Testy Copy Editors

Our new website is up and running at testycopyeditors.org. This board will be maintained as an archive. Please visit the new site and register. Direct questions to the proprietor, blanp@testycopyeditors.org
It is currently Thu Mar 28, 2024 8:08 am

All times are UTC - 5 hours




Forum locked This topic is locked, you cannot edit posts or make further replies.  [ 12 posts ] 
Author Message
 Post subject: A-Rod suspension
PostPosted: Fri Jul 30, 2004 8:30 am 
Offline

Joined: Tue Apr 09, 2002 12:01 am
Posts: 1286
Location: Saranac Lake, N.Y.
As the Times notes here, The guy was attacked by Varitek, the Boston catcher. Why should he get equal punishment?


Top
 Profile E-mail  
 
 Post subject: Re: A-Rod suspension
PostPosted: Fri Jul 30, 2004 9:15 am 
Offline

Joined: Mon Apr 08, 2002 12:01 am
Posts: 3135
Location: Albuquerque, N.M. USA
Because he didn't just walk to first base with his mouth shut. He provoked the entire altercation.


Top
 Profile E-mail  
 
 Post subject: Re: A-Rod suspension
PostPosted: Fri Jul 30, 2004 10:16 am 
Offline

Joined: Tue Apr 09, 2002 12:01 am
Posts: 1286
Location: Saranac Lake, N.Y.
<blockquote><font size="1" face="TImes, TimesNR, serif">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by jjmoney62:
Because he didn't just walk to first base with his mouth shut. He provoked the entire altercation.<hr></blockquote><p>I'm not saying he's blameless, but yelling is not the same as punching. It's not unusual for a batter to glare or yell at a pitcher after being hit by a pitch. It is unusual for a catcher to try to punch the batter in response. Varitek's punishment should be greater.


Top
 Profile E-mail  
 
 Post subject: Re: A-Rod suspension
PostPosted: Fri Jul 30, 2004 10:40 am 
Offline

Joined: Mon Apr 08, 2002 12:01 am
Posts: 3135
Location: Albuquerque, N.M. USA
Yes, a punch is worse than a glare. But if Rodriguez had simply walked to first base, nothing else would have followed. One could argue that he is responsible for the entire brawl.


Top
 Profile E-mail  
 
 Post subject: Re: A-Rod suspension
PostPosted: Fri Jul 30, 2004 12:40 pm 
Offline

Joined: Tue Apr 09, 2002 12:01 am
Posts: 1286
Location: Saranac Lake, N.Y.
Point taken. But your argument would apply even if Varitek had clobbered A-Rod over the head with a bat. Varitek's response was worse than the original crime and should be punished accordingly.


Top
 Profile E-mail  
 
 Post subject: Re: A-Rod suspension
PostPosted: Fri Jul 30, 2004 12:51 pm 
Offline

Joined: Mon Mar 10, 2003 1:01 am
Posts: 2266
Location: New Jersey
Concur. A-Rod is not blameless, but Varitek deserves a significantly more severe penalty. <p>And as A-Rod points out in today's Daily News, catchers play fewer games in a week than other position players anyway, and so a four-game suspension for Varitek is actually a lighter penalty that a four-game suspension for A-Rod.<p>And come on, Jason. If you're going to fight, be a man and throw your mask to the side first.


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: A-Rod suspension
PostPosted: Fri Jul 30, 2004 1:22 pm 
Offline

Joined: Tue Apr 09, 2002 12:01 am
Posts: 1286
Location: Saranac Lake, N.Y.
See, the law's on my side.


