn't think the PU had a choice in the pro world either. He thought the warning (if any) should have been issued after the pitch behind A-Rod's knees. I don't blame him for coming unglued.

My suggestion to Girardi would be to sit A-Rod on his butt until his suspension takes place. Dempster isn't the only pitcher to try and drill A-Rod but at least Dempster left a mark.....LOL.

Sorry Dash, but I have hated A-Rod long before he came to New York. I have no use for the bum!

Girardi's job is to win games. If a bum can help him get to the playoffs, that bum is going to be in the lineup (especially if he gets drilled every time up).

Well, that bum may get on base, and even get a few timely hits. But it seems every day lately there's a new story to this guy's saga, and now it's against team management. Somebody may force Girardi's hand on this.

Alex Rodriguez reportedly ready to file malpractice suit against New York Yankees doctor Chris Ahmad over handling of hip injury in 2012 postseason - MLB News | FOX Sports on MSN

And your naive enough to believe "Team Management" and MLB because you read that somewhere.

MLB signed a CBA that says a players first offense will result in 50 games. Fact: ARod has never tested positive so why was he given 212 games against what the agreement MLB signed.

The agreement also states first offenders have a right to appeal. ARod may or may not have a first offense but he still has the right to appeal.

You have a right to your opinion but if you take verbatium what the "Team", MLB or Arod lawyers say, then I have to question your abilty to reason facts and not garbage some media guru is printing for a paycheck and notoriety.

Ozzy I hear you but how come no-one threw at Bonds / McGuire / Sosa / Big Poppy/ Manny (Not Manny A) etc. etc.

Heck Big Poppy and Manny used to "kill" the Yanks and the Yanks for the most part never threw at them.

I am not an AROD fan but it seems as though he is taking the "brunt" of this UNLESS the players know for certain that he threw Braun and company under the bus.

Not to start a differerent topic but if the players want to rid this "steroid nonsense" then publish the list of some 90-100 players other then the ones we already know, come clean and move on. As long as that "list" is out there, MLB IMO will never get passed this.

There are some players aka Mike Piazza that didn't get into the Hall simply because someone suspects they did the juice. Same with Pullhose. Supply the list and lets move on.

Pete Booth

I do not understand the reluctance to just dump these guys. It was obvious he was throwing at A-Rod. He should have gotten more games, but I can live with that suspension.

Peace

What equates to 1 game is BS, imo.

He should have been dumped. He had his chance to drill him "undetected" and he missed.

Agreed, Dempster getting a 5 game suspension is a joke. He doesn't miss a start. There should be different rules for pitcher's as opposed to position players.

Pete Booth

I agree, but was trying to think of a "like" punishment.

i.e - There are 162 games in a season. If you suspend a position player for five games (for whatever reason), that's 3% of his potential season. If a starting pitcher were expected to start 30 games and was to be suspended for the equivalent 3%, that equals one start. What about relievers? What's the best way to do this?

And for all those who don't think baseball polices itself, MLB just suspended Dempster for 5 games.

See, like I said so many times, you can't criticize the pros though the eyes of an amateur.

I don't really think the suspension rules out criticism of the PU at the time. Dempster should have been dumped AND he should have been suspended, as he was.

And as the schedule lands ... he'll miss ZERO games.

What's the difference between Strasburg and Dempster?

For those with a need to know......
 

Strasburg missed on several attempts, never actually hit the batter, but was eventually ejected by the PU. No suspension.

Dempster missed on several attempts and eventually hit A-Rod. No ejection, but suspension.

You might also need to ask "What's the difference (in MLB's view) between ARod and whoever Strasburg hit?"

One plays for the Nationals, the other...

I assume you're asking why Strasburg didn't get suspended after being ejected for throwing behind Andrelton Simmons. It's quite simple, really; MLB didn't think Strasburg was trying to hit Simmons. Even some of the Braves felt that way.

Frankly, I felt that Marvin Hudson overreacted to Strasburg's pitches. For some reason, Strasburg suddenly couldn't find the zone, throwing seven straight balls, including the three wild pitches to Simmons. The first pitch to Simmons was a 55-foot curve that was way outside. The second went probably five feet behind Simmons. The third was closer but still behind him, and allowed a run to score.

