Friday, May 03, 2002
Retaliation time is now
If your hottest prospect takes a pitch off his helmet, what do you do?
If your hottest prospect takes a pitch off his helmet two days after your first baseman takes one high off the shoulder, up close to his cranium, what do you do?
Austin Kearns had “blood coming out of his head” in the words of Sean Casey, after Dodgers pitcher Giovanni Carrara beaned Kearns Tuesday night. Casey was knocked unconscious by a beanball three weeks ago; last Sunday against San Francisco, he nearly took another shot to the head.
What should the Reds do?
Start plunking people. One of yours for one of ours.
Nothing close to the chin. As Reds pitching coach Don Gullett said from his Los Angeles hotel room, “I do not condone throwing at anyone's head.” A thigh for a thigh, then. Because as Gullett said, “There comes a point when retaliation is right.”
The question arises because the Reds play in San Francisco tonight and frankly, the Giants should be ducking. There is nothing scarier in sport than a baseball moving 90 miles an hour toward your eyes. Nothing. It has happened to two Reds in the past three weeks. Why so little response from the home team?
Response
Shouldn't a few Dodgers have been dusting the seats of their pants the past three nights? A Shawn Green or a Brian Jordan should have been dancing around the batter's box like a moth on a porch light.
Giants reliever Felix Rodriguez drilled Casey on Sunday. Then Kearns got the frightening facial Tuesday. Dodgers pitchers hit Corky Miller twice, too.
It's good Scott Williamson and others are saying the turf war has officially begun, but really: Why did it take them so long? What's it going to take before some Reds pitcher or another locates a shinbone with a fastball?
It's not about “establishing the inside part of the plate,” the most common reason offered for buzzing hitters. It's not about intimidation or retaliation. The whole notion of you-hit-my-guy, I-hit-yours is juvenile. If baseball has a goon side, that's it.
Respect your mates
It is about respect for your teammates. It is saying, “I have your back.” Rodriguez understood that. Rodriguez hit Casey because in the top of the inning Gabe White threw a pitch over Barry Bonds' head.
One of yours for one of ours.
There is too much chumminess now. I do not want to see Barry Larkin play-wrestling Bonds before a game. I do not want to read quotes from players on opposing teams saying what great friends they are. Because if one great friend happens to play shortstop or second base and the other great friend is on the bases, trying to break up a double play, how can I be sure he'll take his friend out, the way he's supposed to?
The Reds talk about their camaraderie. Winning will do that. But the deeper bond that will take them into August with a chance to be special comes from backing your teammates whenever it's needed. Such as now.
On Tuesday night, Austin Kearns looked like he'd been in a street fight. It's time the Reds rolled up their sleeves.
Contact Paul Daugherty at 768-8454; e-mail: pdaugherty@enquirer.com.
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DAUGHERTY: Retaliation time is now