Top
 Profile E-mail  
 
 Post subject: Re: A-Rod suspension
PostPosted: Fri Jul 30, 2004 2:20 pm 
Offline

Joined: Mon Apr 08, 2002 12:01 am
Posts: 1775
Location: Baltimore
I wouldn't want to have a glove shoved in my face by a guy as tough as Varitek, and if it happened i'd want the opportunity to punch him in a maskless face, especially if i were as strong as A-Rod.
Nor would i want to have to duck what might have been a punch from someone as large as David Ortiz.<p>No, The Boys of Summer shouldn't misbehave in this way. There should be suspensions of players on both sides.<p>But to call this a fight or a brawl is a bit much. Who among us hasn't seen more damage done on a playground by 10-year-olds than occurred here? Of course, with guys this size, some of whom might be on steroids, the potential for injury is greater. As long as no one swings a bat in it, the typical baseball "fight" is more like square dancing than, say, a hockey fight.<p>But still, this is baseball, and this semi-brawl should be judged in the context of "The Game." If, say, a utility infielder for the Pirates gets shoved in the face by the backup catcher for the Brewers, no one pays much attention except for league officials; the punishment would be the same as what these players got.<p>But the context features the Yankees and BoSox, so we should consider that:
1. These teams hate each other -- perhaps more now than at any time in the 20th century. Their fans hate each other. The cities are near enough that plenty of fans travel to the away games. They play often, and the games tend to mean a lot.
2. These teams played last fall in one of the greatest playoff series. They're in the same division, with a rematch possible in a few months if one (most likely the Red Sox) earns entry as a wildcard.
3. If A-Rod didn't get drilled intentionally by the pitcher, then he at least had reason to suspect it. Some batters will rush pitchers simply for throwing near them.
4. Who said what, and when, along the first-base line? As stupid as it might seem, certain words, in players' minds, require and justify retaliation.<p>This sort of thing happens every week in a typical season. From the stands or couch it might appear that Varitek deserves a tougher punishment than A-Rod, but unless we know more about their conversation, we can't be certain.<p>As for the Red Sox in a sense getting off easier because Varitek doesn't play every game (he seldom catches when No. 3 starter Tim Wakefield pitches, for instance), baseball seldom takes position into consideration. For instance, pitchers might be suspended for four days and never miss a start.<p>No one got hurt, ESPN got to run the clip for more than the usual day, and there'll be added tension when the teams play again.<p>Play ball.<p>[almost forgot to disclose that i've been a Red Sox fan since I was 10.]<p>[ July 30, 2004: Message edited by: Wayne Countryman ]</p>


Top
 Profile E-mail  
 
 Post subject: Re: A-Rod suspension
PostPosted: Fri Jul 30, 2004 4:12 pm 
Offline

Joined: Mon Mar 10, 2003 1:01 am
Posts: 2266
Location: New Jersey
<blockquote><font size="1" face="TImes, TimesNR, serif">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Wayne Countryman:
As for the Red Sox in a sense getting off easier because Varitek doesn't play every game (he seldom catches when No. 3 starter Tim Wakefield pitches, for instance), baseball seldom takes position into consideration. For instance, pitchers might be suspended for four days and never miss a start.<hr></blockquote><p>This is incorrect. A pitcher will rarely receive a suspension of fewer than five games, precisely because baseball wants to ensure he misses a start. I'm saying it would make sense to consider it for their batterymates as well.<p>[ July 30, 2004: Message edited by: Matthew Grieco ]</p>


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: A-Rod suspension
PostPosted: Fri Jul 30, 2004 5:09 pm 
Offline

Joined: Mon Apr 08, 2002 12:01 am
Posts: 1775
Location: Baltimore
<blockquote><font size="1" face="TImes, TimesNR, serif">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Matthew Grieco:

This is incorrect. A pitcher will rarely receive a suspension of fewer than five games, precisely because baseball wants to ensure he misses a start. I'm saying it would make sense to consider it for their batterymates as well.
[ July 30, 2004: Message edited by: Matthew Grieco ]
<hr></blockquote><p>Then i stand corrected -- i confess to paying less attention to baseball in recent years.
The inequity with pitchers' punishments used to anger people, so apparently they've changed.


Top
 Profile E-mail  
 
 Post subject: Re: A-Rod suspension
PostPosted: Mon Aug 02, 2004 2:35 pm 
Offline

Joined: Mon Apr 19, 2004 12:01 am
Posts: 21
Location: The so-called Hub of the Universe
<blockquote><font size="1" face="TImes, TimesNR, serif">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Wayne Countryman:
<p>[almost forgot to disclose that i've been a Red Sox fan since I was 10.]<p><hr></blockquote><p>I'm glad to hear that I'm not the only long-suffering Red Sox fan within media circles.


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: A-Rod suspension
PostPosted: Mon Aug 16, 2004 5:30 pm 
Offline

Joined: Tue Apr 09, 2002 12:01 am
Posts: 1286
Location: Saranac Lake, N.Y.
Alex Rodriguez, who has been weakened by a viral infection, felt strong enough to visit the clubhouse Sunday. He dropped an appeal of his four-game suspension and is ineligible to play until Thursday in Minnesota. He flew home to Florida and will rejoin the team Tuesday. Rodriguez had been adamant about wanting to contest his suspension, but said, "With my situation, I felt it was a moot point if I was going to miss three days anyway.''<p>*That's one way to make a mockery of the lords of baseball.*


Top
 Profile E-mail  
 
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Forum locked This topic is locked, you cannot edit posts or make further replies.  [ 12 posts ] 

All times are UTC - 5 hours


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 14 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot post attachments in this forum

Search for:
Jump to:  
cron
Powered by phpBB © 2000, 2002, 2005, 2007 phpBB Group

What They're Saying




Useful Links