Why would Strasburg try to hit Simmons and, in the process, allow a run and get himself ejected? Heck, the Nats need to beat the Braves every chance they get now. He's not going to try and hit a batter with runners on base. Besides, Strasburg had already hit Justin Upton in the previous inning, and that should have closed the door on the Nats' response to the Braves having hit Bryce Harper twice the previous game. If any additional statement needed to be made, he would've waited until Upton came back up.

I'm hoping Strasburg didn't just go Rick Ankiel on the Nats. He really looked completely lost that inning. As he walked toward the dugout after the ejection, he seemed more in a daze than anything else.

Strasburg also just walked off the field. No argument or nothing.

Point is one was ejected for missing the other wasn't when it was obvious what he was doing.

Well said Manny
 

Three times in their last two sereis.

I was thinking the same thing. Strasburg is turning into a delicate, china doll. One never knows what you'll get from him.

I was at his first start - 14K's against the Pirates. One of the most electric and best sports events I've ever been to. Let's hope it's not his best performance ever and there are more to come......

I think anytime you hit someone on purpose you should be ejected. Forget all this warning stuff and "This is pro ball" crap that I hear about at that level. The NFL is cracking down on stuff. The NBA is cracking down on stuff. What the heck is wrong with MLB. They allow all this fighting and bench clearing while even the NHL makes it clear if a single person comes off the bench in that sport they will be ejected and suspended. All these stupid, unwritten rules.

Peace

I think there is an undertone regarding the Dempster that MLB is saying "Mr. Dempster, we will police the "A-Rod" situation ourselves and if anyone else wants to get involved here will be the penalty".....

Just IMO

Wouldn't it be great if all the relief pitchers in the bullpens got ejected and suspended if they left their areas and jogged toward the mound/plate during a "base-brawl?"

You do not even have to eject them, suspend their behinds. Then when bullpens are going to be messed up during a crucial stretch, this crap will stop.

Peace

Obvious to who? You?

Parse what actually happened. In the bottom of the first inning, after Heyward hits a home run, Strasburg hits Upton on the very first pitch he throws to him. Warnings are issued. Why Upton? Who knows. Maybe it's because he hit the walk-off home run the night before, and Harper was hit by an Atlanta pitcher after Harper jacked one.

In the bottom of the second, Strasburg pitches four straight balls to Jordan Schafer. Johnson sends pitching coach McCatty out to talk to Strasburg. His first pitch to Simmons is well outside and in the dirt, allowing Schafer to go to second. The next pitch goes way behind Simmons, and Schafer goes to third. The last pitch he throws, again behind Simmons, allows Schafer to score. On the play, Strasburg runs in to cover home. I don't know about you, but if I'm trying to hit a batter, the last thing I'm going to do after being unsuccessful twice is run toward him while he's still at the plate with the bat in his hand.

Google articles on the Strasburg ejection. There are players on the Braves team that felt Strasburg wasn't trying to hit Simmons. After he hit Upton the previous inning, don't you think that Simmons or other Atlanta players would have said or done something if they felt Strasburg was throwing at him? The fact is, nobody said a word. Nobody barked from the dugout. Nobody trotted in from the bullpen. Nothing.

So? Suspension is suspension in MLB. The Player's Union and MLB could never agree to actual games played as a suspension basis. Heck, they were arguing that when I played eons ago! As a matter of fact, I sat a suspension for our clean up hitter. Back then you could do that!!

The penalty is for intentionally pitching at the batter. To me, the suspension is MLB saying (among other things) Dempster should have been ejected.

Maybe next year Girardi can throw a red flag and then the base umpires will vote on the ejection, or they'll poll the audience based on cheers.

The difference is, Dempster was doing the Lord's work. ;)

That would certainly stop it. But you'd have to include the dugouts too (which is fine).

Obvious to anyone knowing what's going on - including Ray Charles.

It's hard to disagree.

True. but if MLB REALLY want to address this, the suspension must be longer than just a normal rest cycle plus 1 game. 7-8 games would actually address the issue.

Then I guess there are a lot of players on the Braves team named Ray Charles, as well as suits in MLB HQ.

And that just proves they are not serious about stopping fighting all together.

Peace

Most of them look too winded to do anything after they get there.

He got a five game suspension so he would have a start pushed back one day.

I doubt O' Nora has any respect for A Fraud either, or he would have dumped Dempster. Hell, he never even gave a warning for the first three pitches. It like a green light to throw at him as long as you don't hit him. I loved it.

Really?! Yhen you question O'Nora's integrity? WOW!